The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council’s Annual General Meeting was held at Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Government House Sept. 19 and Sept. 20. The theme was “Taš ii” (pronounced Tash-ee-ee).
At the start of Day One of the AGM, Joseph Tom, Quu’asa Senior Cultural Worker, explained the meaning of Taš ii, and the Quu’asa staff demonstrated a ceremony relating to the meaning of the theme, “the path or direction in life”.
This ceremony assists people to let go of harmful or unhealthy lifestyles, resentment and anger (especially of their residential school experiences) or emotions that prevent them from finding their best path forward.
Staff members of Quu’asa called four delegates up from the table and had them step inside a cedar hoop. Within that hoop was a black square of canvas, which represented a black hole of emotion, including sadness, vengeance and fury.
Some people get stuck or keep returning to that black hole, Joe Tom told Ha-Shilth-Sa. It gets in the way of a person’s own progress and happiness in life.
Tom led the ceremony, which encouraged participants to let go of their heavy burdens and move through stages of healing to a place of transformation, where the events of the past no longer dictate life’s journey going forward.
Stan Matthews provided brushings of the participants while they held sprigs of spruce and thought of the experiences that kept them rooted in that black space. Elder Dave Frank prayed with a rattle for them. When the participants were instructed to drop the spruce sprigs, they were told they could let go of all those bad things and choose to move forward.
Participants moved to a woven cedar mat, upon which eagle down had been placed with many prayers said over it in preparation for them. This mat represented the traditions, culture and strength of the Nuu-chah-nulth people. They stood facing each other, a return to their community, and treated again with more medicine and prayers.
They moved to the next stage, another cedar hoop, but this time with a white canvas with a canoe coming out of the fog painted on it. Their journey was now their own to choose. Four paddles were with the canoe representing important principles of being Nuu-chah-nulth – including iisaak (respect), the teachings, and holding things precious. A whale transforming to a wolf was on that canvas, as was a moon, representing the path is forward, not back.
Cedar boughs were placed in the hands of the participants, and they held up that hoop. Cedar is medicine and they were now connected to it and the future without the burden of the past.
The ceremony had been conducted Sept. 10 at Tseshaht with about 200 people taking part. Quu’asa is hoping to bring the ceremony to Maht Mahs in Port Alberni this December. Watch for an announcement from the Quu’asa Team for a date, time and location.
