Our teachings and ceremonies—rights, regalia, songs, prayers—are not new. They are at least 15 to 20 generations old. They are put in place to cleanse, to heal, to strengthen, and to remind young people that we are related to all living things, and that we need to continue to move together, to protect each other, and to know we have always belonged. Our old people expected us to use their teachings “long after we are gone,” as told by Elder Anderson Tommy in the 1970s.
In Coast Salish culture, teachings are passed down from generation to generation by Sulsalewh/Elders. I began working with Snuneymuxw Sulsalewh/Elders and youth in the mid-1970s. At that time, our public school system was amid “our sad winter,” an insightful phrase Chief Dan George (Tsleil-Waututh) used…
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British Columbia History (Digital) - 1 Issue, 57.1 Spring 2024