Transcript
[Introduction text]
The First Nations Fisheries Council of BC convenes coastal First Nations in southern BC to work together on shared priorities for ocean stewardship.
Through the Oceans Protection Plan, FNFC and the Government of Canada are partnering to implement Canada’s commitments to reconciliation by creating opportunities for First Nations to influence decision-making.
[John Henderson]
My name is John Henderson. That's my borrowed name.
My given name by my father is TLAT-WA-GALA, which means copper holder.
By working with the Fishery Council we've learned to work with each other, which is the vital importance to all of us.
Instead of butting heads, we've learned to put things in perspective to ensure that we can get to where we want to go.
[Shea Harding]
My name is Shea Harding and we are here at TI̸X̱EN, also known as Cordova Spit here at Tsawout First Nation.
By being a partner with FNFC and OPP, we've built relationships by coming together and realizing that we share a lot of the same struggles and that we can all work together to resolve those.
It gives us more of a platform to be heard with the struggles that we do have.
[Gordon Planes]
My name is Gordon Planes, I'm chief of the T’Sou-ke Nation. My traditional name is Hya-Quatcha. I'm named after my great grandfather from (SĆIȺNEW), the salmon people.
I think it’s aboutNa’tsa’maht, all is one. You're bringing everyone together. You're doing it naturally.
You're doing it in a way that is respectful to the First Nations, the way they like to communicate.
So, when I have dialog with other first nations and our people have that kind of dialog, it's done in a respectful way. It's done from the teachings of our ancestors, handed down to our elders, and also most importantly is you get the share the way you do that work with government.
[John Henderson]
We're building relationships to ensure that wildlife or the oceans, the clam beds, all those things that we deal with as people. There are a lot of similarities between our nations.
When we live in coastal communities, we have to live and learn how to survive, with the resources that are presented to us. To ensure that everything's plentiful and protected, that we have to work together.
[Gordon Planes]
We're all one people when it comes to managing the resources within our territory.
Now we have the legacy piece of being able to work with Transport Canada and look at Canada as three oceans, not just one.
[Shea Harding]
We've been able to fill in some knowledge gaps together and have that be carried on through generations.
This is their home and their yard, and it's also where a lot of their food has come from over the years and it's where they live and work and play. And a healthy environment is just a direct reflection of a healthy community.
[John Henderson]
Ocean Protection is one that gives us a voice. We want change, let's change it.
Reflect on the damage that's been done. How to prevent it from happening. The nature of the beast is bringing it home. Trying to resolve this at a larger scale table. Building structures in our communities, so the best information you would forward we can get from that table, to pass it on to the Fishery Council of British Columbia, to ensure that message goes to Ottawa or whomever the authority figures to right the ship. Because if we can't right the ship, we all sink together.