HUU-AY-AHT Klee Klee Ha: In a flash of Lightning An Entrance Song Is Born.

KLEE KLEE HA HUU-AY-AHT: 

     In a Flash Of Lightning An Entrance Song Is Born The 6th Of June, Tyee Tliishin and Hakuum Homin'niki were officially married and when these two beautiful people choose to, enter into the building they choose to do so with this song: The KLEE KLEE HA ~ HUU-AY-AHT "Huu-ay-aht Lightning". A very proud moment for I, Wish Key am the song maker but in this case the song found me and now I wish to tell you how this song has a gift to navigate its own way!

      The actual Canoe came first before the song so I will start at the beginning tell you the whole story, for it was the Canoe that inspired the song.  On the 5th of June 1999 the Huu-ay-aht invited all to an event to launch the Klee Klee Ha - Lightning Canoe. Hosted by Tyee Tliishin (A.Spencer Peters) and the Huu-ay-aht People. The day started with song and dance, followed by a Blessing, and the Inaugural launch. Followed by a celebration in honor of Master Carver Nuukmiis "Ed Johnson Sr" & Apprentices Ed Johnson Jr and Gabe Williams. I had a feeling we needed a song for our canoe, but I was basking in the moment, I have witnessed many historic events in my life, but never anything like this! All I could think "Wow do we have an powerful canoe!"

     One other historic ceremony happened on that day! Tsu-i-ya-koolth Aka Granny Aggie Peters, grandmother to our current Tyee Tliishin. It was she Aggie Peters whom was gifted as a Wedding Dowry the Anacla HaaHuulthi - Territory complete with Mountain range, River, Village, Beach and water front all  encompassed within that territory. On this historic day Aggie Peters then chose to pass it on to her daughters and granddaughter. It was an wedding dowry she got from Chief Louie Nookemis when she married Tliishin Artur Peters not sure whom to pass it onto she choose all of her descendants. As the Inaugural launch continued from Ancala beach I felt even more strongly that our people, The HUU-AY-AHT needed a powerful paddle song for our brand new canoe!

     The next summer KleeKleeHa Huu-ay-aht found me, I was sitting at the sandy point of our beach at Anacla listening to the waves and the wind. Suddenly they started to sing to me I could hear the drum beat as the waves crashed ever so softly against the sandy shore, I could hear the words KleeKleeHa Huu-ay-aht in the wind. I sat there for hours and hours waiting until I knew that I had remembered the song that had navigated its way to me. The intro of the song followed soon after as did the gifting of the song to all HUU-AY-AHT, with special mention to the youth of our community I gave this song to all our peoples

     Our HUU-AY-AHT community had a lot to be proud of, we have a canoe, we have beautiful beach, we have a beautiful song. What is it that we need now? We need a Princess for our Prince Naasiismis Derek Peters and his Late father Tliishin A. Spencer Peters paddled across the Barclay sound from Bamfeild to Ucluelet in order to propose for the hand of Irene WIlliams of Ucluelet and Hupacasaht tribes respectively. A patriarchal society we live in, we then paddled to the resident village of her father in order to follow through with this proposal.  Amazingly after much coaxing and even the words of the future king himself is what won us the HUU-AY-AHT the hand of the princess from Ucluelet. Now we must prepare to celebrate this historic day.

     Shockingly and with great devastation to the HUU-AY-AHT the family of our King's family was slowly but surely transitioning to the spirit world. All of the promises that we made on that shore of Ucluelet must wait, our canoe is still for the time being, it is motionless. Our King lost family members first of his Father and without warning or time to prepare he had to grieve and fill the shoes of his father at the same time. We also lost the Queen mother Aggie Peters, and then shortly after Steven Peters younger brother to A.Spencer Peters.  We the HUU-AY-AHT were still, quiet and very much weakened.

     In weakness we found strength, we shifted and when the time came to move our canoe again Ironically we choose an anniversary the 5th of June 2015 one day before the historic wedding and 16 years after the inaugural launch. The Klee Klee Ha HUU-AY-AHT was launched again from Poets nook we paddled from and journeyed towards Port Alberni, our Nation and the Kings family were on the move again. Thanks largely to Clara Clappis Mother to our Queen for it was she whom reminded us that we need to make use of our KleeKleeHa for in her eyes when we paddled away those years ago with her daughter in our canoe. Now we are back and we need to pick up where we left of get back into that canoe and journey onwards and forwards.

     The Klee Klee Ha HUU-AY-AHT has arrived with our King and Queen in a flash of brilliance, in a flash of lightning we made a grand entrance to the song KleeKleeHa. It took the people of HUU-AY-AHT to make my beautiful song into a powerful song! The song is now befitting of all our people. It is people that give strength to move onwards and forward we entered into the building in a flash of brilliance paying homage to our King and Queen the HUU-AY-AHT entered the Alberni Athletic Hall.

     In closing I would like to say that the KleeKleeHa song found me on the shores of Pachena Bay, the song found its way into the hearts of the youth of HUU-AY-AHT and the song founds its way to become the new entrance song for our people. The KleeKleeHa is a symbol of life, and love and has very much become a part of our history. We have a King, A Queen, and in turn A Princess "Olio" that too will transform into the song over time, for we the HUU-AY-AHT are still no more, our canoe is back our Nation is back, we are the people of the Comeback! When we enter a building to conduct traditional business, we will do so with our canoe and with our entrance song: The KleeKleeha HUU-AY-AHT.

     This is a story of a song just like the canoe in which it was named after, A song that has a will to find its own way into the hearts of people. I love this song and I say Kle-co, Kle-co to all whom helped to make this song into one of beauty, power, and intrigue. I propose that for our King and Queen we call our Drum and Dance group the KleeKleeHa. We have the Thunder drummers and dancers that flash brilliance. We are the KleeKleeHa HUU-AY-AHT just like our new entrance song says!

By: Wish-Key speaker and storyteller for Tyee Tliishin and Hakuum Homin'niki

Arriving J5 2015

Canoe Family

HUU-AY-AHT Vision, includes the KleeKleeHa.

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