March 2011

Connecting in Ahousaht

Ahp-cii-uk Partner from the Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, recalls time spent in Ahousaht last summer....

By Alixe Knighton, pictured here with Darlene Dick

There is so much to do in Ahousaht — but that has less to do with our Ahp-cii-uk working group meetings than with the other things I get involved with, like launching a 30 foot cedar canoe, canning fish, playing bocce on the beach and visiting an elder’s house to see seagull eggs for the first time.

At an Ahp-cii-uk meeting in Ahousaht last summer, following a delicious dinner, we watched a short video interviewing Ahousaht youth about their community — Ahp-cii-uk (Going the Right Way). In the film, youth talk about what they love about Ahousaht, what they don’t like, and their hopes for the future. Sidney Sam, one of the elders who has been a supportive member of the Ahp-cii-uk working group in Ahousaht from its beginning, talks about the urgency of helping the youth to realize their dreams. 

At the meeting, one community member said the video had opened his heart to hear the young people talk about their dreams and he needed to do what he can to support them. His remarks were especially poignant coming only a few weeks after the devastating floatplane accident that killed three Ahousaht youth and their pilot. I deeply respect the resilience and stoicism of Ahousaht members in the face of such loss.

Despite the recent tragedy, there is a lot going on in Ahousaht. Some of the visible results of the Ahp-cii-uk initiative include a rebuilt Wild Side Trail, a young member hired as Manager to market the Trail as a tourism destination, installation of a carved cedar figure on Wilson Rock to welcome visitors as they enter Ahousaht Harbour, and 20 community members training for the many construction and housing renovation projects that are on the go.

After we watched the video and cleaned up after supper, several of us played bocce on the beach. It’s a challenge keeping the balls from rolling into the surf, and keeping the giant Ahousaht dogs away. Not to mention that the balls develop a definite list once they start to collect a little sand!

Denise John and I ran into Percy and Bev, who were heading down to the beach to help Paul Robinson launch his 30 foot cedar canoe. We needed a few more helpers and Paul put out the call over his portable VHF radio, the best communication device in Ahousaht. About 20 of us, including a 2 year old in his life-vest and rubber boots, heaved and pushed until the canoe was floating on the water and could be towed to Tofino and trailered to Ladysmith. From there an Ahousaht canoe family paddled it to Victoria and across the Juan de Fuca Strait to the 2010 Tribal Journey landing at Neah Bay in Washington.

Denise and I then went to visit her grandfather, Sidney Sam, to look at the seagull eggs which he had harvested from Bare Island. They are large and beautiful, more elongated than chicken eggs, and have a grey-green background with uneven brown and black speckling. I understand they are an acquired taste. Sid tells me that he often has them in an omelette and that Doreen, his wife, also fries them and then vacuum packs and stores them in the freezer until Nuu-chah-nulth New Year (December 21st) when he has them as a treat. 

From there I went to Darlene Dick’s house. Darlene is another long-time member of the Ahp-cii-uk working group and works at the Holistic Centre. She taught me to clean fish last year (and I had the honour of eating some of it at a community barbecue). Her son, Curtis Dick, had just been re-appointed Deputy Chief and is on the Ahp-cii-uk Community Society Board with me. Darlene and Curtis and several other family members were jarring fish so I helped clean and scale them (the fish, I mean). Fortunately most of the work had been done, because if they’d been relying on me we’d still be there!

After our Ahp-cii-uk working group meeting the following day we hopped the water taxi back to Tofino. Every visit to Ahousaht is rich with activities, furthering friendships, sharing stories, and learning. Fortunately I have return visits to look forward to.