Tla'amin Nation's Elder Care Facility Breaks Ground

It was grey and rainy out, but you could not wipe the bright smiles off the community members' faces in Tla'amin Nation this morning!

Today marks the beginning of Phase 1 of a dream conceived well over two years ago by Tla'amin Nation to be able to have a local care facility in the community. This will be a 24-unit housing block that will provide dignified, affordable, and accessible housing for their Elders and community members with special needs. Tla'amin Nation was awarded $8.8 million in funding by the Rapid Housing Initiative through CMHC in addition to funding from the Tla'amin government to be able to make this dream a reality.

Naut'sa mawt Tribal Council extends our congratulations to Tla'amin Nation for this exciting project!

Check out the the replay of Tla'amin Nation 's Facebook live here.

Elder profile: Halalt’s Janet Moore (Hwum’mi’ya)

Sunrise January 22, 1942 Sunset January 14, 2022

In Loving Memory of Honoured Halalt First Nation Elder, NmTC Elder Council Member, Sister, Aunt, Mother, Grandmother, and Great-Grandmother. Beloved Elder Hwum’mi’ya Janet D. Moore. Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council is run with guidance from an Elders Council with representatives from its 11 member nations. This article was published in the Salish Sea Sentinel.

My mother Janet Moore was the first elder to volunteer to represent her community and sit on Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council’s Elders Council when it began several years ago. She has represented Halalt on the council since 2016, and is inspired by serving her community.

Her traditional name is Hwum’mi’ya, which she shares with her Grand Aunt Josephine Thomas from Esquimalt.

Jan (as she likes to be called) was born in Malahat Nation to Hereditary Chief Christopher Norris and Edith Norris (nee Thorne) of Halalt First Nation. 

She was raised at Halalt in a small 2-bedroom house with her 15 siblings.  They had no running water or plumbing. Gleaning from her mom, she became a skilled knitter and spinner. She would take wool right from the farm and spin it into beautiful Cowichan sweaters, vests, toques, mittens, and socks.  

Hul’qumi’num was the spoken language in Jan’s home throughout her childhood, which led to her working with the Cowichan Tribes to develop the first Hul’qumi’num dictionary.  Jan’s newly rekindled passion for her language as well as her love of children, had her working as a Cultural Teaching Assistant in local daycares and elementary schools.  It was here she helped write a wonderful traditional cookbook that integrates the Hul’qumi’num language.  

Jan worked as a live-in Nanny and a care attendant in the Nanaimo Indian Hospital before she settled down as a wife and mother. In 1958, Jan met and fell in love with Les Moore, a minister from England, who happened to be traveling through Canada. It wasn`t long before they started their own family together. Life, along with their three children, became dedicated to sharing and translating Bible teachings.

This is just a glimpse into a remarkable woman’s life.  One who always has a welcoming food on the table and an open door to people she meets.  

Her voice at this table with all her experience is priceless, and we want to acknowledge her commitment to being a great role model.

Elder profile: Tla’amin’s Elsie Paul (qaʔaχstaləs)

Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council is run with guidance from an Elders Council with representatives from its 11 member nations. This article was originally published in the Salish Sea Sentinel.

Tla’amin Elder Elsie Paul has represented her community on Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council’s Elders Council since July of 2016. 

Her traditional name is qaʔaχstaləs, which came from her great grandmother Annie Assu from Cape Mudge. She was born in 1931 on the Tla’amin reserve and was raised by her grandparents Jim and Molly Timothy. Her culture has been engrained in her because of her close ties to her grandparents. 

Elsie has six living children, three who have passed on, as well as 17 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.   

Elsie has regularly been involved in community work at home in Tla’amin and in the wider area of Powell River. For four years, she was the elders’ representative for Vancouver Island University’s Powell River campus, where she would give students an introduction to Tla’amin culture and history. For seven years, Elsie served as a justice of the peace for her community of Powell River. She believes that people should build good relationships with our neighbours. She is often invited to do openings for various gatherings in her area. 

Notably, Elsie released a book titled Written As I Remember It: Teachings (Ɂəms tɑɁɑw) From the Life of a Sliammon Elder in collaboration with scholar Paige Raibmon and Raibmon’s granddaughter Harmony Johnson. The book tells Elsie’s life story and the history of her people in her own words.  

She is also focused on preserving the Tla’amin language and is currently working on a dictionary. 

“Ideally we are all the same and we all need to step out of our self-doubt,” she said in an interview. 

“If we could just gain a better understanding of one another, and build relationships with one another, we would be better for it.” 

Elsie, you are a remarkable and precious gift to us.  Thank you for all you have done and continue to do for our future.   

Hych’qa.