Miles Richardson, former president of the Council of the Haida Nation and champion of Aboriginal title and rights, was in unceded Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations territory on June 4 and 5 for a speaker series at Clayoquot Campus.
Coincidentally, Richardson’s visit paralleled Premier David Eby’s visit with Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ, a modern treaty nation located across the harbour from Ucluelet in the community of Hitacu.
Richardson served as president of the Council of Haida Nation from 1984 to 1996. During his 12-year tenure, he led the drafting of the Constitution of the Haida Nation and the development of the first comprehensive Haida Nation land and marine use plan, enacted under Haida law. Richardson also helped establish the Haida Watchmen program.
“At that time the big issues were logging and mining. They were cutting all the trees, they were going to rip every piece of iron ore, they were talking about mining for gold on the Yakoun River,” said Richardson at his June 5 talk. “They were going to cut the last tree and I guess leave us with nothing and move on. Our people were getting increasingly agitated with that. Not only that, at this time in 1985 they were talking about drilling for oil and gas in our oceans.”
He said they worked with a group called the Circle of Traditional Elders, spiritual leaders from all over North America, to find a solution.
“Our elders said if we don’t stop what’s proposed it may be the last generation of our nation. They said Haida Gwaii is our life source. That led us to protect our life source,” continued Richardson.
“We are not who we are because of cheques from Ottawa and Victoria. That never made us who we are. We are who we are because our relationship to this wonderful part of the earth we’ve been put on. Haida Gwaii is our life source. That’s our prosperity. That’s our security. That’s our sustainability and if you are going to do anything you’ve got to protect her. You have to protect the natural integrity of your home,” Richardson shared.
During Richardson’s June 5 talk, Clayoquot Campus director Eli Enns raised the issue of the B.C. government recently renewing a controversial mining permit to Imperial Metals that allows the company to drill for gold in Clayoquot Sound.
“That was stopped dead in its tracks 20 years ago and now it’s lit up again. We have to create that positive alternative so that people in the future won’t be desperate enough to drink that dirty water,” said Enns.
Richardson said when it comes to nations working outside the treaty process, what is at issue is very simple:
“It’s title. Title is the issue. You’re not asking them if you can be sovereign. That is a ridiculous question. You are either sovereign or you ain’t. You either have it in your heart to be Nuu-chah-nulth or you don’t,” he said.
On June 21, National Indigenous Peoples Day, Tla-o-qui-aht will honour Haida leaders for inspiring the early Tribal Parks movement. The community gathering takes place at 1 p.m. at the Wickaninnish Community School.
