Slide 1 K ómoks First Nation Community and Culture By the end of the lesson you should be able to describe some aspects of the local K'ómoks First Nation community Hand out the Thinking Sheet What can I discover about the K omoks First Nation? Have students do a self assessment: Thumbs up, Thumbs down or thumb straight out to represent how much background knowledge they already have about the K omoks First Nation. Thumb up I know a lot, thumb straight I know some things about the K omoks First Nation, thumb down I don t know much about K omoks First Nation, it is a new topic for me. Try re-visit this again at the end of the lesson and they can re-assess their understanding. Slide 2 Acknowledgement We would like to acknowledge that we are on K'ómoks territory. It is polite protocol to acknowledge the territory that you are working, playing and learning on. caretakers of the land of plenty since time immemorial
Slide 3 Vancouver Island First Nations The Comox Valley is a blend of cultures; traditionally this is a Coast Salish area (Pentlatch), but the Kwakwaka'wakw peoples moved into the area due to war, European exploration and disease. Currently the Comox Valley is a very urban Aboriginal area, with many of the Aboriginal population being a blend of cultures such as Métis, Cree, Anishinabe, and Nuu-chah-nulth to name a few. Slide 4 Traditional Territory Traditionally, this area was Coast Salish. The Pəntl áč (Pentlatch) and K'ómoks peoples have lived here since Time Immemorial. Over time, the K'ómoks have intermarried with the Pentlatch and the neighbouring tribes. The K ómoks people are a mix of Coast Salish and Kwakwaka'wakw. Collectively, the local First Nation is now known as K ómoks, whose traditions and heritage are a blending of cultures. Note: Kwak wala is the language spoken now. Slide 5 Traditional Territory of the K ómoks First Nation The traditional territory of the K omoks people is such a large area because they were hunting and gathering food, and trading over large areas of land. The people traditionally followed seasonal rounds to access food. The territory goes as far north as the Salmon River and south past Hornby and Denman Islands. Can you locate where the Comox Valley is on this map?
Slide 6 World View Have students look at the two world view pictures and chat to a partner about what they notice is the same/different. What are the similarities and what are the differences in the two types of world view? These images show historical perspectives on how different cultural groups perceived the world and their relationship with their environment. This is not meant to say that one view is better than the other, just that historically they are different. Point out that most people today would have influences from both world views. Slide 7 Welcome to the K ómoks First Nation Meet some members of the K ómoks community L to R: Top: Charlene Everson (KFN Education Coordinator), Sean Frank, Jackie Frank Bottom: Ernie Hardy (head Chief Sasitla), Mary Everson, Nicole Rempel Elected Chief
Slide 8 L to R: Rick, Rob and Andy Everson, Kelly Shopland (NICollege Aboriginal Student Services), Josh Frank (councilor KFN), Andy Everson, Melissa Quocksister (councilor), Keisha and Kaiya Everson, Tami Compton (worked as an Aboriginal Support Worker at Puntledge Park for many years), Stewart Hardy, Cory Frank, Karver Everson Slide 9 K ómoks It Takes Your Breath Away video. Click to play. Song being played is the Feast song Also another video that highlights the K'ómoks community plan called K'ómoks CCP. Slide 10 K ómoks First Nation Hereditary Chief: Kerry Frank Elected Chief: Nicole Rempel Councilors: Melissa Quocksister, Josh Frank & Sharlene Frank The current K ómoks population is over 325 people. Today the head chiefs of the K'ómoks are Kerry Frank (Sathloot/Puntledge) Ernie Hardy (Sasitla), Allan Mitchell (Sasitla/Cha'chae) and George Cook (Ieeksun).
Slide 11 Foods Salmon, seal, octopus, herring, cod, elk, deer, ducks, shellfish and many different berries, like salmonberry and thimbleberry. Ask: Have you tried any of the foods from this list? What do you notice about the foods on this list? (they are all local foods) Do you know what kind of fish is shown in the picture? Sockeye salmon Slide 12 Fish Weirs In the Comox Harbour Evidence of 200 000 300 000 wooden stakes making up multiple weirs Carbon dated to between 150 1200 years ago Very sophisticated fishery Many different fisheries (herring, salmon,?) Slide 13 Fish Weir Shapes and Locations The location of mapped fish weirs in the Comox Harbour. The two shape of the fish weirs were for different types of fish. Heart shaped traps were for herring. They were quite a bit larger and had a wider opening. The herring did not get spooked by the trap and successfully escape out the opening. They followed each other in their school group formations. The chevron shaped fish weirs were for salmon. The openings were narrower which made it much harder for salmon to escape. Salmon acted individually and
could find their way out traps. Hence the narrow opening and second trap system at the opening. See this link for more information. http://newswarp.info/wpcontent/uploads/2010/03/warp-webreport.pdf Slide 14 Traditional Clothing What do you think the K'ómoks people used to make their clothing long ago? Coast Salish and Kwakwaka'wakw.clothing examples: wool (mountain goat or dog), animal hide and cedar, furs Slide 15 Cedar Clothing The museum garment is made from the inner bark of cedar and the black and white photo is of a Hesquiat (Nuuchah-nulth) woman (D-08330) by Edward Curtis from bcarchives.gov.bc.ca Coast Salish Nuu-chah-nulth
Slide 16 You can read the slide and point out how wood harvesting practices have changed over time. Think about how trees are logged today (with large machines and chain saws, all trees being cut at the same time) compared to how they were harvested by First nation people in the past, only taking part of the tree, giving thanks, and only taking a whole tree when they could commit to using the whole tree for a house post, or a canoe Slide 17 Wool Clothing Left: Example of Coast Salish weaving, shawl Right: Chilkat blankets were traditionally woven from mountain goat hair and strips of cedar. The chilkat blankets came from southern Alaska (Tsimshian people near Wrangel Alaska) and down into Northern BC (Tlingit), they are worn today by some of the K omoks people in their ceremonies. Slide 18 Wool Clothing Coast Salish weaving on a loom. They had small dogs that were used to provide hair for their weaving.
Slide 19 Button Blankets Button blankets started to be worn by First Nation people after contact with European people when they began trading for material and buttons. Button Blankets are not worn by all coastal First Nation peoples. They are worn today by Kwakwakawak and Haida people and are used in ceremonies and celebrations. Slide 20 Crests K'ómoks people who share the same ancestors are identified by their family crest. Does your family have a crest? Ask Students: raise your hand if your family has a family crest, for example if your family is from England, Ireland, Scotland would all have family crests. Slide 21 Housing K ómoks house (C-09265) from bcarchives.gov.bc.ca. Note the large cedar planks on the side. Different nations on Vancouver Island built their houses in different styles. Picture taken by Fredrick Daley photographer from Victoria. Probably one of the earliest pictures taken! The totem is a welcome figure. Split planks form the wall boards between two posts which were lashed to the posts with cedar rope, so the planks were removable. Each family living in the Big House would own some of the planks and was responsible for moving the planks to
their temporary shelters that were used in seasonal travel. Families were going to traditional areas to harvest food such as berries, plants, salmon, shellfish and access resources such as cedar trees for canoes See how big the planks are in relation to the people. Slide 22 K ómoks Big House (Gukwdzi) This is the Big House that you will visit in May This Big House was built in the 1958 at the Rotary Bowl in Courtenay BC, it was moved to it s current site on the Dyke Road in the 1974 Do you know what the animals are on the front of the Big House? (Queneesh White Whale, with a Thunderbird on top) Eagle is sitting on top of the big House The picture below is a picture taken inside the Big House
Slide 23 Cedar Planks Slow but energy saving method of splitting plank, Hilary Stewart Cedar, p. 42 The planks were chiseled from large cedar trees with stone tools and fire! Each plank was very valuable. The width of planks was a sign of prestige. Taking a plank did not kill the tree. The trees are known as culturally modified trees today Slide 24 Economic Social Judicial Spiritual Culture Important events Political Potlatch Oral Traditions Circulation of wealth Connections between people, conflict resolution, copper breaking, and shaming Law making Renew people s connection to land and values Culture was passed down to next generation Marriages and death acknowledged Passing on of dances, songs, names in families Rank was reaffirmed and ties to land and resources were validated Oral tradition important to mention. Because First Nations languages were not written down, important events had to be witnessed and remembered. At a potlatch, you are invited to witness a ceremony. The acceptance of the gift validates what happened at the potlatch. The dances and songs that you will see at the Big House are from the Potlatch ceremony. Your job is to be a good witness to the cultural traditions of the K omoks First Nation Slide 25 Potlatch at Alert Bay bcarchives.gov.bc.ca Chiefs displayed how wealthy or rich they were by what they gave away, not by what they hoarded and kept to themselves. Everything was shared. In this picture they might be giving away blankets, bags of flour and sugar, cooking oil etc. Now: Potlatch gifts can be homemade plus store bought (if there are homemade gifts, they are given to elders and chiefs first)
Slide 26 Education Our singing and dancing reminds me of who we are as a people, and watching my children participate gives me hope for the future of our culture. - Robert Everson Traditions are passed on through story and dance by the elders and family. Each family owns the rights to sing and dance certain songs. Songs and dances are passed from and elder to the younger generation as a right of passage (A rite of passage is a ritual event that marks a person's progress from one status to another). Language is learned from parents. Totem poles tell a story of the family. The top picture is Chief Frank and his wife Margaret who passed down their traditions to their grandchildren who then passed it down to their children. These traditions are oral and passed on through repeated tellings and experiences.
Slide 27 Language The Pəntl áč (Pentlatch) people traditionally spoke Pəntl áč language. The last speaker was Chief Nim Nim. The language has been a sleeping language since 1940. The K ómoks people traditionally spoke the Island K omoks language. The Kwak wala language is spoken today in local ceremonies and official greetings. First Voices 1 st Gilakas la: Welcome, thank you, hello, 2 nd click on the Kwak wala word for eulachon grease. T li na 3 rd orange 4 th Belly button 5 th is a Sliammon word for I thank or honour you Click on the picture for the First Voices Kwak wala website. Note to presenter: refer back to the fact that K'ómoks First Nation is a blend of cultures Slide 28 First Voices Website If you are interested in hearing First Nation languages you can explore the First Voices website. To hear the language you will hear at the Big House you have to go North on the map, past the Comox area up to the blue word Kwak wala and click on it You can also download a Kwak wala App to use on your I-Phone or I-Pad
Slide 29 Traditional Transportation Canoe journey the arrival of neighbouring coastal communities in the Comox harbor in front of the Big House as part of the BC Commonwealth games, enroute to Victoria. Their paddles are up as the tradition of asking permission to come ashore. K omoks First Nation members paddling the I-Hos canoe. The canoe was build for the canoe journey as part of the Commonwealth Games, 1994 I-Hos is the name of the double headed sea serpent that is on the sides of their traditional dug out canoe. Calvin Hunt and Mervin Child worked on the canoe. Geary Cranmer also worked on the canoe. Many people of the community would stop by and help and carve from left over pieces of the cedar. The log was beautiful. Slide 30 Arts and Culture Andy Everson heads the K omoks First Nation Cultural group the Kumugwe Dancers and is also a well known visual artist. Randy Frank is a local carver. He has worked on a number of carving projects in SD #71 as well as having carved the pole that is in the entrance at Queneesh Elm. And he helped carve the 2 new poles that stand in front of the new K omoks administration building Whale House
Pam Mitchell is a local artist that is known for her cedar weaving. Slide 31 Meet a Local Legend This video is from the Aboriginal Tourism BC project called Meet a Local Legend which features Jesse Everson and Matthew Everson two K omoks First Nation members who are also part of the Kumugwe dancers https://www.aboriginalbc.com