WLC

Early counts show the Salmon population in the SELEK̵TEL̵, also known as Goldstream River, will increase in 2024, yet the Salmon need the support of the community to ensure continued survival. As relatives and a critical traditional food source for W̱SÁNEĆ and KELŁOLEMEĆEN, it is important to protect Salmon of the Salish Sea. SELEK̵TEL̵ is a key spawning ground for Chum, Chinook, and Coho Salmon. Due to an oil spill in 2011, the environmental disturbance caused by Bear Mountain Resort, and other disruptions caused by settler infrastructure and activity, the number of Salmon in SELEK̵TEL̵ has fallen dramatically. In [...]

This year’s Tribal Journeys event culminated on August 5th, 2024 and was a resounding success. (Shown here: Video of W̱SÁNEĆ landing) Tribal Journeys are annual traditional canoe voyages during which canoe families representing individual First Nations and Tribes paddle long distances across ancestral waterways to a shared location for five Protocol Days. Tribal Journeys are an opportunity to celebrate the reemergence of Coast Salish culture and communities on the water, preserve cultural knowledge, and encourage the continued use of canoes. When it comes to Tribal Journeys, the journey is just as important as the destination. As each canoe [...]

Read the transcript below to learn more about ĆILTEN (Phil)  and the impactful work he’ll be doing with the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council. Can you tell me a bit about who you are and where you’re from? ÍY¸ ȻEĆIL, SI¸ÁM¸ ĆILTEN TŦE NE SNÁ ĆSELÁ¸E SEN W̱JOȽEȽP. Good morning. I am from the Tsartlip First Nation and have grown up in our community all my life. I have four children and one grandson —  three daughters and one son — and I have been part of the Tom and Bartleman family here in Tsartlip. What kind of work will [...]

Hope is Queen will pressure Ottawa IMAGE CAPTION: Chief Vern Jacks, of the Tseycum First Nation, holds a letter outlining his concerns over native rights that he’ll present to Queen Elizabeth when the monarch lands in Victoria this afternoon. “A dominant society that does not respect or acknowledge our history,” the letter states. “Our youths feel alienated because there still exists the discrimination that was afflicted on our people by the arrival of the first Europeans.”    The Queen and Prince Philip begin their Canadian tour today.  After several hours in Nunavut, Canada’s newest territory, they will land at a Canadian [...]

This time of year, around the new moon in the month of October, is traditionally known as PEKELANEW - The Moon That Turns the Leaves White  This is the moon of the turning white season (frost). This moon brings the first frost. The leaves lose their colours and turn pale. Deer hunting is the activity during this moon. The earth is cooling down and the people turn their efforts to hunting. WEATHER The longer, cooler nights can lead to frost on the leaves and the ground in higher country. ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES The W̱SÁNEĆ people began splitting the cedar [...]

📰 Take a look at a February 1977 issue of the “Tribal News,” a window into the past of the Saanich Nation. ✨ Here’s a sneak peak at what you’ll find in this article: ✔️ Dave Elliott asserts Saanich Nation’s rightful ownership of Mt. Newton and opposes ongoing logging and land sales. ✔️ Chief Gus Bill (Tsyal-qwaya) shares wisdom and a vision of unity. 🤝🏾 ✔️ News from Pauquachin, Tsartlip, Tsawout, and Tseycum bands highlight progress and challenges. 🏘️🛶 ✔️ Beautiful poems by Phoena Spahan, a Grade 10 student at Parkland High. 🧡 ✔️ And More: Land claims, local initiatives, [...]

Update on MOTI Proposed Barrier and Road Widening Project at SELE₭TEȽ ÍY, SȻÁĆEL SIÁM. The WLC Board met in March to get debriefed on what we heard at the two W̱SÁNEĆ community engagement forums in October 2023 and January 2024, and then met with the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure on June 19 about timelines for engagement on the Goldstream Park Median Barrier and Malahat Highway Widening Project. What We Heard: Goldstream Project Engagement In January 2024 WLC held the second of two W̱SÁNEĆ community engagement forums. Input received was consistent with what we heard in October, and included: [...]