Citizens hired for People’s Assembly Planning

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We are excited to share that Marena Dennis and Tiana Peters will be assisting Nene Kraneveldt with the planning of the September 30 People’s Assembly.

Hiring our citizens helps build capacity and connects directly into our strategic goal of “citizen development through empowerment and support.”

Marena will be calling citizens to register, managing the database and supporting citizens with accommodation and travel requests.

Tiana, our Anacla based assistant, will be engaging with youth to encourage participation, supporting the coordination of childcare, helping with Anacla logistics and preparing mailouts and meeting kits.

As identified and requested in our Citizen Survey in 2016, there will be cultural support people available at each location. They will be introduced at the beginning of the day and citizens will have the day to access their services.

Childcare will also be available at each site where children have registered.

Public Notice of People’s Assembly

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To all Huu-ay-aht Citizens:

PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that:

The annual People’s Assembly will be held at 9:00 a.m. on September 30, 2017 at the Barclay Hotel, 4277 Stamp Avenue, Port Alberni with satellite locations connected via video at:

  • Anacla
  • Nanaimo
  • Vancouver
  • Victoria

The Proposed Agenda and draft Tribunal Act Amendment are attached.

Click here for the Full Public Notice of People’s Assembly

Anacla hosts visitors from the Tribal Journeys

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Last Wednesday evening two canoes were spotted coming into Pachena Bay. Paddlers from Ahousaht and Hesquiaht arrived at high tide and the speakers from those communities asked for permission to come ashore.

The annual Tribal Journeys – Standing Together trip started on July 14 in Kyoquot and will end in Campbell River Saturday, August 5, 2017.  Tribal Journeys is a movement that offers different learning experiences for each member and nation. It is an opportunity to connect with various canoe families and visit their ḥahuułi (traditional territory).  Often the visitors and hosts will share a meal and their songs and dances.

To our visitors and any other families that join you along your journey, we wish you fair weather and favourable winds.

For more information, please see the Tribal Journeys website.

 

Office Closures and Aboriginal Day Announcement

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Due to the losses in the Huu-ay-aht Community, the Anacla and Port Alberni will be closed today, June 19.

Members of the Quu’asa will be in Anacla at Čitxʷaama Cixʷatin (Soaring Eagle) to offer emotional support for community members. They will be there from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. today.

Due to the community’s loss, we will not be celebrating Aboriginal Day on June 21. We will mark this important day at a later time and will post details once they are in place.

Thank you for your understanding during this difficult time.

Positive change coming for Huu-ay-aht children and families

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June 1, 2017 – Anacla, British Columbia – Huu-ay-aht First Nations has identified “bringing our children home” as a priority for the Nation.

Since the fall of 2016, work has been underway within the Nation to build a future where
Huu-ay-aht children are safe, happy, healthy, and connected with their families. An independent, four-member panel was appointed by Executive Council to explore and recommend changes and improvements that can be made under the Maa-nulth Treaty to child and family services for Huu-ay-aht families.

This week, Executive Council received the Panel’s report, which contains 30 recommendations, including the need for more human and financial resources for this area of the government.

“It is important to us that we are creating a made-in-Huu-ay-aht solution to this problem,” says
Huu-ay-aht’s Chief Councillor Robert J. Dennis Sr. “Huu-ay-aht is once again leading the way and creating a world-leading approach that will create positive change that is greatly needed.”

For Huu-ay-aht Councillor Sheila Charles this has been a dream of hers for many years, and to see it come to fruition in a respectful way means more than words can express.

“I have long recognized the flawed system and urgency for change. I clearly can see the parallels between residential school and children-in-care today,” she says. “In the spirit of reconciliation, children-in-care contradicts reconciling.

“Healing needs to take place and families need extra support to allow the healing to prevent children from being taken in the first place. I am very pleased with the panel’s 30 recommendations and look forward to implementing them,” she concludes.

Huu-ay-aht’s chief councillor says, “Now that Executive Council has the report, we look forward to reviewing it extensively. The next step will be to bring it to the people through community consultation.”

At that point, guided by the will of citizens, Executive Council will decide how to proceed with the independent recommendations and forge a new path on this incredibly important issue – the welfare of Huu-ay-aht children.

For more information on the panel’s recommendations, please see their press release at: http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/-2219799.htm

For a copy of the full report, follow this link: 2017 Report of the HFN Social Services Panel