A new Journey!

 

 Hello my name is Wišqii Robert Dennis Jr, I am a very proud Huu-ay-aht And Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ.  This blog is going to be presented in three sections: (1) the importance of knowing where we come from (past); (2) knowing where we are now (present); and (3) where we are going to be (future). I begin this by telling you who I am and who my parents are. 

My father is Robert Jack Dennis from the House of C̓̓aʔʔʔakʷatḥ "House by the River" and my mother is Maureen Betty Haipee from the House Hipiiʔataqumłʔatḥ "House of the Sea Serpent Buzzing About", in Yułuʔiłʔatḥ.  I am Huu-ay-aht and Ucluelet.

A wise young man, let’s call him J.J. once said, and I loved this: "We are defined by our grandparents."  Truer words have never been spoken.  My teachers in life are my grandparents and they taught that I am represented by my parents, in my hands.  My hands and parents are the same, equal but opposite, as everyone comes to this world equally from one man and one woman. The fingers on each of my hands represent the nananiqsu "Grandparents". Where do I come from?

These are my hands:

Telford Dennis & Sarah Coots*, Jack Peters & Nina Jack, Willie Haipee & Cecilia Tutube, Wallace Touchie & Sarah Joe

my great grand parents

 

Simon Dennis & Alice Peters,  Dave Haipee & Molly Touchie

my grandparents

Robert Dennis Sr & Maureen Haipee

 my parents

Robert Dennis Jr

me

*All the women I have listed here are by their maiden names respectively to show their roots. 

Everything has what I loosely call elements and what "defines us" is our Mind, Body, Spirit and Emotions. These elements are our gifts and we have to balance these elements, to truly be quʔas "A Human Being".  We must strengthen all elements of our selves: nurture our mind with teaching and learning; nurture our body with healthy food and activity; nurture our spirit with prayer and love; and nurture our emotions with healthy expressions and social activity. 

Where am I now? Culturally I am the Ciqḥc̓i "Speaker" for Tayii haw̓ił načquʔa Derek Peters from the House of ʔapwinʔasʔatḥ "House in the Centre of the Village".  I am Qanaaƛa "The Head Wolf"  ƛiḥwituʔa, a role my grandfater Yaaksiis Dave Haipee had and passed down onto me. I am filling in naturally to the roles of my teachers and I often advise or plan with the ḥawiihḥ and ḥaḥaquum, the Royal Ones of the Nations.

Personally, I am a grandson, son, brother, uncle, partner, and father.  I have a wonderful family bountiful with siblings, fortunate to have my grandmothers Molly & Step “Nan” Nellie, and many nieces and nephews. I have a partner in life, Natika Bock who I love so dearly.  I have two daughters Sylvia Angela Maureen Dennis (13) and Antina Georgina Dennis (11), who I co-parent, and Natika and I are expecting a summer Treaty Baby.  Such as a side, it’s interesting it is to me how much we love this precious little one so very much.  The emotions we have for our unborn baby shows that my teachers are right: Love is from within just as our Spirit.   Love begins before birth and grows exponentially forever.

2011 is a big year for me and for many others.  April 01, 2011, marked the Effective Date of our historic Maa-nulth Treaty, a symbol of my father’s lifetime of work.  Kiixʔin, the birth place of Huu-ay-aht, is now recognized as an Official National Historic Site of Canada, And finally, this summer our Treaty Baby, Eden Magdalene Joey Dennis will be born.

Where am I going? I want for us to be remembered as a thoughtful, balanced and dignified.  We can truly walk in two worlds, in a positive combination of the old ways and the new World! I believe in the Teachings of my ancestors and I WISH (Pun intended) haha I Wish to share some of those teaching here Modernize Nuučanuł, We have not forgotten who we are, lets never forget who we are!

"In the Horizon, place where spirit world meets physical world and Home of our Ancestors. Look to them and walk like they walked this will ensure past not only becoming present but future as well, For one day our children will walk as we do!"