A sense of pride

Cultural renewal sweeps Nass

By CRIS LEYKAUF A CULTURAL _ renaissance. That’s the only way to describe whal’s taking place in the Nass.

In the last five years seven poles have gone up in the Nass Valley. Alver Tait has carved four of them himself. The new poles -flank the new bridge to Gitwinksihlkw, stand in frant of the new school in that communily and inNew Aiyansh. | ~ “It’s quite a revival,’’ said Tail. He has just carved a mortuary pole for Kincolith: last fall, the First. to go up in that communily for decades,

A mortuary pole honours the life of an importatt elder and is raised after that person is dead.

And there are more ‘poles planued. Four twenty-foot ones will be carved for the new recrea- tion centre, expecied to open in December in New Aiyansh,

' Other poles ate being planned up the Kalum Valley fo mark out the boundary between the Kit- sumakalum “territory and the Nisga’a lands,

‘Another carver, Dennis Nyce, was just commissioned to do a totem pole in honour of his grandfather, Clarence Anderson.

“There's quite a few cultural projects happening here,’’ said Nyce, ‘It started in 1992 — ‘that’s when the first pole was raised since 1977, It’s a renais- sance of the arts,’? ;

Every community also now has a travelling dance group, he pointed out.-Even Nisga’a people living in Vancouver have formed a dance group.

- "They're away from the valley but the spirit is still there,” said Nyce.

“Villages are being more cul- turally: and tradilionally aware. They’re taking some pride in their own communities.”

Local residents have a chance to see most if notall of the dance groups during the Riverboat Days parade.

Nyce isn’t sure whetlier to at- tribute the resurgence to treaty negotiations or to an increased in- terest by his people in their own culture.

‘However, momentum is still

LOOKING FOR ARTIFACTS — Harry Nyce, Rod Robinson and Bertram McKay were part of a

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, April 2, 1997 - AS

Ben

team which travelled to Hull, Quebec, to visit the Museum of Civilization. They were there to look at the museum's collection of Nisga’a artifacts. However, their job was difficult because many Nisga’a pieces were fabelled as Tsimshian, due to an historical error by an early anthropologist. The three men are hoping that they'll soon be able to bring back a portion of the collection to the

Nass valley.

gathering. |

The YMCA in New Aiyansh is sponsoring a canoe building pro- ject, says Brad Tait, head of the YMCA there. rs

He plans to build a 50 ft. canoe and a smaller 26-37 [t. model. Al- ver Tait woukd be the master car- ver for both projects.

Brad Tait) wants. the. larger.

canoe to be carved by the first

week in July. In preparation for

Games in Victoria this August. Following the games they’ ll head to Washington State for a galher-

ing of nalive canoeists,

Tait says two logs have just been found fer cach canoe the YMCA hopes to build. The log

_ forthe larger ‘canoe is six feel

wide at its bult.. They were donated by.a local contractor.

It’s difficult to find logs thal large because they tend to be rot-

“There’s quite a few cultural projects happening here. It started in 1992 — that’s when the first pole was raised since 1977, It’s a renaissance of the arts.””

this, expert paddlers from other nations .will. be. coming: to” the Nass to train a paddling team. That team will ‘then take ‘the canoe over to Prince’ Rupert, meeting up with seven olber teams there. They’ll then head down the coast for the 1997 North American Indigenous

“ten on the inside once they get

past four feet-wide.

Work onthe large canoe should begin any time, provided another grant can be found, while the smaller canoc will be started in the fall.

Next year Tait says the canoes will be available for use in the

valley. He hopes to train young people to lake tourists out in the canoes on Dragon and Lava lakes.

Another project the YMCA has on the go is the construction of a loughouse with a carving shed al- tached to one side, Tait hopes to get inoncy for it from corporate sponsorships. The Jabour will come from YMCA members.

He wants to build the fonghouse near the site for the new rec centre in New Ajiyansh. It will provide a central location for cul- tural and youth training projects. For example, carving, story tell- ing and drum making could be taught there.

“A lot of it is for the kids. I really want them to learn new things,’” said Tait.

The New Aiyaush council is

. also looking at building a long-

house. [t also would be a base for craft making — learning how to make tools, weaving baskets — aud ceremonial dances could be taught there.

THIS BOWL js part of a collection at the Museum of Civilization in Hull, Quebec.

it was likely collected sometime in the late 1800s to early 1900s. Some of the pieces in the museum will be returned to the Nass once a museum quality build- ing is constructed. (Photos by Gary Fiegehen.)

Artifacts

burnt or hidden

ALTHOUGH MANY artifacts were taken out of “the Nass Valley in the early part of this century and late 1800s; far: more were destroyed or burned.

The. burnings were en- couraged by missionaries who watited. the Nisga’a to get rid of symbols that

“perverted the. leaching of Chiistianity,’’ sald Nass bis- forian Bertram McKay.

Missionaries labelled the artifacts as pagan, aud thought they interfered with the conversion of the Nisga’a to Christianity. A great many important cul- tural items were lost during ’ this time.

Some Nisga’a realized what was happening to their culture, and hid important lems. ;

‘For example some of the last of the old poles in Gitwinksihikw were used to forin ihe foundalions of the village’s old Anglican Church.

“My greatgreal grand- _ father did thal to his poles. He: wasn't going to have anybody taking his poles

THIS MASK is also part of the same callection. It was contributed to the museum by a CG. Perry, likely around the same time as the bowl.

away,’ said Harry Nyce of were hidden by elders, and the Nisga’a Tribal Council. — passed down to this genera- Some smaller artifacts tion.

Artifacts will return to Nass

OLD NISGA’A TOTEM poles, wooden masks, soul catchers and rattles are scattered throughout the world, squirreled away in museums and private collections.

The artifacts number in the thousands, and include some significant cultiral items.

Many of the artifacts were taken from the Nass by mis- slonaries or through barter with Hudson Bay Company traders in the late 1800s and early part of this century.

For a number of years now the Nisga’a have been trying to locate these cultural artifacts.

Many are in the Museum of Civilization in Hull, Quebec, the Royal British Columbia Museum and the Royal Ontario Museum.

One of the problems with locating the artifacts was that many at the national museum were wrongly attributed to the Tsimshian nation, said Nass historian Bertram McKay. That’s because the first anthropologist to visit the valley mistakenly thought the Nass River was in Tsimshian terri- tory.

So McKay and a number of elders recently travelled ta the Museu of Civilization to identify the artifacts,

“'Sceing those artifacts — il was an experience you can’t explain,” said McKay. ‘In a sense those artifacts were held in confinement.””

“There are picees in Ottawa and Ontario that haven’t been viewed by the general public in over a hundred years,” said Joc Gosnell, president of the Nisga’a Tribal Council. “Some of them are absolutely fabulous.”

As part of the Nisga’a land claim agreement in principle both the Museu of Civilization and the Royal B.C. Muse- um have agreed to return some of the artifacts to the Nisga’a,

There are 400 Nisga’a items in the provincial muscum. The museum and the Nisga’a have agreed that 150 of those items will be returned to the Nass Valley.

Among those items being retuned are any considered to have been gathered itlegatly or in other questionable fash- ions.

The province wants to retain a representative sample of artifacts from the Nisga’a and from other First Nations groups across the province for display at the museum.

There are 46 items on display now at the museum in a permanent exhibit

Similar negotiations are taking place with the national muscu. .

“We're getting into the final drafting of custodial agree- nents,’ said Gosnell. .

Before the artifacts can be returned to the Nass, a museum-qualily building necds to be constructed for their safekeeping. “

“He would have to be fairly similar lo other museum buildings — temperature controlled for example,” said Gosnell. oo

Money for a building will come from that obtained through a treaty setilement and perhaps through contribu- tions. Some Nisga’a are also being trained to become curators,

As for artifacts at other museums oulside of the country — they've been found in the U.S., England, Scotland and Germany. (> os

It's unlikely. that the Nisga’a would be able to retrieve iany. of these pieces, but Gosnell hopes to catalogue and photograph them, Nisga’a artists are very interested in

seeing them, atid perhaps making coples, said Gosnell.

CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD

The Mail Bag

Remember the little guys

Dear Sir:

It is confirmed that Canadian Tire will be setting up in Terrace, I imagine many are experlencing a little of the same lype of excitement that was present when Repap ansiounced the establishment of a subsidiary mill in our town.

The haunting wail of truckers homs last Tuesday, March 18 sounded like the tolling of funeral bells — announcing the desperation and death of many small players in the forest industry because of decisions made in sky-scraping towers, in giant cities, so far removed from our little comer of northwest B.C,

So often, I hear a beavy sigh from a discontented soul wishing to return to small-town values. I believe small- — town values were a guaranteed fruit of people living in those small towns, controlling their own interesis, and supporting the people who smiled at them each day and who knew their children by name,

We have many individuals like that in our wonderful little city. People who have chosen to reside in Tertace, raise their familics here, and establish small indepen- dently owned retail operations. These people are here ~ in Terrace, smiling at us when we enter their business or hire their services, and oh so importantly, fully realizing the value of keeping some of their business revenues circulating within our community, and using some to sponsor community activities, local sports and acks,

So often it seems, big business influences enter into our northwest haven and dramatically alter the quality — of life for us and our children. ,

It is just too easy to forget that a local referendum a few years ago confirmed that a majority of us wished retain a guaranteed one-day-a-week business closure —a guaranteed day of rest, leisure, and family time.

Outside interests who see us only as numbers on ledger sheets used their heavy-handed tactics to steal our right to dictate our future according to democratic process. To me, this still remains absolutely wn- conscionable.

There are still a number of retailers in town who stili close their doors one-day-a-week, giving themselves and their employees a guaranteed leisure and family day. 1 choose to support these retailers. 1 choose to sup- port the small player who resides with me in this little city we call home. I choose to support the retailers who recirculate their revenues, within our communily, thereby protecting the future security of our children.

This is not a boycott Canadian Tire letter. It is a plea to not forget the pain that can be inflicted by big corpo- rate players, who do not necessarily have the best inter- ests of our community’s economic and social well-

. being at heart.

It is a plea to remember that we each have the power of choice regarding ‘“where’’ and ‘‘why’’ our dollars are spent.

It is a plea to remember the backbone that is the strength of our community — the little business owners who live with us and need our support.

Gordon Schuss, Terrace, B.C.

Don’t open on holidays

An open letier to Chamber of Commerce members:

Say ‘no’ to Statutory holiday openings. We give up four stat holidays this year. Next year they want a couple more. Then a couple more the following year. I guess that means we get to work 365 days a year.

I think it’s lime us workers got together and gave our opinions, Our husbands and kids get the day off and want to go to the lake but guess what, mom’s working | this stat — no long weekends for us.

You give tourists as the reason for wanting all the . stores to be open. Well it sure is a sad day in Terrace when all our tourists want to do is hang around the © malls on their holidays.

I would think Terrace has a lot more to offer — fish- ing, boating, hiking or just spending time outdoors.

I also do not think it is fair for the Chamber of Com- : merce to send letters to their members (some 300 of them) and ask their managers or owners of that busi- ness to vole on whether we should be open or not,

Why not ask us, the workers. Come on people, lets - put a stop to this now.

Diane Pipe Terrace, .C,

Parents are to blame

Dear Sir:

Violence — everyone seems to think it only happens © to women, Guess what? Wrong!

On Saturday, March 15th, 50 to 60 teens were wait- . ing outside Chalky’s to beat a young boy! .

I was disgusted at the pleasure they took in this, teens on cell phones telling their friends about the happen- _ ings. .

I had to go down and escort some kids out to their car because they were panicking. I only regret I didn’t stay - to help that young boy.

These weren't street kids or kids from low income families who usually get the blame.

These teens are running in packs like wild animals beating other teens, sometimes even to death. They have no feelings of guilt and suffer no consequences.

I’m sick of this crap. I'm a parent and if those teens were mine I'd be disgusted and sick with shame. They are violent animals and they should be dealt with as they act. ‘

They get away with beating people, murder and ‘YES!! It happens in Terrace more: than you know, I saw a boy who was beaten with an ax by 6 teens. They smashed his car and came close to killing him. Now he lives in fear.

It's not rare, this disgusting, violent animalistic dis- play. It made me so angry.

One day these kids who are being terrorized will choose to defend themselves. They will am them- selves because living in fear will get to them. The kid who is the terrorizor will one day pay a price and it won't be something that will end happily.

You parents who raised those teens, what did you really think they were doing Sat. March 15 between 10 and 11 p.m.

These were your kids who beat the crap out of a young boy who will never be the same. Fear will now nin his life and that isn’t something I'd put ona child,

se Julie Cox, Terrace, B.C.