Lexéy'em “TO TELL A STORY” Northern Secwepemc te Qelmucw Shuswap People of the North Table of Contents 4 Secwepemc Water Mysteries Revealed 7 A Swing Of The Bat 8 Homes of our Own Eric Sannes Communications Manager P: (250) 392-7361 ext. 228 11 E: [email protected] National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Lexey’em is a magazine published by the Northern 12 Shuswap Tribal Council, that is distributed to all of the NStQ members in four communities as well as From the Ground Up being sent by e-mail and surface mail to our members across Canada and British Columbia. Lexey’em means “to tell a story” in Shuswap. The Lexey’em 15 magazine is the community news source of the Northern Secwepemc te Qelmucw (NStQ). The Lexey’em is a quarterly publication and is available The Road to Here: NStQ on the ‘Northern Shuswap Tribal Council’ website. Child and Family It is distributed to the NStQ communities, T’exelc (Williams Lake Band), Tsq’escen’ (Canim Lake Band), Xat’sull (Soda Creek Band) and the Stswecem’c - Xgat’tem First Nation (Canoe / Dog Creek Band) and it is 17 delivered to First Nation organizations across the province of BC. As part of The Fine Print the Treaty Advisory Committee (TAC) consultation process, it is distributed to regional government officials and the larger Williams Lake Region, including dental and medical facilities, tourist sites, information collection sites and other First Nation communities round the Cariboo, free of charge. 18 Bill S-3 19 Disclaimer: Lexey’em is developed by contributing writers from the NStQ Treaty FAQ’s communities & staff in collaboration with the NSTC Communications Manager, supported by the Treaty Executive Assistant and reviewed by the Senior Treaty Manager and Executive Director. On This Day in First Nations NStQ Secwepemc Declaration History 1971 (June) 15 Interior Secwepemc, “We carry the blood of our ancestors Dakelth, and Tsilhqot’in Bands and in turn, it is passed down to the join to form the Cariboo Tribal next generations. The importance of Council (CTC). family is shown and is practiced 1975 (May) Don Smith, Cree, first through daily family life from the Indian Agent to work local DIA office. Closure of DIA office Elders to the parents and to the in Williams Lake. younger generations. Families are 1982 (April) The Canadian proud of their strong roots, are loyal to Constitution, sec. 35, affirms relationships, and share in the existing Aboriginal and Treaty responsibility of caring for children, rights. for Elders, and for those in need. 1992 (May) CTC Chiefs present There is a deep sense of respect for the Premier Mike Harcourt and his sacredness of body and of life. As Cabinet with Statement of Intent (SOI - 1st stage) at 108 Mile Secwepemc, we fight for what we Resort. believe in. Mothers, Fathers, Uncles, 1996 (April) BC Treaty Commission Aunts, Children, and honored Elders declares Preparations for all participate and contribute to the Negotiations complete (Stage 2). community and its well-being. The CTC Treaty table is ready for practice of sharing assures that all Stage 3 negotiations with B.C. and Canada. needs are taken care of. Many Elders are models of traditional teachings 2016 (May) Indigenous Affairs minister Carolyn Bennett meant to secure the well-being and announced Canada’s full continuance of Secwepemc.” support of the United Nat ions Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. On the cover.: Centennial Park 100 Mile House Photo credit: Eric Sannes SECWEPEMC WATER MYSTERIES REVEALED By NStQ Staff ong before there was a provincial park, or a ceremony or revitalization of an existing name must province, for that matter, the mountains and occur collaboratively with the Simpcw and Tsq’escen’ L valleys of what is now called Wells Gray were people,” says Simpcw Chief Shelley Loring says. part of the vast empire of the Secwepemc. And among the mountains and valleys of this area was a cave sacred to the Secwepemc people of Tsq’escen’ and Simpcw. For millennia, our people gathered at this place. “We have names for the lakes and So it was with some frustration that Tsq’escenemc mountains and meadows.” learned last fall that provincial scientists had “discovered” a giant cave in Wells Gray park. Tsq’escen Chief Helen Henderson This remarkable find made headlines across the country and around the world. “Enormous unexplored cave accidentally discovered in Canada,” declared the Independent newspaper in the United Kingdom. Tsq’escen officials say the issue highlights the need for a long overdue parks and wildlife co-management “Canadian team confirms presence of huge unexplored agreement with the Province. cave in British Columbia,” exclaimed Canadian Geographic. “We hope this cave might serve as an example that British Columbia will only realize the full potential and The chief and council of Tsq’escen’ (Canim Lake) quickly protection of its wildlife, parks and natural areas by called on the provincial government to suspend any working in partnership with First Nations, who hold a planning for the cave, until they meet with members of vast knowledge of the land.” that community and neighbouring Simpcw. The cave is an estimated 100 metres long and 60 metres “The Tsq’escenemc are concerned that the province’s wide - big enough to fit an entire football pitch. BC Parks recent awareness of the cave is being characterized as a approved an expedition to explore the cave but when ‘discovery.’ It is not new to us,” Chief Helen Henderson scientists descended last September, they found they says in a news release. could go only about 60 metres before they came across This area has been home to Secwepemc for more than an underground river. 10,000 years, she says. When a team tried to climb down inside the huge “We have names for the lakes and mountains and chamber in September, they descended 80m before meadows of Wells Gray Park that have marked those being stopped by the flow of an underground river. features for millennia,” she says. A provincial crew counting caribou from a helicopter Dr. Catherine Hickson, who led the exploration team came across the alpine wonder last year. That team last fall, says it may be one of the largest caves in dubbed the site “Sarlacc’s pit,” after a monster from the Canada. Star Wars movies. Both Simpcw and Tsq’escen community members call that inappropriate. “It is huge. It is enormous. When you first see it, you just gasp because it’s just this huge hole in the ground,” she “Our traditions and culture dictate that a naming (Continued on page 5) (Continued from page 4) told journalists. In addition to the size of the cave, the amount of water that flows through in summer is an astounding 15 cubic metres per second. And the cave location deep within the park east of Canim Lake is at the bottom of a 45-degree slope that towers 600 metres above. Scientists believe that the river in the cave emerges 2.1 kilometers away and 500 meters lower than the entrance. In an effort to protect the remote site, BC Parks closed the area to the public in December, imposing a $1 million fine and up to one-year in jail for anyone convicted of venturing into the sensitive ecosystem.Tsq’escen’ commended the park service for taking those measures to protect the area. Now they are calling on BC Parks and the province to work with the two communities in any planning for the area. “Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents, It was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” Secwepemc Knowledge Keeper Shuswap Language Class a Success By Angela Hare In partnership between NSTC and Thompson Rivers University we are excited to be able to offer a credited Shuswap First Nation Language (FNLG 1000) course. Currently, we have 22 students taking the course that is instructed by Cody William. This class runs every Monday and Wednesday for the months of March/April. The second level course (FNLG 1100) will be offered May/June. Please contact Angela Hare at 250-392-7361 if you are interested in this course . WORD SEARCH—NSTQ CHILD AND FAMILY The Swing of the Bat By Kate Hewitt syndrome are now considered endangered and have been B C is home to 16 bat species, more than any other listed under the federal Species at Risk Act, including the province in Canada, and 12 of those species are found Northern Long-eared Myotis. within NStQ territory. The public can help prevent the spread of this syndrome Those include the Little Brown Myotis (Myotis by helping to increase bat resistance and resilience. lucifugus), Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus), and two Create bat boxes for your backyard, reduce disturbance to species of special concern: the Townsend’s Big-eared Bat natural bat habitats, and clean your shoes and clothing (Plecotus townsendii) and the Northern Long-eared after going into bat habitats. Report any dead bat Myotis (Myotis septentrionalis). sightings between November and April when they are most at-risk, or any unusual activity when they are not Bats are known as indicator species, meaning the health hibernating. of the bat population can alert us to environmental changes such as agricultural intensification, habitat Together we can help create a more bat-friendly future in fragmentation, deforestation, and pesticide use. the Northern Secwepemc te Qelmucw and across the province. Many bat species are now under threat from White-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungus that attacks bats while they Last year the Little Brown Bat was identified as an are hibernating.