This afternoon, we convened with KURU, a network of indigenous trusts representing the San people of Botswana. This was our first contact with the indigenous peoples of Botswana, a meeting coordinated through IPACC. Our initial reception was quite positive. The three representatives with whom we spoke were more than receptive to our project. The coordinating director of the KOMKU Trust, a man named Xharae Xhase, fielded some of our questions. He spoke with seamless English and was erudite. Although his education ended at secondary school, he has seemingly been forged through of a curriculum of marginalization. As he is San, he offered great insight into the present-day condition of his community. When asked what the major problems were that his community faced, his reply was concise. He sited the following as the plagues of his people: lack of education, lack of resources (land, money, property), gradual erosion of culture and lack of employment opportunities.

Click here to view the embedded video.

John Halpern speaks to director James Cameron about his film Avatar at a special screening co-sponsored by Tribal Link.

The event was also co-sponsored by the Secretariat of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Conservation International, and UNDP/GEF’s Small Grants Programme. In attendance were hundreds of indigenous representatives who have traveled to New York to attend the Ninth Session of the UNPFII at UN Headquarters (April 19-30, 2010).

For Immediate Release

Media Contact: Erin Hinkle, 646-942-6224, hinkle.e@gmail.com

New York, NY (April 22, 2010) – As part of its program for the Ninth Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (PFII- April 19-30, 2010), Tribal Link Foundation in association with the Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Conservation International, and UNDP/Global Environmental Facility’s Small Grants Programme will co-sponsor a special screening of James Cameron’s Academy Award-Winning film Avatar. Mr. Cameron will be present at the screening, which will be held on Saturday April 24, 2010 at New York City’s Director’s Guild Theater.

Mr. Cameron will introduce Avatar and hold a discussion with Permanent Forum Chairperson Carlos Mamani Condori and prominent indigenous journalists after the screening.  Attendees of the event will primarily consist of indigenous representatives from around the world who are participating in the PFII.

As reflected in a recent front-page article in the New York Times, Mr. Cameron has used Avatar as a platform to speak about vital environmental issues, as well as visit indigenous communities to learn about their experiences, many of which parallel the story told in his film.

“James Cameron is giving a high-profile voice to indigenous peoples as stewards of their ancestral lands—lands that greatly benefit the modern world,” says Pamela Kraft, executive director of Tribal Link.  “Preserving traditional knowledge of indigenous lands and their biodiversity is key to developing solutions to climate change and conservation issues.”

In addition to co-sponsoring the Avatar screening, Tribal Link funded nine indigenous participants to attend a Project Development and Fundraising Training Course (held April 14-16, 2010). The training is an advanced-level course for experienced participants in Project Access, an annual Tribal Link initiative that funds 15-20 indigenous representatives to travel to and attend the PFII, and prepares them to effectively participate at the event.

Each participant  in the training course will be highlighted in a video interview that will appear on the Tribal Link Web site (triballink.org) over a two-week period, starting on Earth Day, April 22. The interviews will feature nine participants discussing their work, communities, issues, and experiences working with Tribal Link for the past few years.

For more information about Tribal Link, please contact Pamela Kraft, executive director, at tribal.link@lycos.com or 212-564-3329.

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About Tribal Link

Tribal Link Foundation, Inc. matches the urgent needs of the world’s indigenous populations with the people and resources that can help them.  Tribal Link is a non-governmental organization (NGO) in association with the Department of Public Information (DPI) at the United Nations and in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Since 1993, Tribal Link has been working to support the world’s indigenous peoples by organizing events, forums and hospitality programs that provide enriching cross-cultural exchanges; mobilizing media professionals to publicize issues critical to traditional peoples; coordinating capacity building workshops focusing on indigenous peoples’ participation within the international system; and ensuring that the vital contribution of indigenous spiritual knowledge is included in major UN events.  To learn more, visit triballink.org.

By Andy Wanning

Just two days before the opening ceremony of the 2010 Olympics, I was very fortunate to sit down with Aaron Marchant to discuss the First Nations Snowboard Team (FNST), of which he is the Executive Director.  FNST is one of the groups envisioned by the First Host First Nations (FHFN) as a community organization which would continue providing benefits to Aboriginal peoples throughout Canada long after the Olympics leave.  As I would find out, it is a remarkable organization with an impressive record of achievement in its brief history, and a very promising future indeed.

Andy Wanning:  How did you get involved with the FNST?

Aaron Marchant:  During the IOC bid phase, I saw a bunch of Indigenous youth snowboarding, and thought, “What if we could start a snowboarding club?”  They’re amazing – I didn’t know there were people in our community who had actually tried it.  But there were three kids who had done it – probably the only ones in our community.

A friend of mine had distributed equipment to South Korea, and he said, “I can get you equipment at cost.”  And then a friend named Steve Podborski said, “Why don’t we get the resorts involved?”

Andy:    And how long ago was this?

Aaron:  This was 2004.

So off we went.  We had a program, we had a concept.  This was to take ten youth, and to certify them to teach younger kids, so we can grow.  So right away we’re going to give them leadership skills – speaking well, being educated about indigenous issues, fact-based information, and cultural teachings.  So the kids who were teaching the younger ones can go out and get a job at the resort as well.

So the first year, we built our capacity.  In the second year, we grew from 10 to 66 athletes.  And then the following year, another First Nation liked what we were doing.  Steve said, “Let’s not just do this for the Squamish and Lil’wat Nations – let’s do this for all of British Columbia, if not Canada.”

So that was the concept – to develop a model from the very beginning, with all the sports experts here for the 2010 Winter Olympics Games, and we could show other communities how to do it.

Then we got a call from the Westbank First Nation.  We have a high-performance division there now.

You know, we wouldn’t have any Olympic athletes, NHL athletes, etc. if they didn’t have community programming.  At our level, we’ve never really had access to that level of community programs; so we were able to develop the first of its kind in Canada that competes in the mainstream.  We don’t segregate ourselves anymore, and go compete in our own Indigenous games.

In the first year, our ten kids would all sit together.  When you went to a competition, you could see, “This is the FNST corner.”  Now we’re in the sixth year, and we have about 30 members at a competition, and you can’t even tell where our members are – they’re scattered amongst the whole group.  They make friends, work at the resort, and so on.

We had a goal to get an athlete on the podium…

Andy:    The “Ultimate Goal”, I saw on your website…

Aaron:  Right, the ultimate goal.  But the other goal is – we have kids who have been struggling, and are on the verge of making the right or wrong decision in their lives, and have committed to our program, gotten a job, kept healthy, and have now set goals for themselves.  Some have gone to university – one young girl, Treanna Delorme, just won a scholarship at the University of British Columbia; now she’s attending UBC, and her goal is to be on the provincial team.  She just did a speech at the Royal RBC Banquet.  Another young guy, Jan Charlie, when we first met him, he basically just had a backpack on, and was heading for wherever our program existed.  Now he’s a successful business owner in Kelowna.

In a broader sense, before contact, First Nations people used to go into the mountains for a week, even a whole summer, and collect food, meditate, fast, and bring all this information back to the community.  But for the past 100 years, that’s been missing; there’s been no reason for our kids to go up there, and it’s been too expensive.  So really this is just bringing an old practice back.

At the same time, it’s a great meeting ground for resorts and First Nations governments, who now have something in common; their support and pride of FNST.

Andy:    So this program fosters cooperation between Aboriginal groups and the resorts themselves?

Aaron:  Yes.  We go there and introduce our model for the program – there has to be quality control, because we don’t want to start 100 programs and lose what they’re about.  We want to monitor every athlete and make sure they’re doing well in school, maintaining their athlete agreements, doing extracurricular activities like tree planting…

Andy:    So it started off as snowboarding, but it’s turned into a lot of other activities.

Aaron:  Right.  Snowboarding is really just a medium; they earn their snowboards and their passes once they’ve committed to the dry land activities.

What we’re doing in the rural communities, as we go north – we’re working with other organizations who want to develop programs.  One way of doing this is by sending out instructors who are certified to certify other instructors.  We get the local FNST branch together with the mainstream snowboarding organizations, and they can hold events together.  This also helps re-brand the perception of Aboriginal youth; they’re doing well in school, they’re winning medals, teaching younger kids, and generally being part of the resort community.  To be a snowboard bum who hits the mountain every day and lives out of a Volkswagen – that’s not so cool anymore.

Andy:    So it’s not just affecting these athletes; it sounds like it’s changing the perception of Aboriginals among your own people, as well as educating the public at large, who may have very little idea of who Indigenous peoples really are at present.

Aaron:  It’s so diverse everywhere we go, though.  Every area is so unique. For instance, sometimes we go to Fort St. James, which has a huge Aboriginal population. There’s 5,000 people; half are from First Nations, and half are non-First Nations.  You can almost drive across the border.

Andy:    They’re totally separate.

Aaron:  Yeah.  And there’s really – not to be insulting, but there’s nothing to do there.  There are no role models in the community.  They have serious, serious criminal offenses that take place there.  There’s not a lot of hope. So when we go there, we say, “Join our club – we’re part of your team.”

Here’s our Olympic athlete, Caroline Calve, and she’s now your teammate.  Jonathan Redman, from the BC Team, is here to teach you for the day.  Do well in school, commit to your athletes’ agreements, here’s your equipment provided by your mountain, here are your season passes, now let’s go.”  So they just go.  They run with it, they get better, they go to the coaching clinic and pass the word on – and it starts going through their families.  So it’s good business for the resorts as well.

This is also because we’re empowering these Aboriginal youth, and there’s a shortage of labor at the resorts – so when they leave the reservation and feel comfortable enough at the resorts, they’ll stay around and look for a job.

Andy:    And where do you get your coaches?

Aaron:  Todd Allison and Steve Podborski just gave us a pool of resources to work with.  Steve was Chair of our Board for four years, now Todd Allison is.  They’re both former National Team members.  Steve is one of the “Crazy Kanucks” – Dave Murray, Steve, Dave Irwin and Ken Read, who dominated downhill skiing for Canada in the 1970s, put Canada on the map for skiing.

So with their expertise, and Todd shared his templates for athlete agreements – sort of like gymnastics training.  It’s a fast-track sport.

Andy:    Meaning it’ll take a few years to make it to an elite level, not ten years like the gymnasts?

Aaron:  Right.  And this was a huge step, since – for instance, when I used to go visit my cousins in the valley, they couldn’t even think about getting a pass and equipment – they were more worried about what they were going to eat for dinner that night.

We have some kids saying, “If it wasn’t for your program, I’d never be able to go snowboarding.”  There was one 8-year old girl who was so tired because her parents had a party until 3:00 am.  But this kid is still getting up to go snowboarding, because this is the best thing going in her life.  So if it wasn’t there, then what are her options?

And we’ve given all of our instructors training to be good instructors.  We make them a part of this program, and make them so pumped about this, that they help us push the program.  We send them out to send products – jackets, snowboards, T-shirts, pins, all with the FNST logo – and people in the community see them, and want to get involved.

Andy:    Sounds like a great program, and you’re obviously very excited about it.  What are some of the challenges that you face?

Aaron:  One of the biggest challenges is going into the councils of our communities, and having to convince them that snowboarding is a worthwhile activity.  We want a long-term commitment from the community to get behind the program and provide the resources.

Our program is funded by the Aboriginal Youth Support Legacy Fund.  We go into a community as consultants, and charge no fee.  We do charge an association fee for the first year – we manage the budget, bring the equipment and mountain passes.  After the first year, we turn the operation over to the community.

And a lot of the communities are progressing very well.  Since they have ownership over their organization, they put even more work into it.  So if our office shut down today, they’re still going snowboarding next year at Big White with that Westbank Recreation Department, for instance.

Andy:    But since you’ve worked in so many communities, I imagine some of them are not so successful. Has this been a challenge as well?

Aaron:  Yes – no capacity.  No recreation department.  Simple communications, setting up meetings – it’s not set up.

Andy:    So you’ve had a few athletes make the higher teams?

Aaron:  Yes – Caroline Calve, of the Algonquin Nation, is on the Canadian team.  We met her three years ago, and offered her support.  And she had 170 kids in our program looking up to her.  After that, she went up to number 6 in the rankings, and last year she was number two in the World Cup.  So she has a good chance of being one of the only Aboriginal athletes competing in the Games to get a medal.

Then there’s another Aboriginal girl from Alaska, Callan Chythlook-Sifsof, who’s competing on the U.S. Snow Boardercross team. And we’ve put four athletes on the provincial BC team.  But at that point, they need a lot more resources to go to the next level.  Whereas Caroline just got sponsorship with Nike.  And our program receives sponsorship through Nike and RBC.

Andy:    How much exposure have you gotten in the media thus far?

Aaron:  Up until a month ago, we had about 30 televised clips on us – probably one international, five national, and lots of little local broadcasts.   And an additional 30 in magazines and newspapers. In the last month, we’ve received about 30 interview requests – BBC News, the Wall Street Journal, C Net, CTV national news, Global TV, King Five News in the U.S., etc.  Also, we’re launching our new website, and the first thing you’ll see is our kids carrying the torch.  In fact, 32 kids in our program have carried the torch.

Andy:    Whoa!  How many kids are in your program?

Aaron:  We have 200.  Yeah, in most communities our kids are ambassadors, so their names get put forward.

Andy:    Are any of them going to be carrying it in the next day or two?

Aaron:  Myself – I’m the last one carrying it.

Andy:    Yourself?

Aaron:  Yes, today.

Andy:    Wow!

Aaron:  Yeah I had a hard time sleeping last night, thinking about it.  And it’s ironic too, because it’s up Nancy Greene Way to the sky ride at Grouse Mountain.  And when I received the email about where it was going to be – the night before I had just shaken Senator Greene’s hand.  And I’ve had a chance to have dinner with Prince Edward, and one of our athletes, Jonathan Redman, has had lunch with him.  The amount of places we’re asked to speak at – for instance, yesterday I did a presentation at the Suncor Energy Group.

Andy:    One overarching question is – there’s this unprecedented participation by Aboriginal peoples in general, with the FHFN etc. – how does this influence the exposure you’re getting?  Or do you just get exposure since you have a great program, with some well-known athletes?

Aaron:  I think it works both ways.  I think media feeds off us to them, and vice versa.  Tewanee’s helped us with our key messaging, and is always there for advice.  We’re family friends – I used to pick his daughter up from school.  With his skill and communications, and the way he’s trained people – he’s definitely made us visible, and we’re getting territorial recognition because of that.

Andy:    What exactly is that?

Aaron:  Acknowledgement that the Games are being held within our traditional territories.  That’s what it comes down to – why we’re getting all this exposure.

Andy:    This is land your people used to own?  Do you still own any of it?

Aaron:  We own small reserves of it – about .04% of the original total.  But the perceptions and relationships with governments and other partners are developing.  We’re saying, “It’s not your fault, it’s not our fault, but we have this on our plate – how are we going to do this together?”  So the approach of Tewanee and a lot of our other leaders is to be involved, rather than be on the outside watching in.

For instance, at Sun Peaks Ski Resort had a protest up there six to eight years ago because they had a sign up saying “Provincial Government – No Indians Beyond This Point”.  So you get a statement out there, and create a lot of perceptions within the province, but at the end of the day, is anything done?

In contrast, two years ago, our snowboard team went up to meet the Austrian ski team, and Sun Peaks was in Ski Canada to develop relationships with First Nations.  So at least the youth were able to enjoy the event, while the adults sort out our business – there’s some common ground, and it’s a lot less conflicting.

Andy:    Actually that was going to be another question – obviously there are some protesters who take another stance on this – I guess they figure since it’s stolen land originally, so why should we be handing over the keys to the kingdom, hosting the Olympics, and not even bringing up this issue.  So what would you say to them?  How much have you been able to accomplish by working with these entities to tell the protesters that it’s worth it?

Aaron:  I understand where they’re coming from, because my family, in the Squamish Valley, they live on the land – my uncles fish in the river, my dad hunts in the valley.  And yes, we’ve seen depletion of salmon, depletion of game.  But if something’s going to be developed, it’s better to be involved – we can have a say in the size of it, in the environmental impact it’s going to have, and have our opinion heard.  At least it’s heard in a diplomatic forum, where, if what we’re saying does make a lot of sense, there could be ground to not go ahead with the project.

If you want to use the 2010 Games as a platform to show the world what’s taking place in Canada, do it in a structured environment.  And a good place to start is, that Canada has apologized for what happened with the residential schools.

Andy:    Can you briefly go over what that was?

Aaron:  Aboriginal kids were taken from their homes, beaten for speaking their language, thousands died across the country…

Andy:    This was what took place in the early 20^th century?

Aaron:  Right.  And these people went back into their communities, had kids, and had no idea how to be parents, or part of their society.  There was lots of abuse.  And then they had kids. And you’ll find that a lot of the protest groups – that’s where their story originates from.  All that weight and anger is going in that direction.  And I think if it was going out in an educational way, to share, then this would be more productive.

Andy:    So the apology was a big step forward.  Beyond that, you’ve been able to carry out projects through these partnerships – I just heard about a cultural center, the Squamish-Lil’wat Cultural Center, up there on the mountain.  So it sounds like they can benefit from their land somewhat, even if they don’t own the land.  Is there anything else that you can point to as beneficial from working within the system, or other comments about this debate?

Aaron:  There’s a lot that needs to get out there in an educational way.  If the protesters want to go out there and say, “On stolen land,” I think they could be organized and do it in an interesting way – maybe a short four or five minute movie.  They could put a twist into it, showing how it was before, and how it is now.

Just to clarify, the Squamish and Lil’wat signed a shared legacy agreement in 2001 – this was not the Four Host First Nations.  This included the cultural center; the sea-to-sky highway signage; the Aboriginal Youth Sport Legacy Fund; 300 acres in the sea-to-sky corridor transferred from the Crown; and building capacity through jobs. And we manufacture snowboards there – they’re made in China, but we make the designs.  The same artist who made the Four Host design did our snowboards.  They’re great.

Andy:    Do you want to say anything else about FNST’s goals for the future?

Aaron:  Well, wherever there’s a resort, there’s usually a reservation.  What are those kids doing in that community?  Because if they’re not going to that resort, can we come and help?  So what we’re doing now is training our existing partners to be able to deliver to their neighbors.  If they sign on, great – the next year, they’re stoked, and they’re on their own.  This works well, because you can only stay so motivated for so long – eventually, you need new people to take the reins, start fresh.

Andy:    Thanks so much for coming by and talking to me, and I wish you and the FNST all the best.  I’ll see you later on today when you carry the torch!



By Andy Wanning

I took the “Canada Train” from the airport into downtown Vancouver – the newest line of their “Skytrain”, a high-speed, nearly inaudible train which seamlessly connects to their subway system. This line was built especially for the Games and is a high-profile legacy for Vancouver.  I wondered if the Indigenous community projects which were established as a result of collaboration with Olympics organizers would prove as durable.

Vancouver was obviously in full Olympic spirit, and the opening ceremony was still five days away.  I proceeded a few blocks to the International Media Center, where I was met by Alex, the media relations person who proved to be an invaluable host throughout my stay.  He brought me to the impressive Aboriginal Pavilion, also known as the Chiefs’ House, which had been erected a week or so before, with an equally impressive totem pole in front of it, called the Legacy Pole, built especially for the Games. Aside from the domed Pavilion, there were several spaces inside, all simplistically beautiful with tasteful decorations: an Elders’ Lounge, a performers’ waiting area, and a “trading post”.

Then on to the main event: the official opening ceremony for the Pavilion, where the Four Host First Nations (FHFN) – the Lil’wat, Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh – had prepared a gathering place for the Indigenous people of Canada that would show the best of themselves to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people during the 2010 Games.

“We are ready to welcome the world,” declared FHFN CEO Tewanee Joseph, commencing the event.  “We have invited Aboriginal people from across Canada to join us here at the Chiefs’ House for the world’s biggest potlatch, and they have accepted. Olympic visitors to our pavilion will see first-hand the diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis culture.”

Joseph then conducted a “witness ceremony”, in which he called on supporters of the Pavilion to stand, be recognized, and return to their communities to report on what they had witnessed at this gathering.

Musicians from the FHFN then demonstrated their traditional drumming and singing to the crowd’s delight.

Next, Joseph invited the four Chiefs of the FHFN to come to the podium and share a few words.  First to speak was Leonard Andrew, Chief of the Lil’wat Nation.  “One has only to look at the design of this pavilion to see how the Games have brought us together.  The fusion of Interior and Coast Salish design for the dome and curved longhouse symbolizes how closely, and respectfully, our four Nations have come together – to ensure the fullest possible Aboriginal participation and successful Games.  These Olympics are different from Torino,” added Andrew.  “There, we were guests, but now we are hosts.  We need to act appropriately.” [Photos here

Next was Ernie Campbell, Chief of the Musqueam Nation.  “It seemed like yesterday that we received the bid for the Olympics.  Since then, we have been treated with nothing but honor and respect.  I’m proud of our participation in these Games, proud of our partnership with our friends and families in the other Host First Nations, and proud to be welcoming the world to our territories as full partners in these Olympic and Paralympic Games.” He closed on a lighter note: “When I was in Prague, where Vancouver was awarded the bid for the Games, I was with Premier Campbell and then [Vancouver] Mayor Larry Campbell.  Mayor Campbell said, ‘With this many Campbells, how can we lose?’”

Chief Bill Williams of the Squamish Nation spoke next, announcing the opening of the Aboriginal Artisan Village and Business Showcase on February 12.  “This location will feature the work of Aboriginal artists from across the country, and showcase a range of Aboriginal businesses – businesses that are eager and prepared to participate fully in the modern economy.”

Finally, Justin George, Chief of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation declared, “Something has happened here that makes me very happy.  I never thought I’d see the day when all four nations have come together.  We’ve had hundreds of years of history together, but we’ve never come together like this.”  Then, referring to the many non-Indigenous partners as well, he remarked, “This gathering here today reminds us that there is room for many paddlers in one canoe.  But when we paddle together, with one heart, one mind and one spirit, great things can happen.” 

Joseph then called attention to the unprecedented cooperation that the FHFN has had with governmental agencies, including the Vancouver National Organizing Committee (VANOC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).  They had been working steadily together for over ten years in anticipation of this moment and the events of the next three weeks.

He then welcomed these leaders to the podium.  First was the Honorable Gary Lunn, Federal Minister of Sport and of the Olympics, who called himself a “proud partner and contributor” in the cooperative work of organizing the Games.   “We’re very excited about the artist village and aboriginal showcase.  These people are ready to take advantage of their commercial potential.  There has been unprecedented Aboriginal participation in these initiatives as well.  Regarding this Pavilion, I think it will be one of the most memorable parts of the Games.”

“These are the first Olympics in history that will be co-hosted by Aboriginal people,” declared the next speaker, British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell. “This followed a vision by Jack Poole to include Indigenous people in an unprecedented way.”  (Jack Poole, a proud member of the Métis Nation, was the former chairman of VANOC and a motivating force behind this partnership, and had passed away only a few months beforehand.)  “I also must acknowledge Tewanee Joseph for his vision and persistence for the past eight years.”

Laughter rippled around the audience as the next speaker, Hereditary Chief Gibby Jacob of the Squamish Nation and member of the VANOC board of directors, came to the podium.  He quickly explained this reaction: “Well, looks like I’m going first, since and Gregor [Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson] and I just ro sham bo’d, and I lost.”  He also thanked Joseph for his work, and observed that, “When we first conceived of this partnership, we were determined that this wouldn’t be just beads and feathers.  We were determined, as representatives of the traditional lands on which the Games would take place, to assume our rightful place front and center.  And we have.” 

The ro-sham bo winner, Mayor Robertson, spoke next.  “In addition to this incredible partnership we have achieved in preparing for the Games, we were determined that this event should also be a springboard toward as many lasting Aboriginal community initiatives as possible.” He also praised Joseph not only for his leadership during the Games but his musicianship, citing Joseph’s band, Bitterly Divine, in which Joseph performs lead vocals.  “They let me play the drums once, as well,” he noted, to the audience’s surprise and delight.

Finally, VANOC CEO John Furlong recounted a story which occurred during the Olympics’ early planning stages.  “We sought out advice from many trusted colleagues, including Phil Fontaine [former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations].  After we finished laying out our vision of Indigenous participation in the Games, Phil thought about it for a bit, leaned forward and said, ‘If you accomplish these things, you will achieve more than we have for 100 years.’  It was a profound and humbling moment, and has driven my work since then.  There is no part of these Games that does not include full participation by Indigenous peoples.”

“I think you can see and feel the level of partnership and the relationships we’ve developed throughout this process,” observed Joseph, citing the comfortable, indeed jocular, nature of the proceedings despite their serious import.  “These relationships will continue onward, long after the Games have ended.”

Joseph then introduced Tzinquaw, a traditional Aboriginal song and drum/dance group from the Cowichan First Nations, and Beverly Lambert and the Butter Town Jiggers, a Métis dance group. They were followed by David Serkoak, who performed an Inuit drum dance

As one of the evening’s highlights, Joseph introduced the premiere of the film “We Are Here”, which was displayed on the interior of the dome; due to its translucent quality, the projection can also be viewed outside the dome at night.  “In making this video, we solicited film clips and photographs from Indigenous peoples throughout Canada.”

The screening was, quite simply, a remarkable multimedia experience. During the extended applause that followed, Joseph repeatedly exclaimed, “We are here!  We are here!” Even among these hardened media professionals, one could see many glistening eyelashes as the lights came back on.

Joseph then introduced Jody Wilson-Raybould, the elected Regional Chief of the Assembly of First Nations of British Columbia, which comprises over 200 first nations.  “Indigenous peoples are finally taking their rightful place in this country,” she exclaimed to further applause.

Next, Clément Chartier, President of the Métis National Council, reflected on the historical import of this event.  “This event has come about after a decade of relationship-building.  It is a model for collaboration in going forward.  It is hard to believe what we’ve accomplished, as we reconcile the fact that this year is the 125^th anniversary of the Battle of Batoche, when our leader [Louis Riel] was executed.”

Finally, Mel Benson, an Aboriginal and member of the Board of Directors of the energy company Sunco (which commissioned the Welcoming Pole situated outside the pavilion), said he was proud to be affiliated with this partnership: “I’ve been on a high since yesterday!  These are stories that we will tell our grandchildren.”

Joseph then brought the event to a close, noting that, “This is our time to celebrate.  People will feel our energy.  We know how to party.”

He then welcomed the audience to attend a reception in the Jack Poole Reception Hall, where he and government officials granted interviews and food was served.

Thus far, the indigenous participation and partnership I had heard so much about was impressive indeed.

By the way, if you’ve enjoyed reading this and viewing the photos, I’d highly recommend visiting the FHFN website here.

By Andy Wanning

Before even exiting the Vancouver airport, I’m greeted with this image:
It looks like a much-talked about partnership between the International Olympic Committee, the City of Vancouver and other government agencies, and the indigenous peoples of Canada, notably represented by an organization called the Four Host First Nations (FHFN), might be the real deal.

I’ve been sent here as a representative of Tribal Link Foundation, an NGO in association with the Economic and Social Council at the United Nations, to see first-hand the fruits of this partnership.

This collaboration was initiated because the Olympics are being held within the shared traditional territories of the Lil’wat, Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh nations, and leaders on both sides were eager to work together. These nations played an integral role in the successful campaign to bring the Olympics to Vancouver and Whistler.

After the bid was received, on November 24, 2004, the chiefs and councils of these four First Nations entered into an historic agreement in which they agreed to coordinate their efforts to host and support the Games, and FHFN was formed. As official hosts of the Games, this marks the first time in history that indigenous peoples have been recognized by the International Olympic Committee as Official Partners in the hosting of a Games.

So, I’m off to see what’s come of these years of collaboration and organization. First stop: the opening of the Aboriginal Pavilion, a 65-foot high inflatable dome that will serve as a cultural and artistic center during the Games. I’ll be checking in periodically, so if all of this interests you (and if you’ve read this far, I suppose it does), bookmark this site and come on back. Should be interesting.