Each year, June 21st marks National Indigenous Peoples Day. A time for settler reflection, acknowledgement, and appreciation for the Indigenous Peoples across Canada as we all work towards reconciliation.
National Indigeouns Peoples day is one that should be used to embrace First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples by learning, unlearning, engaging and reflecting. Our Caslys team has the privilege and honour to work and live across the Coast Salish, Kwakwaka’wakw and Moh’kinsstis Regions. Specifically, the Nations of:
- Tsartlip
- Tsawout
- Tseycum
- Pauquachin
- Cowichan Tribes
- Wei Wai Kum
- We Wai Kai
- Homalco
- Tsuut’ina
Caslys recognizes these Nations’ stewardship on these lands since time immemorial. We respect the on-going and historical role these Nations have in political, social, environmental and other activities across these jurisdictions.
In the spirit of National Indigenous Peoples Day, our team at Caslys would like to share some resources provided by the W̱SÁNEĆ Nations leadership council whose traditional territory the Caslys office is located on. Settlers and others who are interested in allyship with W̱SÁNEĆ people will find these resources below as a great place to support the journey to reconciliation.
The listed steps are in a suggested order for those at the beginning of this journey:
- Familiarize yourself with the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council (WLC) Press Policy, including suggested donations for media inquiries for information, quotes, and soundbites by community members.
- Learn about the W̱SÁNEĆ Lands Trust and how it helps future generations of W̱SÁNEĆ access land for cultural purposes and to positively impact the environment through W̱SÁNEĆ stewardship.
- Find out what Indigenous Territory you live and work on and get information on how to properly create a territorial acknowledgement.
- Learn how to pronounce the names of the First Nations and the languages they speak.
- Choose some materials to work through from the suggested reading list below. or visit your local library to take the all-important step of being responsible for your own education on Indigenous issues. Learn about the culture of W̱SÁNEĆ people, the history of colonialism, and paths toward reconciliation.
- Consider making regular financial contributions to various local community organizations that can help provide W̱SÁNEĆ people with much-needed resources for education, athletics, and cultural initiatives.
Below are some online resources that can act as continuing steps towards allyship and reconciliation. Cultural stories, traditional maps, and local council sites are all listed here:
Mapping resources
https://www.bcafn.ca/first-nations-bc/interactive-map
Podcasts
https://indigenouspodcast.trubox.ca
https://forvi.ca/project/indigenous-voices-vancouver-island-podcast/
Local Councils
About Caslys
For over 20 years, Caslys Consulting Ltd. has taken pride in offering a wide range of high-quality geospatial services for both environmental and natural resource management industries.
Our focus is on interpreting and analyzing data to deliver cost-effective solutions and help our clients make better informed decisions. We specialize in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, information management and application development to meet the needs of both public and private sector clients within Canada and abroad.
As a company, Caslys Consulting combines strong technical skills in our specialized fields with the ability to effectively communicate technical results and complex products to help show our clients how it can be used for meaningful decision making. We also understand the importance of sustainability and take pride in promoting sustainable initiatives and practices to help improve the communities we are working in.
Caslys Consulting Ltd. acknowledges and respect the Lək̓ʷəŋən peoples and W̱SÁNEĆ Nations on whose traditional territory the Caslys office is located. We thank them for their strength and resilience in protecting this land and aspire to uphold our responsibilities according to their example.
National Indigenous Peoples Day image source: Images for National Indigenous History Month (rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca)