Nourishment of the body is done by the foods and drinks we partake in, Nourishing the Soul on the other hand, is done through the company we keep over a meal. This is a story of how an unexpected Robin we shall call her Quiche. No not the delicious French Breakfast dish, rather short for Quiche-key-cou and the word for the bird Robin in my language, and how Quiche transformed the narrow view that Ko-ishin-mit "Son of Raven" has for vegetative foods.
Ko-ishin-mit ~ "Son Of Raven"
Based upon the stories of my people the Nuu-chah-nulth whom use an anthropomorphic style in story telling. Which is basically just giving human characteristics and form to anything other than human beings. I know that this character Ko-ishin-mit is very much food driven, he is also something of a trickster or boisterous character. A squawker always has something to talk about. One thing for certain with Ko-ishin-mit he never, never says no to an offering of food.
So one nice summer day Quiche moved into the tree next to Ko-ishin-mit. Almost instantly these neighbors discover that the social nature of Ko-ishin-mit as he liked to eat with others. That fact would soon build a bond between the two. Day in and day out they would feast with one another. She soon found out that Ko-ishin-mit liked to eat salmon with everything. Quiche would often bring vegetables to contribute to the feast, teaching along the way the different benefits of vegetation.
MmMmm Salmon
Ko-ishin-mit thought that salmon was the, end all to be all in food. He soon found that matching and pairing of foods was quite beneficial and tasty! His reluctance to try new foods, soon was overcome by Kindness, Imagine that kindness in unkindness (a collective of ravens) it was kindness and generosity that bonded the neighbors. Ko-ishin-mit would often talk of generosity of mother nature, of people and especially of generosity in sharing of food. For that action alone is a staple in how we the Nuu-chah-nulth conduct the most sacred of business, is conducted over a meal. Quiche and Ko-ishin-mit where they came from was worlds apart, yet as individuals they were very much the same, sharing a meal together is what bonded these two characters.
Soon the Ko-ishin-mit became very versatile in food preparations, little
did he know that adding volume to how and what he eats with his salmon would add such versatility. He would make a raw vegetable dips of canned salmon. He would prepare salmon "Fish Hash" a variety of root vegetables mixed in with canned salmon. He would eat salmon on his pizza, and it is quite delish too! He would make chicken eggs and salmon eggs and spinach omelet. He loved that his vegetative repertoire was expanding he soon found what grabs the attention of his taste buds, is more a blessing that anything he has experienced before. All thanks to lil quiche, she open his world view, and truly explored foods and vegetation.
Everyone you meet has something valuable to teach you! You need only be open to teaching, learning, and sharing with one another. My time of "Life On The Edge" during the summer of 13, was indeed lasting and memorable. Quiche may have migrated back to her home, she remains however bound to the heart of a raven. We are told as children that food nourishes the body and our company nourishes the soul. For we are social creatures in search of great food, and great company. I know for certain that Quiche has taught Kindness, vegetation, sharing, and most importantly respect for foods and how foods are harvested and processed. Something Ko-ishin-mit took for granted, and will take for granted no more.
This is one story of how an unexpected little robin "Quiche" and how she nourished the soul of Ko-ishin-mit. The salmon loving Son Of Raven for she did the unimaginable through kindness and persistence changed his view on the foods we eat! A change for the better, I might add!!
In a Flash Of Lightning An Entrance Song Is BornThe 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
To
Eden. M. Joey Dennis ~ Qa-naa-tlay-is "Little Spirit Wolf" Is now your
new name. You will always Have 'Ca?atu'kis "Little sound of Water
Flowing" as your first name, but now you are Qanaa-Tla-is! To Natika
Bock ~ Yax-shi-tlimth "Sweeping Moon" is now your name. Emerged from my
thoughts of a Spiritual time, I dedicate this poem to the two of you,
Sweeping Moon and Spirit Wolf. For you are as you should be, Connected
forever in an unbreakable bond! Mother and Daughter and in spirit
Sweeping Moon and Little Spirit Wolf.
The Wolf is held in the highest regard by my people The
Nuu-chah-nulth. The Wolves are naturally territorial. It’s that devotion to home and family that puts
the wolf in such high regard. This is a belief of my family and my people, and
this is my dream, where I was "Running With the Wolves!"
The best
part of dreams is using ones imagination. This dream in particular was quite short
yet very powerful. It’s like I awoke from natural reality, I could hear the
ocean waves flowing through the pebble beach of Ma’acoa a small village located adjacent to Toquart bay. The full
moon shone ever so brightly, and it was especially nice to see reflecting off
the ocean water. It was then I heard the howling of the wolves they were all
around me. I then stood, and the wolves stood as well. I sat and the wolves also
sat. They were playing a game so from my sitting position I leapt and hit the
ground running. The wolves also ran at my side, it was like we were racing. So
I ran as fast as I could and the beach was coming to an end I could see the
trail. I then thought to myself, Follow my lead!
I too wanted
to play a game, I started to run as fast as I could through the parts of the
woods I knew best . The wolves could not be shaken.Then I let the next wolf lead and I went to
the back of the pack. I think they thought it a challenge and they too ran
through the woods using the trails and terrain that they know best, but I could
not be shaken, I was Running With the Wolves. This carried on with different
wolves taking the lead, I soon found myself in the middle of the pack as we ran
through the woods. I was having a moment of a life time. It was then I awoke,
awoke feeling alive full of happiness and joy for I was surrounded by the ones
I admire the most. The Grey Wolf
We the Nuu-chah-nulth are from the
western side of Vancouver Island, and our wolves are a sub species of the Grey
Wolf! The Vancouver Island Wolf (canis lupis crassodon) is not only, the only
species of wolf we have, but they are also apex predators. The top of the food
chain predators with no natural predators of their own. The Alpha pair
that leads will have grown adult children,
juveniles and pups a multi generational pack life. The Wolves would do anything
for pack and the pack’s territory. One way they mark their territory is
singing, or should i say howling letting others know this is my house.
It was with
that inspiration of wolf’s devotion to family and territory, that I decided to
share the story of my dream with my uncle and mentor. I said t him uncle I had
a dream i was running with wolves. He asked, Were they chasing you? I replied
No, and he said good now tell me the rest of your dream. I told him as I told
you all here and he was smiling and nodding through my story. He then said it
must have been on that beach where you found your wolf spirit.He also said it was time I started to teach
the other wolves to lead, and then maybe then will your dream continue. I certainly hope so, for that moment Running with the wolves before I awoke was truly amazing!
Nuučanuł is a small group of First Nations on the West Coast of Vancouver Island B.C. Canada, I am 39 years old and grew up very traditionally living off the land knowing my environment quite well. I learned how close Eagles are connected to Salmon in 1983.
My story begins I was 11 years of age and had spent much of my time in the community of yuułuʔiłʔatḥ "Ucluelet" a small coastal community in the country of Nuučanuł on this very hot summer day my grandfather, father and I were traveling to our home community of ʔanaqƛa "Pachena Bay" Home of the world famous Pachena Bay Campground and the West Coast Trail. En route we stopped at the Sarita River there is a bend in the river that our people call łicnit it runs right adjacent to the road a nice place to stop when traveling for hours on a dusty road with an 11 year old.
To my surprise and the excitement was very clear in my father he grew up in the near by Sarita Village and knew that logging practices in the 1950's affected our salmon runs, so much so the Eagles were no where to be found. Nature has a way, the homing beacon to these returning salmon was strong and after years of drought for our dietary staple finally the Salmon returned.
How did he know this, the eagles told him as we pulled up to łicnit we discover Eagles, Eagles every where It was a sight to see. They were on the shore, perched in the trees and circling in the sky above. My father was so excited and he told me that day the salmon have returned it was truly a good sign for a fisherman to see so many eagles river side. I t meant there was a run of salmon entering our river, we were all in awe seeing soo many eagles so up close and they were just going about their feasting not to be bothered us three.
Immediately my fathers inspiration begun he was in the process of creating his very first song, Again i was in awe I thought that our songs were passed on or given this was my first experience of witnessing first hand a song being born. He sang and he sang and he talked about all the eagles.
ḥayu qumƛ qu c̓ixʷatin "Many Eagles"
ḥayu qumƛ quus mataas c̓ixʷatin "Many eagles perched in the tree"
ḥayu qumƛ quus čitkʷaa c̓ixʷatin "Many eagles circling in the sky"
Is what this song sings about Our songs are inherent and I now proudly hold this song for our family it is a sign of wealth to share a song they are cherished and before this song was passed down to me my father shared it with some people and I honor his decision and I too share this with them.
Ray Sim an Artist whom designed the "shawls" the ladies wear in this dance
Circle of Eagles Lodge, A half way house that bridges convicted felons back into society a organization my Aunt Marjorie White was instrumental in founding.
Ken Sam, Whom is a close friend of my father and he was shared this song when he discovered sobriety
Sarah Dennis my step mom I love her so my dad honored her with this song on their wedding day she means so much to him she has a version uniquely her own
This is our song and I proudly sing this song along side my father he is my hero, my teacher and my role model in all good things i have in my life I Love you Dad
P.S there is another song that accompanies this as we often pair our song into a set of dances, that my friends is another song and another story, A story i will tell soon !! čuuč
Yac̓pa način "Lets Walk Together": Canada Day!: "The name Canada comes from a St. Lawrence Iroquoian word, Kanata, meaning 'village' or 'settlement'. Home on Native Land. ;) I AM CANADIAN, 201..."
The name Canada comes from a St. Lawrence Iroquoian word, Kanata, meaning "village" or "settlement". Home of the BRAVE ;) I AM CANADIAN, 2011 We the Maa-nulth established Certainty in our ḥawiiḥ ḥaaḥaaḥuułi (Chiefs Territories) to honor our past, provide for today and ensure for our children's future! (Facebook status) is what got me thinking of the relationship between First Nations and Canada
Canadian Flag, 2011 Majority Conservative Government: PM Stephen Harper
Now This may be something different, I know and like the song, hence the coining the term "Our home and native land". I grew up in a different era, On my grandfathers truck we had a huge flag and it was always upside down. As a child i often wondered Why Upside down? as i grew and begun to piece together the difficulties of the relationship between First Nations and The Government of Canada. here is a little history on why those relationships were not so great:
1722 British Privy Council memorandum sets out doctrines of Discovery and Conquest!
1763 Royal proclamation of King George III recognizes Aboriginal Rights and Title!
Small pox, Influenza & Measles ravaged our peoples through ought the Country!
1846 Oregon Treaty establishes Canada-US Boarder, Where do we fit in this?
1857 Residential Schools made its first of many appearances in Canadian law! *1 see PM Satement
1884 Potlatch Ban made it illegal to engage, even assist or bear witness in our culture!
1951 The Potlatch Ban lifted in hopes sustaining the customs and culture of the ancestors!
1960 scoop: The stolen generation, children apprehended from their families!
1994 In my local area Nuu-chah-nulth made a declaration, this solemn declaration ignited the Modern Treaty Process
2001 Agreement in principal with the parties Nuu-chah-nulth, B.C. & Canada
2003 Ratification process 6 yay 6 nay, the nay has the larger portion of the populous
2003 Maa-nulth is born and a chance to finish what we started; *2 see six stages of treaty
Vancouver 2010, Showcases a truly Multi-Cultural Country *3 see 2010 winter-Olympics
04-01-2011 Maa-nulth Effective Date of our Historic Treaty!
I come from a home where my nananiqsu "grandparents" promoted ḥaaḥuupa "Traditional teachings" and in my house we spoke nuučanuł told our himwic̓a "Stories" and my favorite nunuuk and ḥuyaał "sang and danced" in my home there was no oppression or victimization they taught what they as teachers thought was right to teach. For that i am truly grateful it was not just them it was their parents as well, whom i might add did not speak a lick of English but ironicallyr they were called nanny and poppa hahahah.. Add to that there were also just people in general for the environment my grandmother Molly Haipee my sole surviving grandparent and teacher to this day, the environment she created was full of great joy, willingness to Learn and Teach.
I remember standing on a beach and my Grandfather said to me: The sacred Trinity of Time “for everything there is a past, present & future. This beach were standing on that grain of sand was once much, much more perhaps a Boulder or even a mountain.” We as people and nature are always in a state of evolution. if you do not learn you do not grow grandson, what did i learn from that I learnt that the only thing i have power to change is now and tomorrow.
How do i want to be remembered? I want to be thought of as strong, idealistic and truly knowing my complete identity I was taught to know my nananiqsu "grandparents" for they represent what i loosely call elements 4 grandparents 4 elements of qu?as "People" 1. Mind 2. body 3. spirit 4. emotions, finding balance in 4 is difficult we often forget our spiritual and emotional well being. For every milestone we Potlatch nourish our bodies with food and activity, nourish our minds through learning and teaching, nourish our spirit through song and Love, nourish our emotions through social interaction and expression of how we feel.
We have a sad, sad past full of betrayal, hurts, grief and shame I cannot deny that I accept that and I move forward 100% Canadian the only thing i can change is ME i accept the sad past for what it is past wrong doings, we are Canadian in a Multi-Cultural Country where people all over the world wish they had it as bad as us, we don't have it so bad. I sit here on my computer hooked up to an internet from a home built on a solid foundation that is lit and has power, food is in my fridge and freezer. I am happy I AM CANADIAN i also have the memories of Vancouver 2010 that event was the foundation of my pride, I also have Maa-nulth Treaty i have been vaccinated, I speak my Language the Potlatch Ban is Lifted, I have a National Chief A-in-chut Shawn Atleo whom represents First Nations People the the world wide Political landscape for that I am proud, Shawn was there when Our PM Stephen Harper made the Apology regarding Indian Residential Schools. I forgive you Canadians for I know it was not you whom wronged my peoples in the past, but together We can make it right. lets learn together share in the beauty of our cultures and acknowledge we are in the best country in the world. For our own sake and the sake of our children! yac̓pa način "Lets walk together"
