salish sea sentinel

Volume 10 • Issue 10 NOVEMBER 2014

BEAR WATCH RECORD YEAR FORHOMALCO TOURSPAGES 6-7

SALISH EYE SENTINEL PROFILE

PAGES 4-5

MALAHAT PROJECT

ON THE WATERFRONT

PAGES 8-9

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Your best holiday memory ever!Christmas is coming and so too is The Salish Sea Sentinel’s year-end double issue, full of our top stories from 2014.

We would like to include you in this special issue. Send us your story about ‘My best holiday memory ever’. Tell us what and who made it special for you. Include a photo or two if it helps tell your story.

The best story selected by Sentinel staff will win a Grand Prize of $150. There will also be a $50 second prize and a $25 third prize. And we will also publish the best stories in our big December/January edition.

Send your story by November 15 to [email protected]

Include your full name, your Nation and your phone number.

GRAND PRIZE $150

SALISH SEA SENTINEL 1

NAUT’SA MAWT TRIBAL COUNCIL NATIONS

1. HALALT (250) 246-4736 [email protected] www.halalt.org2. HOMALCO (250) 923-4979 [email protected]. KLAHOOSE Qathen Xwegus Management Corp (250) 935-6536 www.klahoose.com4. MALAHAT (250) 743-3231 [email protected] www.malahatnation.com5. SLIAMMON (604) 483-9646 [email protected] www.sliammonfirstnation.com www.sliammontreaty.com6. SNAW-NAW-AS (Nanoose) (250) 390-3661 [email protected] [email protected] www.nanoose.org7. SNUNEYMUXW (Nanaimo) (250) 740-2300 [email protected] www.snuneymuxw.ca8. STZ’UMINUS (Ladysmith) (250) 245-7155 [email protected] www.stzuminus.com9. TSAWWASSEN (604) 948-5219 [email protected] www.tsawwassenfirstnation.com10. TSLEIL-WAUTUTH (604) 929-3454 [email protected] www.twnation.ca11. T’SOU-KE (Sooke) (250) 642-3957 [email protected] www.tsoukenation.com

Editorial:Mark Kiemele, Editor

[email protected] 250-246-3438

Cara McKenna, Reporter [email protected]

604-366-6215Advertising:Manoj Sood

[email protected] 604-723-8355

Publisher:Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council

1921 Tsawwassen Drive, Tsawwassen BC V4M 4G2

Gary Reith, CAO 604-943-6712 | 1-888-382-7711

The Salish Sea Sentinel is published monthly, eleven times a year, by the

Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council, incorpo-rated as a non-profit society in 1983 and governed by a board of directors from

our eleven member First Nations located around the Salish Sea. About 6,500 people

hold membership in our nations.

www.salishseasentinel.ca

EDITORIAL

MONEY TALKS… SO DO WE

One of the big changes in the Salish Sea Sentinel in 2014 has been the addition of paid-for advertising.

While we are heartened by the support of companies and organizations, with this has change has come many behind-the-scenes debates about what sort of ad-vertising we will include.

“Do we accept ads from anyone who has the money?” is a common question. “What about oil and pipeline companies, tobacco manufacturers, casinos, night-

clubs…” The list is long and so are the ar-guments both for and against what critics might call ‘dirty’ money.

These discussions have recently come closer to home. The Kinder Morgan pipe-line company was one of the sponsors for Malahat First Nation’s gala on Nov. 1.

And at the recent CANDO econom-ic development conference (hosted by Snuneymuxw and Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council), the delegates’ package contained a flyer advertising Double Happiness cigarettes that billed itself as “Canada’s only Chinese tobacco brand.” Now we’ve seen an online ad on the Windspeaker newspaper site from Shell Oil.

We’re still on the fence about if the Sentinel would also accept such adver-tising. And, if so, what strings might be attached? Is there really such a thing as ‘dirty’ money?

This is an issue we haven’t had to face head-on yet, but these are challenging questions for any publication and espe-cially for one committed to forward-look-ing articles about Coast Salish people.

We will judge our ad content on a case-by-case basis, but readers can be assured that our content will never be influenced by advertising dollars.

What do you think? Send comments to: [email protected]

Deadline for editorial and advertising is the 15th of every month.

2 SALISH SEA SENTINEL

Charges droppedThe Underwater Harvesters Association has dropped legal charges against the Stz’uminus First Nation.

The charges were brought after the com-munity held an August demonstration along the waters of Kulleet Bay against the geoduck harvesting policies by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

Since then, Stz’uminus has discussed the issue with federal politicians as well as other coastal First Nations.

Workshop leaderLinda Bristol of T’Sou-ke First Nation led a comprehensive community planning workshop at Songhees Wellness Centre in Victoria on Oct 8. The audience heard how consultations for T’Sou-ke’s 100-

AROUND THE SALISH SEA

Land deals around Vancouver for Tsleil-WaututhTsleil-Waututh First Nation is now part owner of three parcels of prime Vancou-ver-area land.

The $307 million dollar deal saw the 32 hectares of former federal lands trans-ferred to a joint venture between Tsleil-Waututh, Musqueam and Squamish First Nations along with the Canada Lands Agency.

Two parcels are located in Vancouver. One is in Point Grey on English Bay, an area formerly known as the Jericho Lands. The other is a former RCMP property on Heather Street in the Cam-bie Corridor. A third is a vacant fisheries department parcel in along West Van-couver’s Marine Drive.

Earlier this year, Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam said they would become part-ners with Aquilini Investment Group to develop the Willingdon Lands in Burnaby.

That followed a late March protocol signing by the three nations at which Tsleil-Waututh Chief Maureen Thomas said: “Our nations often talk about our shared connection to our lands and waters, but today we are high-lighting our shared connection as First Nations people.

“This agreement is so important for our three commu-nities and we hope it sets a positive ex-ample of what can be achieved when we truly work to-gether as one.”

Naniamo candidatesSnuneymuxw First Nation elder Geral-dine Manson is running for Nanaimo city council in the upcoming municipal elec-tions. Bill Yoachim, former Snuneymuxw council member, is also a candidate.

year community plan (Visions in Progress) involved sessions with ev-eryone from chil-dren to elders.

“Listen, listen, listen” and be flex-ible, Bristol ad-vised communi-ties. “You have to be able to move. Things come up

that you don’t anticipate all the time. If you want to make Creator laugh, make a plan.”

Enevoldsen elected new Homalco chief Maryann Enevoldsen was elected chief of Homalco First Nation on Oct. 26.

She narrowly defeated longtime chief Richard Harry in the vote which saw two new faces elected to council.

Dorothy Paul (Andrew) and Curtis Blaney will join re-elected councillors Darren Blaney and Alison Trenholm. Darren Blaney, with 125 votes, topped the polls for seats on council.

According to the unofficial vote count, Enevoldsen received 78 votes to Harry’s 72. Strong support from Vancouver-area voters gave Enevoldsen the victory.

Chief Maureen Thomas

Linda Bristol

Stz’uminus First Nation elder Ray Harris testified before the National Energy Board hearings on the Kinder Morgan pipeline in Chilliwack on Oct. 22 along with Coast Salish people from BC and Washington State. Prior to the hearing a ceremony was held along the Fraser River.

(Photo courtesy Mychaylo Prystupa, Vancouver Observer)



Tsawwassen First Nation and its economic development corpora-tion won two awards at the recent

CANDO conference in Nanaimo.The awards were largely based on the

nation and its economic development corporation working together in support of all members. The nation is in the midst of large retail, housing and industrial developments along with major infra-structure works (see sidebar).

Chris Hartman, CEO of Tsawwassen’s economic development corporation, re-ceived an individual award, while the na-tion picked up an award in the commu-nity category.

“I truly believe that successful econom-ic development means looking beyond basic business principles,” said Hartman.

Hartman said the key at Tsawwassen has been focusing on the balanced deliv-ery of social and economic opportunities, which has meant working closely with the nation’s legislative council.

TSAWWASSEN AWARDS ABOUT BENEFITS FOR MEMBERS

The First Nation was honoured twice at the 21st annual national conference of the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers

He said that all members are shareholders in the corporation. Both a short and long-term vision was required so that “30, 40 and 50 years down the road, members not even born yet can still enjoy the benefits.”

He said the benefits are not just finan-cial, but also social, which includes health, wellness, training and jobs.

“As we go forward, we will create more jobs than we have members,” Hartman said.

“So that will allow us to focus on com-munity amenities and see how we can start bringing those social benefits forward.”

Tony Jacobs, a member of the nation’s executive council, expanded on Hart-man’s theme when he received the com-munity award.

“Economic development has allowed us to achieve independence for our children and grandchildren…so we may carry on the advice and wisdom given to us by our elders,” Jacobs said.

$40 MILLION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE

Tsawwassen First Nation and Vancity have signed a $40

million financing deal.

Chief Bryce Williams said the arrangement will assist the na-tion in building the critical infra-structure required for the devel-opment of the nation’s economy, including a new sewage treatment plant, roads and utility services.

“These key projects will support the full build-out of our compre-hensive land use plan, including our commercial district, our stra-tegically located industrial lands and our oceanfront residential community,” Williams said.

“Vancity is helping us make up the infrastructure deficit we faced when we left the Indian Act.”

The two-part deal is for two $20 million loans, one for the sewage plant scheduled for completion in mid-2015. The second is for roads and other work that are sched-uled to be finished in time for the opening of commercial develop-ments in early 2016.

Chris Hartman Tony Jacobs

Chief Bryce Williams


SENTINEL PROFILE

SALISH EYE STAYS IN FOCUS DESPITE PAIN

A traumatic injury laid Tricia Thomas low, but hasn’t stopped her from looking at the big picture.

IT HAPPENED IN AN INSTANT. Last January, two days before the first big job for her new company, a car accident changed the life of Tricia Thomas.

She was returning from dropping a friend’s child off at school and her car was t-boned by another vehicle, leaving her with serious muscle tissue injuries that have since ren-dered her unable to pick up a video camera or even her own children, who are two and four.

Almost immediately after her trauma, still in shock, Thomas sat down with her partner, Isaac Jack. He works with heavy equipment operator, but comes from a film background. He offered to help.

“I wasn’t able to do it without him,” she said. “It’s been like that ever since. Every time there’s a job, I’m not alone.”

Since the accident in January, Salish Eye Productions – a

Coast Salish photography, videography and design company – has thrived with the two of them working together. Jack is in charge of hauling and setting up camera equipment, while Thomas focuses on the creative side.

“With the challenge came an opportunity,” Thomas said. “It forged a partnership in our work, where, if I hadn’t been injured, I would have been trying to do this all on my own and it wouldn’t be as much fun.

“Isaac already has experience in the field and we both have different personalities. We work together really well as a team and the people that hire us know that.”

Thomas is from the Halalt First Nation, where Salish Eye is based, and Jack is from Penelakut. They live in Ladysmith.

The couple is both driven and good-humoured. They laugh about the fact that they could have started dating each


other much sooner, but both wrongly assumed they were related in some way.

Together they have con-tinually blown past obstacles with the aim to give Coast Salish people a voice through their work.

It all started as a hobby for Thomas, who always liked to hold a camera. She started making money when she was

hired to produce a video of Tribal Journeys. The video she made was sent to several Vancouver Island universities and is now be-ing used for educational purposes in First Nations studies classes.

In 2009, she went into business under a different name, but since broke off with her previous partner after the partner de-cided to work for the Kinder Morgan pipeline company fulltime.

“I wasn’t really into it, so I started up Salish Eye Productions,” Thomas said.

“We try to be clear on what we’re about. It was a hobby that turned into the profession because the demand was there.”

Thomas and Jack are currently working on indigenous cultur-al competency videos for the government, including one project that involves protocol on respectfully approaching elders.

“It’s easier to talk to another First Nations person than to have, you know, CHEK News come in and interview you,” Thomas observed.

“It’s always easier to have someone you’re familiar with. So, being that vehicle to help people be heard is kind of what we’re working towards.”

Jack said he enjoys the variety of being in a city filming one day, to being out on the water in a fishing boat the next, as well as constantly learning and connecting.

“It’s a lot different to read words on paper, you can twist the meaning to understand it any which way you want,” Jack said. “In video, you get to see facial expressions and where the emphasis is in what people are saying. You get to create the understanding of how that person wants it to be heard.”

Both Jack and Thomas enjoy producing educational and political videos, but also aim to produce longer documentaries: “Because we believe there’s a demand for them. And to tell those stories the way they’re supposed to be told instead of someone from the outside looking in like, ‘I think this is how it is.’”

Eventually Salish Eye hopes to have its own studio, but “Right now, with where we are, I’m kind of laying low,” Thomas said.

“But we’d like to have a studio where we can have our doors open to people and offer a type of community service. People want to be heard.”

More information about Salish Eye Productions along with samples of their work are available at www.salisheye.com.

SENTINEL PROFILE

“You get to create the understanding of how that person wants it to be heard.”

Salish Eye Productions is one of the several enter-prises receiving assistance from The Herons Nest, the grassroots economic development project of Naut’sa mast Tribal Council. The project provides advice, from marketing to business planning, as well as funds for entrepreneurs to upgrade their skills and techniques.

THE HERONS NEST

Isaac Jack and Tricia Thomas


HOMALCO FIRST NATION ‘BEARS OF BUTE’ TOURS had a record year in 2014.

Tourists from around the world visited the viewing sites on the Orford River in Bute Inlet. Among notable recent visitors on the Homalco Wildlife Tours was Microsoft founder Bill Gates and members of the Royal family from the United Kingdom.

The prime grizzly and black bear habitat in Homalco’s traditional territory makes for stunning sights for visitors in the viewing towers in the late summer and fall, when the bears come out to feast on coho and chum salmon.

The Orford River is located halfway between the entrance to Bute Inlet and its headwaters.

When not watching the bears, guests can learn more about the Homalco traditional territory at the nearby information centre. Displays tell the stories of Orford Bay, the settlement at Church House (Aupe) and other significant places for the Xwemalhkwu people. Woven cedar hats, baskets, carvings and drums are also on view.

More info at www.bearsofbute.net

BEHOLD THE BEARS OF BUTE

Photos by Todd Peacey of Homalco First Nation


Malahat Nation is preparing the final plans for an oceanfront development in Mill Bay that will also serve as a new community-gathering place.

The planned boat launch and parking lot as well as a potential café represents a $2.2 million investment for the nation. It is also entering into the aquaculture business, and will be harvesting scallops and sea cucumbers in the area.

Malahat leadership solidified the plan in early October by sign-ing a letter of understanding with the Mill Bay Marina Group and Cowichan Valley Regional District. CVRD chairman Rob Hutchins called the contract a “historic” step; the first time such an agreement – between Malahat, the regional district and a pri-vate business – has ever been signed.

Duane Shaw, managing partner of the Mill Bay Marina, added that he feels the agreement represents “a lot more” than just build-ing a boat launch or parking lot. “It’s about building community, it’s about building relationships and it’s about building a future for this area,” he said.

Malahat manager Lawrence Lewis said the hope is that the de-velopment, slated for completion in July 2015, will serve both the Mill Bay/Shawnigan Lake communities and Malahat members. It will consist of 28 boat and trailer parking stalls, 100 regular park-ing stalls, a green space on the shoreline and a small café.

“What we wanted to do was create a much more usable and friendly space along that foreshore which is already heavily used,” Lewis said. “It’ll calm the traffic a bit and create a much more amenable place and space for people to come and enjoy the views, the fresh water and hang out with family and friends.”

The hope is to eventually create 20 to 30 permanent jobs for Malahat members.

Artwork from Malahat youth will be part of the project. A group is in the process of learning traditional art forms.

Chief Michael Harry added that the nation will also harvest scallops and sea cucumbers from the north end of its reserve.

He said, until now, Malahat has not undertaken any major eco-nomic development projects. “The location is fantastic, our land is undeveloped which makes it even better,” he said. “It gives us the opportunity to shape what we want it to be.”

Malahat will vote to start the First Nations Land Management process in early 2015. If approved, the nation will take back con-trol of its lands and will be able to advance its development plans more efficiently.


MALAHAT WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT MOVES FORWARDThe project will be first-ever economic development for the nation and could eventually create up to 30 full-time jobs

MALAHAT GETS JOBS GRANT FOR TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENTMalahat Nation recently announced $30,000 in federal funding to be invested in employment for community members. The grant will go towards Malahat’s LifeSkills program, creating employment and training opportunities for members who have already created a job plan.

“LifeSkills is about trying to identify a better mechanism to engage Malahat on what the nation is up to, future oppor-tunities, mentorship and the day-to-day process to build life plans,” explained band manager Lawrence Lewis.

Chief Michael Harry added: “We push them hard. There’s no better love than tough love.”

By Cara McKenna

Chief Harry with the project plans



Duance Shaw, Chief Harry and Rob Hutchins with Malahat members in the background

urbansystems.ca



In 1974, the late Joe Mitchell penned a message to Klahoose members in one of two booklets containing over 2000

words, place names and phrases in his na-tive language: “Guard this with your life.”

Over four decades ago, Mitchell’s father, fluent T’oq Kimuq speaker Bill Mitch-ell, recorded the Klahoose language into booklets with his wife Rose and translator Randy Bouchard. For many years, their recordings have been in language coordi-nator Jessie Louie’s collection.

Now, Louie has obtained a grant from the First Peoples’ Cultural Council to re-cord 1,000 T’oq Kimuq words and 1,000 phrases into the FirstVoices indigenous language app, adding to 849 existing words and phrases.

The app’s ingenuity is a shining ex-ample of blending the old ways with the new, allowing anyone with a smartphone or tablet to easily read and hear words and phrases in various indigenous languages.

One of the booklets at Louie’s disposal mostly consists of place names along the coast of Klahoose traditional territory

and has some intriguing details of origin. For example, at the beginning of Toba Inlet, Brem River, translated means, “get-ting humpback salmon.”

There are some handwritten notes on the booklets from translator Bouchard, as well as Mitchell and his son. Boucha-rd’s note read: “This is specifically the Tl’ ú hus (Klahoose with old style orthogra-phy) dialect of mainland Comox, but it is not that distinct from the xwúmalhkwa (Homalco) and lhá7 amin (Tla’amin) dia-lects, as far as I have been able to deter-mine, to date.”

“We have the words, now we just need the speakers,” Louie said. “It’s a challenge, but it’s a good challenge. It’s carrying on and moving forward. We have a big job ahead of us.”

One of her tasks will be be transferring all the words from the old style orthogra-phy to the new style. Afterwards, the mis-sion will be to track down fluent speakers from Klahoose, and record them saying each word and describe the meanings. Flu-ent speakers are harder and harder to come

by. They are moving on or moving away.Not only is Klahoose adding more

words to the First Voices app, but it is also in the process of creating a a Coast Salishian dictionary of the Comox dialect with Tla’amin (Sliammon). Currently Tla’amin has 3,668 words and 2,466 phrases. Klahoose has 544 words and 305 phrases. If Homalco got involved, a ‘super-dictionary’ could be created.

Alex Wadsworth, one of the developers of FirstVoices, said linguists from the Uni-versity of Victoria will also soon be part-nering on the project to provide support.

Thanks to this grant, Klahoose is look-ing forward to preserving its language,

which in turn is going to be an asset to the next generation.

An expanded T’oq Kimuq language app and Salishan dictionary will be assets to the next generation. (A previous version of the article first appeared on Klahoose.org)

DECADES-OLD KNOWLEDGE COMBINED WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY AT KLAHOOSE

By Johnny Hanuse with a file from Cara McKenna

Language coordinator Jessie Louie


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AhousahtPacheedahtQuatsinoSnuneymuxwWeiwaikum


CALENDAR

13NOV

Ts’its’uw’atul’ (formally Native Brotherhood of William Head Institution) in Victoria invites community elders to share a meal at 1 p.m. in Scianew O’Yen (Salmon House). Contact Joan Brown at 250-740-2300.

17-18NOV

First Nations Education Steer-ing Committee regional session in Campbell River at the Coast Discovery Inn. Eligibility and travel reimbursement details at http://www.fnesc.ca/regional

22NOV

Christmas craft fair at Halalt First Nation, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at 8023 Chemainus Road. Proceeds to support travel expenses for Elders conference in 2015. Contact Erin at (250) 246-4736.

3-5DEC

AFOA BC Financial Manage-ment Conference at the Coast Coal Harbour Hotel in Vancou-ver. More info at [email protected] or 604-925-6370.

SEAFOOD, ESPECIALLY SALMON, ON OUR MENUS

The Vancouver Island Traditional Foods Conference is being hosted in late October by the tukʷaaʔatḥ (Toquaht) First Nation in Ucluelet. In 2008, Snuneymuxw First Nation hosted the first of these gatherings. A notable report from that initial confer-ence showed how important seafood is to Indigenous people around the coast.

If there were any doubts about how vital the Aboriginal food fishery is to coastal First Nations, they were put to rest by the consumption patterns found in the tradi-tional seafoods survey.

The study* questioned people living in five communities around Vancouver Island and discovered that:• First Nations people eat 15 times more

seafood than the average Canadian• Total seafood consumption of all peo-

ple surveyed averaged 60 kilograms per person per year. That equals two servings a day.

• About 90 per cent of that food comes directly from the sea, not from super-markets or restaurants.

Salmon, of course, is the number one seafood eaten in all five communities. It makes up more than half of the seafood diet in every community.

On average, 38 kg of salmon is eaten per person every year.

But there are other favourite sea-foods, depending on where one lives. For example, the top five favourites in Snuneymuxw were prawns, crabs, hali-but, butter clams and Manila clams. In Ahousaht the top five were halibut, Ma-nila clams, herring eggs, butter clams and sea urchins. And on the north end of the Island, at Quatsino, the favourites were halibut, prawns, eulachon grease, rockfish and crab.

THIS IS TUM’QWA’UNHW (NOVEMBER) SEASON OF THE DOG SALMON IN THE HUL’QUMI’NUM LANGUAGE

Where do our seafoods come from?

How much seafood do we eat?

* The seafoods survey was done by Tom Child, then a University of Victoria graduate student who is Kwakiutl, from the Hunt family, at Fort Rupert near Port Hardy.

RESTAURANT (3%)

SUPERMARKET (8%)

TRADITIONALHARVESTING (89%)

Average seafood consumption in five Vancouver Island First Nations communities.

SALMON SEAFOOD



KIM BAIRD is using skills acquired over six terms as chief of Tsawwassen First Nation – including guiding her na-tion to BC’s first urban treaty – in the corporate sector.

She has started work as an advisor for the Vancouver offices of two international consultancies – EY (formerly Ernst and Young) as well as Hill and Knowlton. And she says the recent Tsilhqot’in decision in the Supreme Court of Canada has only helped the importance of her resume.

“I now have contractual arrangements with two firms,” Baird said. “Both have been in the works for several months and the court case further illustrated that their relationship with me is timely.”

The EY announcement came in early October while the Hill and Knowlton job came in mid-August, just weeks after Baird was named a member of the Order of Canada. EY was once known mainly for its accounting services while Hill and Knowl-ton focused on public relations, but both have emerged as multi-national professional services companies.

“My main role will be to advise those firms and their clients about aboriginal relations generally,” she said, adding that her other experience with engagement, public and government rela-tions will also be put to use.

But variety is the spice of life for Baird. “I’m doing a wide variety of work right now, which I really enjoy. I still do work for First Na-tions directly, and hope to always do so, particularly in relation to community building and governance development, but also with industry and government relations, and economic development.”

Her company – Kim Baird Strategic Consulting – operates from her home on Tsawwassen Drive.

Located on Stz’uminus First Nation land, this space is ideally suited for a single or multiple aboriginal-owned organizations who can benefit from tax-free status. Close proximity to major transportation hubs allows for easy commuting and access to major business centres.

For further information call 250-924-2444

[email protected]

12 private offices + shared space

30’x50’ board room/Classroom

3 washrooms, kitchen

Tax Benefits for Aboriginal Organizations

Beautiful Location, Steps to Waterfront

TRANSITION TO THE CORPORATE SECTORFORMER CHIEF BAIRD LANDS TWO PRIVATE CONSULTING JOBS

Kim Baird of Kim Baird Strategic Consulting

Aboriginal economic developers from all over Canada gathered to collaborate and share their knowledge, practices and stories at the CANDO

conference. The three-day event was chock full of fun and informative events.

My role was three-fold: as a delegate, a participant in the Herons Nest and as member of Klahoose First Nation. It was fantastic how beautifully everything came together at this, NmTC’s inaugural trade show. Our team coordinated a pro-fessional and informative booth for delegates to learn who NmTC is and what it does. Now, we just needed a banner.

Fortuitously, the Herons Nest coordinator suggested I showcase my work as a graphic facilitator by illustrating the framework of the organization that graphically shows delegates who and what NmTC is. This was a great way to showcase my work through images, colours, text and icons…a picture of NmTC.

One highlight for me was presenter Patrick Michell from the Kanaka Bar First Nation. He is a straight shoot-er who does not mince words. I loved how he was not afraid to use the word ‘Indian’; we are who we are and it’s important to be proud of it.

After his talk, I learned about his impressive credentials as a formal criminal lawyer. But I also saw his passion for empow-erment and collaboration for his community members.

There is no room in his vocabulary for ‘nepotism’. He expects everyone who works on projects to pull their own weight and if they don’t he will not be there to fix it for them. He expects people to take responsibility for their own actions.

Youth were inspirational panelists, dedicated to their causes and passions. It was uplifting and evident through-out the room. There was the young man who already had two businesses at age 22, and the videographer who helps save other youth from risky lifestyles by helping them dis-cover that arts will allow them to express their identities.

Another notable speaker was Chris Hartman from Tsaw-wassen First Nation who was a nominee for economic devel-oper of the year. And there was Dr. Roslyn Kunin from Hai-da Enterprise Corporation, smart and bottom-line focused, yet full of heart and soul for the community she serves.

For me, as a participant in the Herons Nest initiative, I was left with a hankering for more. I did not want to leave, having just enjoyed three days of networking with like-

minded professionals and being part of NmTC that was elevated in the way it operates as an organization.

Patricia operates her New Ways Consulting business from her home in Gold River. More info: newways.ca

A HERON’S-EYE VIEW OF CANDO FOR THIS NESTER

THE HERONS NEST

Patricia McDougall with a visual record of NmTC

NmTC chair Chief James Thomas of Halalt talks with Snuneymuxw Chief John Wesley

Patricia McDougall is one of the people in the Herons Nest, Naut’sa mast Tribal Council’s grassroots economic devel-opment project. As a graphic recorder and facilitator, she participated in the recent CANDO event in Nanaimo and helped out at the NmTC booth at the conference’s trade show. This is her report.

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• Band Membership & Community Database• General Ledger• Budget Management• Accounts Payable• Accounts Receivable• Housing & Asset Management• Payroll• Human Resources Management (Q1 2014)• Post-Secondary (Q1 2014)• Purchase Orders• Income Assistance• Patient Travel (Travel Warrents)• Child Welfare• Electronic Requisitions• G/L Bank Reconciliation• GST Tracking & Recovery• Electronic Banking• DoculinX™ - Electronic Filing Cabinet• Report Writer & Designer• Remote Backup & Disaster Recovery Service

Our Business is First NationsThe First Nation business landscape is constantly evolving. Today, many First Nations and their band-empowered entities are under constant pressure to deliver high levels of accountability and fi nancial transparency due to regulatory requirements.

At Xyntax, we understand the challenges First Nations face and are dedicated to providing the single, most comprehensive, software solution to meet your needs. Unlike most accounting and fi nancial management software, Xyntax is developed for only First Nations; therefore, our software is uniquely equipped to help you better manage your First Nation and its diff erent business entities more effi ciently and cost eff ectively.

As the software manufacturer, we do not rely on other third party software products to complete our software suite. Our main objective is to increase productivity without increasing workload. We accomplish this by eliminating redundant data entry and the usual import/export procedures common with other accounting software.

Isn’t it about time that you had a fi nancial system built for your needs?

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