ThisA Companion Resource forLand Early Childhood Educators to Accompany Five Short Films To you, the Early Childhood Educators, embarking on this emotional journey Thank you for taking this on. Some days it may seem insurmountable to both learn about and feel the painful history of this country in its treatment of Indigenous Peoples. We are grateful for the gentle, important work you do in caring for young children. They are the now and the future. 2 THIS LAND A COMPANION RESOURCE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS 1: Welcome si:y̓em̓ nə siyey̓ə My honoured friends and relatives. c̓iyətalə cən tə ɬwələp xʷəʔiʔnamət ʔə ƛ̓ xʷməθkʷəy̓əm I thank you all for coming to Musqueam. stəʔe k̓ʷ nə syəwenəɬ qiyəplenəxʷ ʔiʔ xʷəlciməltxʷ Like my ancestors qiyəplenəxʷ and xʷəlciməltxʷ seʔcsəm cən niʔ ʔə tə ɬwələp ʔiʔ hiləkʷstalə I raise my hands to welcome all of you. hay ce:p ʔewəɬ si:y̓em̓ nə siyey̓ə Thank you, all my friends and relatives, wə n̓an ʔəw ʔəy̓ tə nə šxʷqʷeləwən kʷəns ʔi k̓ʷəcnalə ʔə šxʷə ʔi ʔə tə ʔi I’m very happy to see you all here. hay čxʷ q̓ə Thank you. 2 THIS LAND A COMPANION RESOURCE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS THIS LAND A COMPANION RESOURCE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS 3 First Nations Tutchone Languages of Den k’e Inland Łingít British Columbia © 2011 UBC Museum of Anthropology This map is regularly revised. Latest revision November 24,2011. Please do not reproduce in any form without permission. First Nations languages are shown with outlines that are approximate represent- Language ations of their geographic locations. & place They are not meant to depict authori- Łingít Danezāgé’ tative political boundaries nor territorial claims. The language names listed here Tāłtān are the ones First peoples prefer to use and are those currently listed in the on- line First Peoples' Language Map of B.C. (http://maps.fphlcc.ca/). w w x m Ok y m Musqueam Dene K’e | Nisga'a Tse’khene Skwxwu7mesh Squamish Dane-Zaa | Ned- Gitsenimx ut’en Xaad Kil / s lilw ta Tsleil-Waututh Xaaydaa Kil | Smalgyax Xa'’isla- kala Witsuwit'en Before European contact, all First Nations languages were oral. Today, many people use Nēhiyawēwin the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) to write First Nations languages, which are sometimes combined with English phonetics. Dakelh Nuxalk Hailhzaqvla Tsilhqot'in hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ is the ancestral language Vancouver is on the Central Coast Salish traditional Oowekyala territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil- Stoney of the original First Nations Peoples Secwepemctsin Waututh Nations. Kwak’wala whose territory extends from the mouth of the Salish Sea Region: 1) Éy7á7juuthem Fraser River and upstream as far as the Stave British Columbia is home to 60% of all the First Státimcets 2) She shashishalhem 1 River*. This encompasses all of Metro Vancouver, Nations languages in Canada, and has 34 unique 3) Pəntl’áč 4) Sḵwxwú7mesh- Nuučaanuɫ 2 Nłeʔkep- and includes the First Nations communities: languages, including hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓. 3 mxcín sníchim 4 *Handbook of North American Indians. Vol. 7. P.453-455 Wayne Suttles, 1990 5) Hul’q’umi’num’ xʷməθkʷy̓əm, səlil̕wətaʔɬ, scəw̓aθən, kʷikʷəƛ̓əm, 5 6 6) hənqəminəm 7 q̓ic̓əy̓ & q̓ʷa:n̓ƛ̓ən̓ (Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, Reproduced courtesy of the Diitiidʔaatx Museum of Anthropology, 7) Halq'eméylem 8 Nsyilxcən Ktunaxa Tsawwassen, Kwikwetlem, Katzie and Kwantlen). University of British Columbia. 8) SENĆOŦEN, Malchosen, Lekwungen, Semiahmoo, 4 THIS LAND A COMPANION RESOURCE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS THIS LAND A COMPANION RESOURCE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS 5 T’Sou-ke Nqlispélišcn w House posts in front of the Musqueam Morgan Guerin sec len x Band Office on Reserve #2. | Fisheries Officer and Councillor culture Musqueam Nation “ When we say we are Musqueam, we say we are xʷəlməxʷ, which means to belong to the land. Like a child belongs to their mother. So when the land is removed from our care, from our stewardship, it’s like removing a mother from her child.” Ginger Gosnell-Myers Aboriginal Relations Manager,City of Vancouver Every house post has a story and a purpose Nisga’a and Kwakwaka’wakw A house post is a carved post often created to mark a symbol and be used as a corner or partition post a significant moment in time such as a naming of a longhouse. Unlike totem poles, house posts are “ It’s important that people know that Canada is an ceremony, memorial or coming of age ceremony. structural and foundational, just like the knowledge Indigenous place. Vancouver is no exception.” Today, house posts are symbols of remembrance that they pass on and represent. and pride for Coast Salish people. Traditionally following a ceremony, a house post would serve as 6 THIS LAND A COMPANION RESOURCE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS THIS LAND A COMPANION RESOURCE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS 7 Language Reflections ontheVideo “Welcome” opens with Elder Larry Grant speaking Do you know what year Canada became an official in hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, giving a traditional welcome. bilingual country of French and English? How We’ve provided the text of his welcome in both does it make you feel that there are no Indigenous English and hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓. languages officially represented? Have you ever heard this or any Indigenous Ginger Gosnell-Myers speaks of Canada and languages being spoken before? Vancouver being an “Indigenous Place.” What does this mean to you? Do you speak a language other than English? Is English your second or even third language? When you hear the phrase, “being of the land,” how What are you able to express differently in various can you support young learners in exploring this languages? further? Reflecting on the importance of language, bonding and connections, how does hearing about language bans help you support children in your program? 8 THIS LAND A COMPANION RESOURCE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS THIS LAND A COMPANION RESOURCE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS 9 Karen Isaac Tammy Harkey Executive Director of the BC Dean of Student Services, Aboriginal Childcare Society Native Education College, Lstuguj, Migmaq Nation and Councillor, Musqueam Nation “ Colonialism and colonial policy in Canada has had “ There’s a shared responsibility of all a detrimental impact on our children and families. Canadians to understand these experiences It’s really important to understand what the impacts and to take the time to invest in the healing of these policies were because they continue to be from those laws that caused such harm.” expressed in our community in various ways.” Larry Grant q Teresita Nidua | s y Program Manager and Musqueam Elder Early Childhood Educator, “ The language ban that happened coincided with Collingwood Neighbourhood House the Indian Residential Schools. Early Childhood “ Culturally safe Early Childhood Educators need to understand the devastation Education is about creating safe created by the kidnapping of children, the loss of spaces for every learner to see children and the loss of self-worth, identity, themselves, to hear the voices of language, culture, and spirituality; the devastation their history, and to be able to that worked on the parents and the children.” celebrate themselves.” 10 THIS LAND A COMPANION RESOURCE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS THIS LAND A COMPANION RESOURCE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS 11 Going Deeper 1891 photo of eight- year-old Thomas Moore Keesick, The Indian Act Created Culture Bans before and after being forced into residential school in The Canadian government created the Indian Act be assimilated into settler society. Until 1960, The confiscation of cultural belongings Regina, where he was stripped of his name and called in 1876, which afforded the government sweeping Indigenous Peoples and communities across the by the RCMP during raids of Potlatches Number 22. Thomas was from the Muscowpetung powers with regards to First Nations identity, country were forbidden from expressing their and other gatherings led to the largest Saulteaux First Nation. He died in 1895 of tuberculosis. political structures, governance, cultural practices identities through languages and cultures. In what collections of ceremonial items that fill and education. These powers were extremely is now known as Vancouver, the cultural practice museums around the world today. Most paternalistic and allowed officials to determine of the Potlatch was banned along with all other of these belongings are not visible to the rights and benefits based on the Victorian definition local gatherings and ceremonies. The penalty for public. They are held in “secure” locations, of ‘good moral character.’ people who were caught practicing ceremony or in basements around the world. They are not culture was to be removed from their family and visible for education, sharing or viewing. The Act ignored (and continues to ignore) community, and put in jail. the unique diversity of Indigenous Peoples across Canada, treating them as one group to 12 THIS LAND A COMPANION RESOURCE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS THIS LAND A COMPANION RESOURCE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS 13 Residential Schools Beginning in the 1800s, Indigenous children across than 3,200 children were known to have died. Canada were stolen from their families and forced Residential Schools often had cemeteries instead into Indian Residential Schools where they were of playgrounds. The Truth and Reconciliation forbidden to speak their languages or practice Commission continues to gather statements from their cultures. Siblings and family members were families about their murdered and missing children, separated from each other. Families who tried to and communities continue to heal from this keep their children out of Residential School were immense injury inflicted by Canadian colonization put in jail. policies. The last Residential School in Canada closed in 1996. For over 100 years an estimated 150,000 children were kidnapped and forced into Residential Schools. Records show that there was widespread sexual and physical abuse in the schools, and more 14 THIS LAND A COMPANION RESOURCE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS THIS LAND A COMPANION RESOURCE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS 15 TRC Calls to Action Missing children and burial information The Truth and Reconciliation Commission 71.