In March the prime minister issued a statement of exoneration for six Tsilhqot’in chiefs who were hanged for murder in 1800s, resurfacing hope that the conviction a Hesquiaht chief and another Nuu-chah-nulth man could be formally forgiven as well.
With an increase in tanker traffic along B.C.’s coast on the horizon, two First Nations far north of Nuu-chah-nulth territory are the first communities selected for an enhanced vessel monitoring program.
As a community mourns the sudden loss of a six-year-old boy, the Port Alberni RCMP are reaching out to the public for any details related to the death.
At approximately 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 13 the RCMP responded to a report of a child in medical distress at a Port Alberni residence. The boy was transported to hospital, but sadly did not survive.
Police and the BC Coroner’s Service began an investigation that continued over the following two weeks.
With hopes to improve opportunities in the Alberni Valley’s forestry industry, the Huu-ay-aht First Nations have announced an agreement with the largest logging company on the B.C. coast.
On March 20 Western Forest Products and the Huu-ay-aht released a joint statement, describing a Reconciliation Protocol Agreement for “a safe, competitive and forward-looking forest sector in the Alberni Valley.” The agreement will explore the “economic vibrancy of the Huu-ay-aht Ha-houlthee,” including its Treaty Lands and the surrounding territory.
Over 2,000 residents in Ucluelet and the Ucluelet First Nation are without power this afternoon after a vehicle crashed into a hydro pole early in the morning near the Highway 4 junction.
Electricty was shut off for Ucluelet and Hitacu at noon as a BC Hydro crew replace a damaged pole that was struck at approximately 2 a.m.
Near Ahousaht’s coast lies Sea Otter Rock, a fixation in the First Nation’s territory that serves as a reminder for the active mammal not to overreach its place in the surrounding ecosystem. Oral history recounts a time when the other animals gathered to discuss the sea otter’s gluttony after it became clear it was taking food from other creatures.
“The sea otter was getting too greedy,” recounted Kiista, Keith Atleo, during a Council of Ha’wiih Forum on Fisheries in February.
With the goal of helping its communities find “culturally appropriate interventions” that improve health, the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council is proposing a large-scale research project to the Government of Canada.
The proposal is being put to the Indigenous Healthy Life Trajectories Initiative, which provides a development grant. The federal initiative follows the developmental origins of disease, including obesity, diabetes and conditions tied to mental wellness. Canada has identified these non-communicable diseases as a foremost concern for its Indigenous people.
Two months after her birth and the subsequent ministry-ordered separation, a mother and infant will be reunited.
The ruling came on Wednesday, March 14 from Judge Barbara Flewelling – despite opposition from B.C.’s Ministry of Children and Family Development. A publication ban on the mother and baby’s identity is in effect, and the Ha-Shilth-Sa is not publicizing names in order to protect the privacy of those involved in the case.
As it watches the number of children in foster care grow, the Huu-ay-aht First Nations has declared “a public health emergency” in a statement released March 8.
Tragedy struck a Port Alberni family on Tuesday, March 13 with the sudden passing of six-year-old boy.
The B.C. Coroners Service is “in the very early stages of investigating” the death as it supports the RCMP, according to a spokesperson for the provincial service.
“On March 13 at approximately 9:30 a.m. the Port Alberni RCMP attended a local residence after receiving a report of a child in medical distress,” said Cpl. Amelia Hayden in a statement sent to the Ha-Shilth-Sa. “The child was transported to hospital and tragically, did not survive.”