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BEFORE IT IS PUT INTO PLACE BY THE CONSTRUCTION CRANE.
WE NOW HAVE A PLACE TO HOUSE EVERYTHING WE ARE DOING,
WHETHER IT BE CULTURAL ACTIVITY,
WHETHER IT BE RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY.
IT WAS THE COMMUNITY THAT SAID WE WANT A HALL
WHERE WE COULD SING AND DANCE,
WHERE WE CAN HAVE MEETINGS,
WHERE WE CAN PLAY FLOOR HOCKEY.
WE'RE SHOWING THAT THIS COMMUNITY CAN DO IT.
A LOT OF THE TIME GOVERNMENT SAYS:
AH, NATIVE COMMUNITIES,
THEY DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO ADMINISTER.
THEY DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO MANAGE.
IF WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY,
HOW COME WE ARE ABLE TO PUT SUCH A BEAUTIFUL FACILITY HERE?
HOW COME WE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE TAKING THE LEAD
IN ENHANCEMENT AND RESTORATION OF THE SARITA RIVER?
SO IT'S A SIGNATURE TO YES, WE CAN DO IT.
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO GET OUR SALMON
AND OUR RIVER ONE DAY AGAIN,
AND WE CAN GATHER AT A PLACE LIKE THIS TO HAVE A FEAST.
WE CAN FEAST NOW BECAUSE WE HAVE OUR SALMON.
SO IT IS ALL INTERCONNECTED.
NO MATTER WHICH WAY YOU PUT THINGS,
THEY'RE CONNECTED SOMEHOW, ISHOOK SOUWAW,
EVERYTHING IS ONE.
THIS IS JUST PART THAT EVERYTHING IS ONE.
MEANWHILE, WE CONTINUED TO LOG FOR THE SAKE OF THE RIVER.
EACH TIME WE TRAVELED INTO THESE CULTURALLY-RICH AREAS,
WE WERE REMINDED OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS STRETCH
OF FOREST TO OUR ANCESTORS.
IT ALSO MADE US REALIZE WHAT WE WERE RISKING
TO SAVE THE SARITA.
THE SELECTIVE LOGGING OF THIS AREA WOULD HAVE TO BE
CARRIED OUT WITH THE UTMOST CARE.
WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A CANOE BLANK.
THERE ARE VERY MANY DIFFERENT THINGS
IT COULD HAVE BEEN USED FOR;
IT COULD HAVE BEEN USED FOR A FUNERARY SITE
WHERE THEY WOULD HAVE PREPARED THIS THING
AND BURIED SOMEONE WITHIN THE LOG ITSELF,
OR IT COULD HAVE BEEN A DIRECTIONAL THING,
JUST TO POINT IN THE DIRECTION OF, SAY,
A FAVOURITE HUNTING SPOT
OR WHERE MEDICINAL PLANTS WOULD BE PICKED UP.
AS THE GROUP CHECKED AND RE-CHECKED WHAT WOULD BE CUT
AND WHAT WILL BE LEFT BEHIND OF OUR SACRED WOOD,
WE COMMITTED OURSELVES TO THE IDEA OF THESE BIG TREES
COMING DOWN FOR THE GREATER GOOD OF RESTORING THE SARITA RIVER,
THE LIFE-BLOOD OF THIS VALLEY.
WELL, THE TREES COMING DOWN IS AN EMOTIONAL THING
AND SOME OF OUR PEOPLE WERE PROBABLY SURPRISED
THAT WE WOULD BE DOING A PROJECT LIKE THIS,
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE END RESULT
IT'S GOING TO BE RESTORING THE SARITA RIVER
FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS,
AND THAT'S THE IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER HERE.
THE WATERS OF BARCLAY SOUND--
ONE OF THE RICHEST MARINE HABITATS
ON THE COAST OF BRITISH COLUMBIA--
HAVE BEEN OUR HIGHWAY AND GRECYRS OTE FOR CENTURIES.
EVEN AFTER EUROPEAN CONTACT,
THE TRADITION OF FISHING AND BOAT BUILDING
CONTINUED TO BE CENTRAL TO OUR WAY OF LIFE.
WITH THE DESTRUCTION OF RIVER HABITATS LIKE THE SARITA--
AS WELL AS OVER-HARVESTING BY THE COMMERCIAL INDUSTRY--
FISH STOCKS IN BARCLAY SOUND HAVE DIMINISHED GREATLY.
WE FELT ALL ALONG THAT THE RESTORATION OF THE SARITA--
A KEY SALMON-PRODUCING RIVER IN THIS TERRITORY--
COULD HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT
ON THE SALMON POPULATION OF THE ENTIRE AREA.
WITH A RESOURCE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT
AND FISHERIES BIOLOGIST IN PLACE,
WE SET UP OUR PLAN TO PHYSICALLY REBUILD THE SARITA
AND RESTORE THE FISH TO THE RIVER.
EACH OCTOBER WE'VE BEEN REMOVING ADULT FISH
AND TRANSPORTING THEM TO THE NITINAHT HATCHERY
RUN BY OUR NEIGHBOURING TRIBE
AND AI FISHERIES DEPARTMENT,
WHO TOGETHER HAVE BEEN WORKING TO RESTORE THE FISH STOCKS
THROUGHOUT THE REGION.
IT'S IMPORTANT NOT TO LOOK AT THE SALMON
IN ISOLATION OF THE WHOLE WATERSHED,
THE WHOLE FOREST, AND THE WHOLE ECOSYSTEM,
'CAUSE THEY'RE ALL INTERCONNECTED.
HATCHERIES HAVE BEEN IMPORTANT IN REBUILDING THE SALMON STOCKS,
ESPECIALLY IN THE SARITA RIVER.
AND COMBINED WITH HATCHERIES AND THE NATURAL REBUILDING
AND RESTORATIONS OF RIVERS,
WE ARE GOING TO SEE A LOT MORE FISH
COMING BACK IN THE FUTURE:
WORKING WITH THE HATCHERY EMPLOYEES,
HUU-AY-AHT PEOPLE ASSIST
IN REMOVING THESE LARGE CHINOOK SALMON
FROM THE RIVER;
THEY WILL BECOME BROOD STOCK FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
OF SARITA FISH.
THE SALMON ARE GENTLY REMOVED FROM THE RIVER,
TO THE WAITING TANKER TRUCK,
WHICH KEEPS THE FISH IMMERSED IN WATER
FOR THE TWENTY-MILE JOURNEY UP TO THE HATCHERY.
THESE SALMON ARE DESCENDENT
FROM THOSE FISHED BY OUR ANCESTORS CENTURIES AGO,
AND IT IS THIS GENETIC LINK,
WHICH HOLDS THE PROMISE FOR THE FUTURE,
A RETURN OF THE RICH RESOURCE,
WHICH HAS ALWAYS FED OUR PEOPLE.
LET'S REBUILD IT.
LET'S RESTOCK IT WITH SPRING SALMON, COHOES, CHUMS.
LET'S GET THESE FINGERLINGS FROM HATCHERIES
AND PLACE THEM IN HERE AND SEE WHAT WILL BE START COMING BACK.
IT WAS THE WISH OF OUR COMMUNITY
AND ELDERS LIKE WILLY SPORT TO RE-STOCK THE SARITA,
TO HAVE SALMON FOR OUR CEREMONIES
AND FUTURE GENERATIONS.
THESE EGGS WILL INCUBATE HERE FOR THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS.
EACH EGG HOLDS THE PROMISE OF LIFE,
TO REVITALIZE THE FLOWING WATERS OF THE SARITA.
WE WILL RETURN IN THE EARLY SUMMER,
TO RELEASE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF SMALL FRY
INTO THE RIVER.
WHAT WE WILL DO IS GO DOWN TO THE BOOM
AND START THERE.
THE DAY HAS COME TO BEGIN PROCESSING THE WOOD
FROM OUR SACRED STAND OF TREES,
AND WE DECIDED TO PAY A VISIT TO THE WEYERHAEUSER PLANT
TO WITNESS THE FINAL JOURNEY OF THESE LOGS,
AS THEY ARE TRANSFORMED INTO A RESOURCE
WHICH WILL IN TURN FEED THE RIVER.
WE STARTED AT 5:00 THIS MORNING PUTTING THESE LOGS INTO THE MILL
AND WE WILL CONTINUE UNTIL THEY ARE ALL DONE
AND WE WILL GET OUR TEST RESULTS OUT OF THAT 900 CUBIC METERS.
YEAH, IT IS DEFINITELY A TEST FOR US--
OR FOR ME,
BECAUSE NORMALLY WE ARE TRYING TO SAVE LOGS
THAT ARE IN SACRED AREAS
AS APPOSED TO TRYING TO CUT THEM
BUT IT IS ALL TIED INTO THE RIVER SO.
WE ARE IN A POSITION RIGHT NOW WHERE WE HAVE TO MAKE
VERY DIFFICULT DECISIONS.
IT IS A VERY DELICATE BALANCE
AND THERE ARE A LOT OF VARIABLES
AND A LOT OF KEY PLAYERS THAT NEED TO PARTICIPATE
IN THIS WHOLE PROJECT IF WE ARE TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
WHEN ROBERT AND LARRY FIRST APPROACHED MYSELF
AND OUR ORGANIZATION
IN THE NOTION THAT WE WOULD WORK TOGETHER
ON RESTORING THE FISH POPULATION IN THE SARITA,
PART OF THE CHALLENGE FOR MYSELF
NOT ONLY INTELLECTUALLY,
BUT WHAT I HAD TO SELL THROUGH OUR ORGANIZATION,
WAS WE ARE GOING TO DO SOME HARVESTING OF OUR WOOD
ON OUR PRIVATE LAND
AND WE WERE GOING TO USE THE FUNDS FROM THAT
TO PUT INTO RESTORING THE SARITA.
SOME OF THE LOGS FROM THE CUT BLOCK
FOUND THEIR WAY TO THE BUILDING SITE OF THE HOUSE OF HUU-AY-AHT.
WE FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HAVE SACRED ELEMENTS OF OUR LAND
LITERALLY HOLDING TOGETHER THIS NEW SYMBOL
OF OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE.
THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A BUILDING HERE BEFORE LIKE THIS
AND I AM PRETTY GLAD IT IS GOING TO BE UP HERE.
IT'S PRETTY IMPORTANT TO GET ALL THE YOUNG PEOPLE
TO LOOK AHEAD AGAIN
AND HOW THE FUTURE CAN CHANGE
IF THEY LEARN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR HISTORY.
AND I AM GLAD I GOT TO BE UP HERE HELPING IT OUT.
HAVING A CULTURAL CENTER WOULD BE GREAT
BECAUSE OF ALL THE YOUNG KIDS THAT HAVE TO MOVE FROM HERE
AND HAVE TO GET USED TO ANOTHER LIFE-STYLE,
OF CITY LIFE TYPE OF THING.
AND IF WE KEEP OUR TRADITION DOWN HERE
AND TEACHING OUR YOUNG KIDS AS THEY ARE GROWING UP,
THEY WILL KNOW MOST OF THEIR HISTORY
AS THEY ARE GETTING OLDER,
AND WHEN THEY GET TO BE ABOUT MY AGE,
THEY WILL HAVE A PRETTY GOOD IDEA.
WE WERE A FEW MONTHS AWAY FROM THE COMPLETION OF THE BUILDING,
AND WE STILL HAD A LOT TO DO ON THE RIVER,
BUT WE THOUGHT WE'D GET THE WORD OUT TO OTHER COMMUNITIES.
WE TRAVELLED BY CANOE, INVITED PEOPLE FROM AIE
TO COME JOIN US FOR THE OPENING OF THE HOUSE OF HUU-AY-AHT.
THIS IS HOW IT WAS DONE IN THE OLD DAYS.
WE DECIDED IF WE WERE GOING TO REBUILD OUR COMMUNITY,
WE HAD TO START FROM THE GROUND UP,
BY RE-INTRODUCING THE CULTURE TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.
WE KNEW THAT CREATING A SENSE OF IDENTITY
AND PRIDE IN THESE YOUNG KIDS,
WOULD NOT ONLY HELP THEM TODAY,
BUT HELP RE-ENFORCE THE OTHER CHANGES WE WERE MAKING
TO THE LAND AROUND US.
AND SO, AS THE WORK ON THE RIVER AND BIG HOUSE CONTINUED,
WE BEGAN THE PROCESS OF CREATING A HUU-AY-AHT LANGUAGE PROGRAM
IN THE LOCAL SCHOOL.
WORKING WITH PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS
AND OUR OWN TRADITIONAL SPEAKERS.
WE WERE ABLE TO CREATE
THE FIRST HUU-AY-AHT LANGUAGE TEXTBOOK EVER.
WHEN IT WAS A TIME FOR RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS
AND CHILDREN WERE REMOVED FROM THEIR HOMES,
THAT A LOT OF OUR SELF-ESTEEM WAS LOST
AND A LOT OF OUR CULTURE WAS HIDDEN.
AND IT WAS ILLEGAL AT ONE POINT IN TIME TO DANCE,
TO SING AND TO SPEAK THE LANGUAGE.
AND NOW THERE IS GREAT PRIDE IN BRINGING THAT FORWARD.
AND EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN HELD
IN THE CLOSETS OF THE COMMUNITY IS SURFACING
AND COMING FORWARD,
AND IT IS JUST TREMENDOUS.
THE COLOUR BOOK IS DEDICATED TO THE LATE CHIEF ARTHUR PETERS.
THE ANIMAL BOOK IS DEDICATED TO THE LATE CHIEF LOUIS.
THE FAMILY BOOK IS DEDICATED TO THE LATE DANNY WILLIAMS.
THE TEXTS ARE NAMED AFTER OUR ELDERS NO LONGER WITH US,
WHO KEPT THE LANGUAGE ALIVE ALL THESE YEARS.
THESE BOOKS ARE DEDICATED TO YOUR ELDERS,
TO YOUR LATE CHIEFS AND TO YOUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AS WE CONTINUE TO DEVELOP CURRICULUM,
NAMES WILL BE BROUGHT FORWARD
AND WILL CONTINUE THAT DEDICATION
SO THAT THOSE PEOPLE STAY ALIVE IN YOUR HEARTS
AND THAT THEY ARE GOING TO STAY ALIVE FOR THESE CHILDREN
AND FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.
LIKE THE BLESSING OF THIS GYM WITH OUR TRADITIONAL SONGS,
THE LANGGE LESSONS TAUGHT IN THESE BOOKS
ARE BEING INTRODUCED TO BOTH HUU-AY-AHT
AND NON-FIRST NATIONS STUDENTS.
FULFILLING ANOTHER ONE OF OUR GOALS,
TO FOSTER CLOSER RELATIONS WITH OUR NON-NATIVE NEIGHBOURS.
WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH LANGUAGE FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS
AND ABORIGINAL, AND NON-ABORIGINAL
BOTH TAKE LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION.
IN ORDER FOR PEOPLE TO BE MORE AWARE OF ONE ANOTHER
AND TO TRULY UNDERSTAND AND TO APPRECIATE
THE SIMILARITIES AND THE DIFFERENCES,
WE NEED TO DO MORE WORK TOGETHER.
OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS ESPECIALLY,
THERE HAS BEEN A REAL COMING TOGETHER
OF THE ENTIRE BAMFIELD COMMUNITY
AND THERE IS A GREAT CELEBRATING SPIRIT
IN BECOMING ONE WITH MUCH MORE RESPECT
BEING EVIDENT TODAY.
WHEN YOU TRY AND REDO THE CREATOR'S WO,
YOU NEED SOME BIG MACHINES.
STEFAN, HEAD OF OUR RESTORATION PROJECT,
BROUGHT IN THIS GIANT 10,000 HORSE POWER SKY CRANE