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Oncc, not so long ago, the
opening of the Tsawout Indian
Band’s new longhouse would
have been illegal.

’ By VALORIE LENNOX
Review Staff Writer

The celebration held to mark
the Aug. 20 opening, with govern-
ment officials and community
members attending, would have
been held in secret — if it had
been held at all. .

Tsawoul Band manager Eric
Pelkey recalls when the longhouse

_was closed to all but members and

those outside the Indian band were
Nol permitted to attend cvents.
Tom Sampson of the Tsartlip

‘Band and tribal chairman of the

First Nations of southern Van-
couver Island. has done research
into the history of Indian culture.
He explained the traditional native
culture, shared by bands on the
southern island and lower main-
land, went underground after
being ouudawed by the government
in the 1920s.

It was illegal to hold gatherings,
to perform traditional ccremonics,
meet obligations, practise songs
and dances and maintain naming
customs. Natives were forbidden

‘to organize, to defend themselves

in law or work for native rights.

Children were placed in public.
schools or residential schools and
forced to speak only: English.
Familics —- a mainstay of the

Band celebrates
longhouse opening

Almost 1,000 people showed up for the opening of the Tsawout
Indian Band’s new longhouse on Aug. 20..

The celebration included a sports day, ribbon cutting, specches,
entertainment by the Comiaken Song and Dance Group and a salmon

barbecue.

The $150,000 longhouse was constructed t to replace a structure which -
~ bumed down nine years ago. Four band members, supervised by Albert .
Pelkey Jr., built the 140 foot by: 100 foot longhouse between November.

1987 and July. 1988.

All of the workers started their apprenticeship taining in carpenly

while working on the project.

The project was funded through band contributions, the First Citizen’ S.

Fund and Canadian Employment and Immigration training grants.
The main room of the longhouse can seat up to 1,500 people and the.
dining room ‘can handle Lid to 800 people at one time. There is also a

kitchen.

Guests at the opening included MLAs Terry: Huberts and Mel ;
~Couvelicr, Central Saanich Mayor Ron Cullis and ‘council members;'a

- representative, from ‘the. regional office of Indian Affairs and. Chiefs:

David Paul from the. Tsartlip Band, Andy. Thomas. from the: Esquimalt

“Band and: David Bill from the Tsecum Band:.": ... 7
--. Also present: were Tom Sampson, chairman of the South Island Tribal cs
Council, Dennis: Alphonse from ‘the: Assembly of First. Nations and :

“Philip Paul, chairman of the Saanich Indian“ School’ ‘Board. :

The. day- -long celebration included a. cross- raising - ‘ceremony by

: _ Bishop Remi de Roo and a welcome for the native school staff.
“= Tsawout. Band Manager Eric Pelkey said the: Jonghouse. will be: used _
. for cultural events, gatherings ane instruction in: native > culture.

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native culture — were divided.
‘*We lost several generations,”’
Sampson says. Many children for-
got or never learned the native
language and customs. Sampson
only retained the language
because he lived with his great-
grandmother, who did not speak
English and refused to fet him

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attend school until he was seven
years old.

Some natives defied the ban,
serving six month jail. sentences
for continuing to practise their
laws and customs. Longhousces,
the foundation of native govern-

ment, were secretly maintained,

Sampson says.. -

2s during new longhouse opening.

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Suill, by the time the ban was
repealed carly in the 1950s, many
natives knew nothing of the tradi-
tional structure.

““We are the victims of 30 ycars
without our laws and our culture.”’

The culture was based on fami-
lics. Each family group, number-
ing as many as 100 people, had its
own “‘big house.’ The term long-
house was only adopted by. the

natives after the proper translation
of the Indian term came, in Eng-
lish, to denote a prison.

“‘The longhouse is where our

~ governments come from,’’ Samp-

son says:

It was up to the elders of the
family to interpret the laws given
by the creator into a way of life for

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the tribe to follow. Included were
spiritual valucs, the importance of
conservation, the value of people
and use of natural resources,

Family members would meet in
the big house for discussion, deci-
sion, ceremonics or celebration.
Speakers, experts on specific
topics, were appointed. For exam-
ple, a decision to wage war would
be discussed and decided by those
qualified in war.

Incidently, Sampson notes the
Jast wars by Peninsula natives
were in the 1600s, as the tribes
realized wars were not beneficial.

Speakers were also appointed
for marriages and for deaths. The ~
native tribes were divided into

_Continued on Page B5

Army cadet COIpS
starting in Sidney —

Interested in. learning survival
skills, marksmanship, radio
communication, archery and
rappelling?

For teens aged 12 to 18, the
Opportunity has come. with the

start of an army. cadet corps in

Sidney Sept. 6.

Veteran cadet leader John.

Hungar,. who. has been involved

with the organization for the ~

past..16:. years, is.starting the
group. as a detachment of the

3005. . Victoria Signals Army

Cadets.
‘That unit, -Hungar notes, is

“the largest and. most active in

~-the province,

Thee Sidney. detachment’ will
“meet “Tuesday. evenings: om a3
nee 9 p.m..in Sanscha ‘Hall:

“There. will ‘also be weekend: -_
“4 camping. ‘trips ach month. In
September. the weekend will.
“cover survival skills; .
~eadets will: learn marksmanship.
cowie a an FN rifle; in. November

in October:

they will practise radio commu-
nications; and in-December the
weekend will focus on map and

compass skills. .

Activices covered in weekend
trips in 1989 will. be cross-.
country skiing. in January; hik-
ing in February; radio commu- .
nications in. March; target
shooting ‘in April;. annual
inspection in May and patrolling
in June..

Archery “and small arms: tare
get shooting | programs arc held
on the remaining Saturdays of 7
the month,

The program is: free to young .

~men. and. women... The cadet

corps is affiliated with the 741...
“the.
“only corps” linked: with-a com- <.
= ~ munications: “‘unil,. ‘and. is. sup:

communicator squadron, |

ported: financially: by. the: Bro.
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-atiend: the Sept. 6 mecting or

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