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Snaw-naw-as

Snaw-naw-as

Tuesday, 13 April 2010 15:07 Mark Kiemele
Snaw-naw-as

The Nanoose xwulmuxw mustimuxw reside in a territory around Nanoose Bay, in the Northern outskirts of Nanaimo, British Columbia. We are hul'q'umi'num' speakers, one of many tribes within the Salish Sea to speak this native tongue. It has been used to carry sacred teachings from our ancestors, although its use has been staggered by the affects of the past, our people are maximizing its potential to ensure our dialect remains strong and that we pass this traditional aspect down to our next generations.

http://www.nanoose.org/

 

Snaw-naw-as community creates a vision

Thursday, 01 April 2010 10:25 Mark Kiemele
Snaw-naw-as community creates a vision

The Snaw-naw-as (Nanoose) community has been coming together to create a vision for the future.

That vision was spelled out following two-days in mid-February that saw dozens of members coming together for a comprehensive community planning (CCP) workshop.

“As strong and healthy descendents of Snaw-naw-as, caretakers of the land; through pride, self-determination, respect and great governance and leadership the Snaw-naw-as First Nation empowers its membership to have a protected and enriched cultural identity, a strong social well being, and the individual and collective prosperity. As a strong and growing nation our future generations with compassion, confidence and self esteem; we carry forward our ancestral knowledge in pursuit of higher education, sustainable economic development and a clean and protected environment."

Entitled Planning for the Future, the workshop included an introduction to the CCP process, group exercises and presentations as well as creating a vision statement. The Nation’s two CCP coordinators, Sarah Sampson and Lawrence Mitchell, arranged the workshop with the assistance of Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council’s manager of business development Gary Reith and consultant Eric Blueshke.

Sampson and Mitchell received their own introduction to CCP last year when they attended a BC-wide workshop on the subject at Tsleil-Waututh that was organized by NmTC and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.

“We gained the necessary understanding about the background, the benefits, core concepts and best practices,” Mitchell said. “We also learned how to produce more effective communications.”

That came in handy for February’s workshop as well as for the community surveys, forums and other activities the two CCP coordinators have been holding since last year.

Mitchell said of the recent workshop: “There was a good turnout, a huge amount of data collected, and much appreciated guidance in where we should focus our resources throughout the entire CCP process.”

 

Highway meetings give hope for Snaw-naw-as

Thursday, 01 April 2010 10:20 Mark Kiemele
Highway meetings give hope for Snaw-naw-as

A series of meetings that started after the death of a young man from Snaw-naw-as First Nation in February could spell the end to highway dangers that have plagued the community for decades.

Officials from BC’s ministry of transportation, two local school boards, the BC Coroners Service and the RCMP met for the first time with Chief David Bob, councillors and administrators. MLA Ron Cantelon was credited for getting all parties together.

The meeting was held at Uy Sqwalawun childcare centre and much of the talk centred on the safety of children in the community that is cut in half by the busy Island Highway. School buses drop off children on both sides of the highway every day. Transit buses also use the narrow pull-offs to let off passengers. Community members need to cross the highway regularly, whether by foot or vehicle.

There is a highway overpass, but it is several minutes away from bus stops and the walking trails that exist on both sides of the highway. Some pedestrians try to cross the highway over the concrete dividers.

A history lesson

Band administrator Brent Edwards opened the meeting with a history lesson, telling the guests about how the Snaw-naw-as community was first split by the E&N Railway more than 150 years ago. He also told how the one-time two-lane highway had developed into a very fast expressway for car and truck traffic heading north from Nanaimo.

"We have been trying to convince the province for some time that the growth of both our community and that of the entire area has drastically increased the amount of traffic on the highway."

He said that vehicles’ high speed, which often exceeded the posted 90 kph limit, was not only a danger for the community, but inhibited its future economic development plans along the highway.

Chief Bob said the highway speed and short deceleration lanes also inflict a great amount of stress on both members and visitors to the community. “You’re slowing down and have a truck behind you going 110 or 120, it is pretty scary.

“I was also shocked to hear one of the young members of our community tell the media that it took too long to go over the overhead walkway. When you compare the price you’re paying for walking a few more minutes or ending your life, I’ll take the few more minutes.”

Some solutions offered

Following the first meeting, transportation officials said that BC will once again look at putting traffic signals at the intersection of Highway 19 and Lantzville Road, the intersection people must cross on foot and in cars to get to both parts of the community.

School district officials said they would be looking at other drop-off points for school buses.

The RCMP was perhaps the biggest supporter of changes. Agreeing that the stretch of road is dangerous, officers at the meeting said they would increase enforcement and work with other agencies and Snaw-naw-as to come up with solutions.

“One life lost is too many,” said Constable Mark Gaschler of the Nanaimo RCMP. “It’s having an effect on our communities and it’s having an effect on us as police officers… there needs to be some changes made.

Education was also highlighted. Chief Bob said Snaw-naw-as staff have talked to children and young people about the dangers of not using the overpass. “Unfortunately, our children are like those everywhere else. If they find a shortcut, they’ll take it,” he said.

High speeds and high volumes

Brent Edwards wondered why the speed limit through Nanoose Bay, just a few kilometers away, was slow while his larger community had to put up with a 90 km/h limit.

"They slow the speed limit on the highway by the PetroCan (at Nanoose) to 60 km/h," he said. "We'd like to see the limit here reduced to that."

Remembering Rocky

Chief Bob said that he hoped, if nothing else, that the death of 19-year-old Kevin Rocky Bob would serve as a catalyst for change and highway improvements to the stretch of Highway 19.

Rocky, who was well-liked and popular, was hit by a vehicle as he tried to cross the highway, one early morning in February, on his way from the lower part of the reserve to his home on Capilano Road on the west side of the highway.

It was the second death at that location this year. On Jan. 1, Cynthia Williams, 17, died after an accident near the same site where Bob was fatally injured.