Huu-ay-aht First Nations launches Hišuk ma c̕awak Integrated Resource Management Plan

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Following extensive consultation with its citizens, Huu-ay-aht First Nations is pleased to announce the upcoming development of its Hišuk ma c̕awak Integrated Resource Management Plan (HIRMP).

The HIRMP is a coordinated plan for forest and environmental management in the Nation’s entire ḥahuułi (traditional territory of the hereditary chiefs). It represents the present and future needs of the ecosystem and the Nation. Its namesake sacred principle, Hišuk ma c̕awak, acknowledges the many interconnected aspects considered and incorporated into the plan.

“This has been a long time coming and is shaped by the input we heard from our citizens and Ḥaw̓iiḥ Council (hereditary leadership) that showed us there is a deep need for this work,” explains Tayii Ḥaw̓ił ƛiišin (Head Hereditary Chief Derek Peters). “We are not waiting for others to look after our territory. We have created a path for this plan that honours our values and our sacred principles of ʔiisaak (Utmost Respect), ʔuuʔałuk (Taking Care of), and Hišuk ma c̕awak (Everything is One).”

The Huu-ay-aht have been stewards of their territory since time immemorial. They manage the resources that sustain their people based on their utmost respect for the ḥahuułi. The sacred principles will guide the direction and implementation of the plan.

The HIRMP is Huu-ay-aht’s commitment to do all they can to balance the economic benefits from use of the resource land base with sound management that supports other aspects of the Nation’s interconnected resources and livelihoods.  

“We want to do this the way we would have done it all along, following the principle that what one takes out, one must put back,” says Chief Councillor Robert J. Dennis Sr. “We will consult and rely on experts in order to merge our Ancient Spirit and Modern Minds, but this plan is made in Huu-ay-aht, for Huu-ay-aht, by Huu-ay-aht.”

Over many years, the Nation has had the benefit of expert forestry and resource advisors including Chris Niziolomski of Forest Ecosystems Solutions, Bruce Blackwell of BA Blackwell and Associates, Bob Bocking of LGL Ltd., and Bryce Bancroft of Symmetree Consulting Group. These experts will continue to support the work on the HIRMP.

The planning process Huu-ay-aht is embarking on will not only help Huu-ay-aht manage its own Treaty Lands and forest tenures, it will also be working collaboratively with other forest companies on our ḥahuułi to extend Huu-ay-aht values to forest management in the entire territory.

Forest ecosystems are complex with many integrated components and past histories. Creating and implementing the HIRMP will not be a fast process. Huu-ay-aht will take as long as is needed to get it right and find balance so it pays off for present and future generations.

Some highlights of the HIRMP are:

  • Developing a harvesting, reserve, and silviculture strategy.
  • Setting appropriate annual allowable cuts (AAC).
  • Setting aside culturally important forests as protected areas for citizen enjoyment and use.
  • Developing a strategy that continues to value existence of old-growth forests and monumental cedar.
  • Continued support to Huu-ay-aht’s ʔuuʔałuk Watershed Renewal Program.
  • Aligning Forest Stewardship Plan renewal, forest management systems, and monitoring across all tenures, while allowing economic opportunities for Huu-ay-aht.
  • No timber harvesting on Treaty Lands in the calendar year 2021
  • Developing objectives for good stewardship of fish and water, riparian areas, wildlife and their habitat, biodiversity, cultural heritage, visual quality, and minimizing windthrow/blowdown.
  • Ensuring that these critical objectives are appropriately balanced with the economic benefits that come from the forestry and resource economy, all in accordance with Huu-ay-aht values. 

“Our main driving force behind this is to look after the land the way our ancestors taught us,” says Huu-ay-aht Councillor Duane Nookemis. “Up until about 150 years ago we managed our own lands and resources in a sustainable way. Our hereditary and elected leadership draw on the teachings of our ancestors and the wisdom of our elders, as well as input from citizens when we make stewardship decisions like this plan. We use this knowledge and input from our partners to determine best practices for forestry, fishery, and other natural resources. The HIRMP will allow us to regain decision-making powers in our ḥahuułi.”

Huu-ay-aht will be hosting Community Engagement Sessions for its citizens and residents of the neighbouring community of Bamfield in June. Huu-ay-aht will provide an overview of the HIRMP process and two-year timetable and will provide answers to questions regarding the process.

For more information, watch the HIRMP video, download the HIRMP info sheet and read our expert biographies.

Huu-ay-aht awarded $763,924 from the Province’s Childcare B.C. New Spaces funding

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Huu-ay-aht First Nations is pleased to announce it has been awarded $763,924.33 from the Province of British Columbia’s Childcare B.C. New Spaces funding.

This grant will allow the Nation to create 24 new spaces at the Oomiiqsu Childcare Centre, which will be housed at the proposed Oomiiqsu Mother Centre in Port Alberni. The site will be located at 4305 Kendall Ave once complete and offer services to Huu-ay-aht and other Nuu-chah-nulth families.

The Oomiiqsu Childcare Centre will be an integral part of Oomiiqsu Mother Centre, and priority for the spaces will be given to children residing in centre. Of the 24 spaces, eight will be for children 36 Months and Under and 16 will be for children 30 Months to School Age.

“We are grateful to receive this grant from the province because it enables us to move forward on this exciting project,” says Huu-ay-aht Councillor Edward R. Johnson. “This has been a collaborative effort from the start. I am very thankful for the team and am truly honoured to have witnessed this journey. It is so important to our Nation to bring more of our children home as that honours our Ancient Spirit and Modern Mind.”

Elders and other community members will teach Nuu-chah-nulth language and prepare traditional foods with the children.  Traditions, ceremonies, songs, drumming dance and crafts will be shared and taught by Huu-ay-aht First Nations Elders/community members and staff as well as other Nuu-chah-nulth Nations. 

“We honour our Ancient Spirit and Modern Mind when we find ways to keep our youth safe and in an environment that nurtures traditional learning at all ages, just as our ancestors taught us,” explains Huu-ay-aht Tayii Ḥaw̓ił ƛiišin (Head Hereditary Chief Derek Peters). “By doing so, we are following our Sacred Principles of ʔiisaak (Utmost Respect), ʔuuʔałuk (Taking Care of), and Hišuk ma c̕awak (Everything is One).”

Mothers will be welcome at the centre and strongly encouraged to participate in the childcare program. Parenting support will be offered as well, and programming will support children and their mothers to build strong cultural identities that will connect them to their larger families and communities.

The land on Kendall Avenue has been purchased by BC Housing, and a Rezoning Application has been submitted to the City of Port Alberni. A public hearing was held on May 13. There were no objections voiced at the meeting, and the matter will be addressed by Port Alberni City Council at a future meeting. Construction is set to begin in April 2021 and the Oomiiqsu Childcare Centre will open in September 2023.

Huu-ay-aht to benefit from grant to help bring cultural property home

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When Huu-ay-aht First Nations finalized the Maa-nulth Treaty, one of the most exciting opportunities it outlined was a plan to bring cultural treasures home from BC museums.

On May 17, the Province of BC and the BC Museums Association announced the 2020 Repatriation Grant recipients. Huu-ay-aht is one of 25 Nations to receive a grant. The Nation will receive $35,000 of the $454,000 grant to fund repatriation research and activities announced this week.

“We celebrated together in 2016 as we watched as many of our cultural treasures were returned,” explains Councillor Edward R. Johnson. “Our history was extracted from us, and this is about bringing back a little bit of our history, one piece at a time, knowing that our treasures are scattered all over the world.”

He added, this is a key part of recognizing the past and that Huu-ay-aht’s ancestors and treasures need to come home.

“We are just scratching the surface of reconciliation by bringing some of our treasures home,” he said.

The grant will be used to identify and catalogue the items the Nation wants repatriated from the Royal BC Museum. These will join the items previously returned in the Cultural Centre.

Throughout the history of Canada, Indigenous peoples have had their belongings, language, culture, and even ancestors taken from them and housed in museums, universities, and private collections across the world. For decades, Indigenous leaders have worked tirelessly to support the return of their communities’ ancestors and cultural patrimony.

Through the 2020 Repatriation Grants, the BCMA and the BC government are taking a critical step in reconciliation and supporting this work. These grants are funded through the B.C. government’s $500,000 investment in 2020.

“These items were bought or taken from our ancestors, and it’s time that we bring them home where they belong,” explained Tayii Ḥaw̓ił ƛiišin (Head Hereditary Chief Derek Peters). “The effort made by the province and the museum shows respect for our history and reconciliation in action. It honours our our sacred principles of ʔiisaak (utmost respect), ʔuuʔałuk (taking care of), and Hišuk ma c̕awak (everything is one) and ensure future generations do not have to go to a museum to experience their history.” A full list of the recipients and the details of the grants can be found at this link.

Huu-ay-aht to build 11 housing units with Rapid Housing Initiative funding from CMHC

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Huu-ay-aht First Nations has made housing one of its top priorities. Thanks to a grant from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, it will have 11 new units in Anacla by March 2022.

Huu-ay-aht is one of two First Nations communities in British Columbia to receive a Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) grant to build houses it their communities.

CMHC announced a total RHI investment of $6.92 million to build 19 units of affordable housing for British Columbia First Nations under the National Housing Strategy. Huu-ay-aht will receive approximately $3.62 million. The remaining funds go to the Uchucklesaht Tribe for seven units of housing.

“We have made a commitment to our people to create a safe, healthy place to live where they can connect with the land and their culture,” explained Tayii Ḥaw̓ił ƛiišin (Head Hereditary Chief Derek Peters). “A key to fulfilling this commitment is offering proper housing on our ḥahuułi (traditional territory), and this grant allows us to take a big step toward that goal. By doing this, we honour our sacred principles of ʔiisaak (utmost respect), ʔuuʔałuk (taking care of), and Hišuk ma c̕awak (everything is one).”

“This 11-unit housing project builds on the success of our 2020 housing project, and it brings our total new housing units up to 22,” explained Chief Councillor Robert J. Dennis Sr. “Thanks to the timely contribution from CMHC, we are able to offer affordable housing to more of our citizens so they can move home and enjoy our wonderful homeland.”

The Nation began the project in March, starting construction on seven units – six in the Upper Anacla subdivision and one in Lower Anacla. The first seven units are expected to be completed by September, and the remaining four units will be complete by March 2022. The units consist of:

  • A fourplex of two-bedroom, one bath
  • A duplex of four-bedroom, two bath units
  • A four-bedroom, two -and-a-half bath, with a single garage home
  • Two three-bedroom, two bath homes
  • A two-bedroom, two bath, with a single garage
  • A two-bedroom, two bath, single-wide home (lower village)

If you would like more information about housing through Huu-ay-aht, contact Sheila Charles at Sheila_c@huuayaht.org or call 250-731-5676.

For full details on the funding announcement, go to this link.

Huu-ay-aht sets up checkpoint on Ḥahuułi (Territory) asking visitors to respect Sacred Principles

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Huu-ay-aht First Nations set up two check points today at the entrances of the ḥahuułi (territory) of the Huu-ay-aht Ḥaw̓iiḥ Chiefs (hereditary chiefs). Travellers were stopped and offered updates on the access restrictions and safety measures within the ḥahuułi that were announced on May 7, 2021 and came into effect as of today.

Drivers were told why they were being stopped and were given a handout that explains what is expected of them if they enter the ḥahuułi. The purpose is to ensure continued safe forestry operations within Huu-ay-aht lands following a forestry operations safety incident on March 6, 2021 involving an Huu-ay-aht-owned forestry cutblock. For more information on the incident and measures put into place, please go to this link.

Generally, drivers were supportive and understanding of Huu-ay-aht’s approach to addressing safety concerns on their land.

“We want people to access our ḥahuułi, but they must do so in a respectful way that does not put anyone’s safety at risk,” Huu-ay-aht Chief Councillor Robert J. Dennis Sr. said.

The notice informed people of the three sacred principles that guide Huu-ay-aht First Nations – ʔiisaak (Utmost Respect), ʔuuʔałuk (Taking Care of), and Hišuk ma c̕awak (Everything is Connected). It asked people to use these principles to “guide yourself, without fail, toward people, lands, waters, and resources.” It later pointed out that “the safety and wellbeing of all indigenous and non-indigenous people on our ḥahuułi must never be put at risk.”

“People who violate our sacred principles are not welcome in our ḥahuułi,” said Huu-ay-aht Tayii Ḥaw̓ił ƛiišin (Head Hereditary Chief Derek Peters). “We expect people to respect what we are asking of them as this is our land and it is our responsibility to ensure people here are safe.”

Huu-ay-aht will continue the checkpoints for the rest of the week. People who violate the sacred principles are no longer welcome on the territory, and violators will be dealt with to the full extent of the traditional laws of the Huu-ay-aht Ḥaw̓iiḥ and Canadian laws. Violations can be reported to the Nation’s Executive Director at 250-723-0100.