About 200 young Nuu-chah-nulth people and their chaperones poured into Nanaimo Entertainment Centre for three days of fun and learning.
Sponsored by First Nations Health Authority and coordinated by Tyson Touchie of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council’s Teechuktl Program (Mental Health), the students were invited to learn about culture as a healing tool.
The theme was yaa?akuks suw’a or ‘I love you’ in the language of the Nuu-chah-nulth-aht.
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The entrance to the old theatre was lined with information tables and a place was set aside for participants to take part in ceremonial brushings.
In the theatre the audience took part in shows and group activities, including a ha-hupa (teaching) session with Nuu-chah-nulth elders.
Eunice Joe of FNHA welcomed everyone the first day and said the gathering was about sharing culture, because the teachings are so important.
“At FNHA we are working to promote health through wellness,” she said, adding, if we can promote these things early on then our future is looking very bright.
“As Indigenous people, we have resilience, our ancestors have survived a lot and that resilience is within you,” she told them.
Juno-nominated singer/songwriter and Sto:lo woman Inez Jasper, delivered a motivational speech followed by a performance of some of her most popular music recordings.
Besides the glamorous life of being a performing artist, Jasper is also a married mother of two and a registered nurse.
Jasper told the young people about her family and growing up on the ‘rez’. Ambitious from an early age, Jasper dreamed of becoming a doctor so she could be rich.
“If you want all the good stuff in life you have to put the work in,” she told the young people.
Jasper recalled going through one of the most difficult times of her life as she moved from her community to the big city of Vancouver so she could go to college. At that time she lost a beloved grandfather. In her time of grief she admits to losing focus and doing things that she shouldn’t have been doing.
“You have to have the ability to recognize and avoid distractions – the alcohol, the drugs, and the person winking at you at the party,” she joked.
Nothing will happen unless you commit and put in the work, she continued. Jasper told the teens that in order to be successful they need to take care of themselves, embrace all of the teachings around them and to love themselves.
Vyna Brown of First Spirit Yoga and Fitness delivered a beginner’s yoga class, telling the audience the benefits of using yoga as an alternative to relieve back pain and to stay well, in general.
Yoga, she said, comes from Indian teachings and the word yoga, means connection. “Our (Nuu-chah-nulth) teachings also involve connection,” said Brown.
Respecting your body, she said, involves taking in good food, getting exercise and taking care of your body. “Yoga, for me, is medicine,” she told them. Brown suffered severe back pain 10 years ago and practising yoga has brought her relief and she no longer requires pain medication.
“No more trips to Emergency,” she added.
The Teechuktl staff performed a cultural play involving the use of culture as a means to demonstrate that when people are going through challenges, they should remember they have family, people and their culture to help them through.
Challenges young people face include bullying, addictions, depression, family conflict, troubles with the law. “We ask the youth to think about these things, but also let them go,” said Joe Tom. “We don’t heal anybody, but we walk with you,” he added.
NTC Vice President Ken Watts talked about his journey with grief, sadness and depression. While in college he faced the sudden loss of his father, followed years later by a serious health issue. “It’s really easy to get pulled to the dark side, but you need to remember that you have friends and family to lean on,” he told the teens. “Don’t be afraid to talk to someone, and remember, it’s really important to come back to your culture,” he told them.
The following day, Mowachaht’s own Hollywood celebrity Duane Howard (Elk Dog in The Revenant) arrived to the gathering to speak to the young people. He described his struggles growing up and what he had to do to overcome that before becoming first a stuntman, then an actor.
“Whoever would have thought a skid row kid would walk the red carpet!” he shouted to a big round of applause.
Howard had many words of advice for the youngsters.
“Finish school, and remember, hard times are only temporary,” he said. Something one of his elders taught him years ago is to be careful about how you walk and talk because you never know who is watching and, right now, there is someone looking up to you.
“Never be ashamed of who you are; be proud, be proud to be Nuu-chah-nulth,” said Howard.
Before Howard could leave, the Teechuktl staff, led by Tyson Touchie, hosted a mock Academy Awards ceremony in which Duane’s name was pulled from the envelope.
Howard played along, beaming as he accepted his award. His mock acceptance speech started out in good fun, but Howard became emotional as he thought of his nieces and nephews.
“I encourage you to change your life,” he said. “From this day forward, set your goals and make your dreams come true, and be kind to one another,” he added.
Resource people attending the gathering included Esther Charlie of the Ku’us Crisis Society who offered information about suicide awareness and prevention.
Ellie Sampson of Nuu-chah-nulth Employment and Training Program had information about education, jobs, and training opportunities as well as resources to help people get access to training and jobs.
Serena Read of the First Nations Health Council said she would help anybody wishing to start a youth council in their own community. Youth councils, she said, help young aboriginal people become leadership material. “Sometimes the adults in your life don’t have the answers. We can help you build a resource for your youth,” she told the teens.
Janice Johnson, Sandra Tate and Eunice Joe represented FNHA and had a table full of freebies and health information for the youth.
Randy Ginger of the NTC Education Department had information about applying for post-secondary programs and the support that his department offers post-secondary students.
Speakers at the gathering offered up wise advice to the young people. Michael McCarthy recalled teachings he received from his late grandmother. He said he wished he had spent more time with her so that he could have learned more.
“We need family; and if you don’t have family, you need to adopt a brother or a sister,” McCarthy advised. He gave all of the young people present the right to call him Gramps.
“If you’re going through struggles and can’t go to an aunt or an uncle, you can come to Gramps,” he offered.
Vice President Watts urged the youth to let their leaders know if they liked the gathering and if they would like to attend another one in 2017. He promised to take their feedback to help find funding for next year’s conference.
Watts also set up a Facebook page for the gathering called Nuu-chah-nulth Youth Gathering. Anyone who has photos of the youth gathering are encouraged to add them to the page. Here’s the link https://www.facebook.com/NCNYouthGathering/?__mref=message_bubble
