The Southern Carrier people have a long and proud tradition.
However, as with many traditions, language, culture and customs can be lost through the passage of time.
One Southern Carrier elder has worked tirelessly for the last six months to complete a book, based on individual interviews with 14 elders from the four bands of the Southern Carrier (Nazko, Kluskus, Red Bluff and Anahim-Ulkatcho) the first of its kind for this Nation.
When then-Nazko Chief Delores Alec, band manager Brenda Gardiner and housing manager Sherry Shaw received a request for proposals from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, they were eager to respond and immediately set up a meeting with residential school survivors along with Doreen Patrick, who could translate for many of the elders who are still more comfortable speaking their first language, Southern Carrier.
The funding was designed to provide money for a commemoration activity for First Nation communities to plan an event or activity honouring
the survivors and children who attended residential schools.
It was meant as a healing tool.
It became clear at that meeting what the elders wanted was to create a book of stories and legends of the Southern Carrier people.
The title of the book Nekehkoh’ink’ez Nechaikoh huba Nek’u’a nats’uwhulnuk, We are telling our stories for our children and grandchildren, was determined right at the meeting.
It was late October 2012 when Nazko First Nation received word that funding had been approved. Now the hard work began.
“There are many non-native people who are not aware of the reality of what First Nations people endured during the Residential School era. The topic is still a very traumatic one for many survivors of this terrible era in Canadian and American history (The USA has its own history of Residential School trauma)” Shaw said.
“We want to let people know that we are here to help them deal with those memories and welcome them to contact the Nazko First Nation Band office and ask to speak to someone.
“We have a list of contact people throughout the province who are there to help and who understand the steps that must be taken on ones Healing Journey.”
Southern Carrier language teacher Ellie Peters took on the task of collecting the interviews and preparing the work for publication. Being fluent in Southern Carrier and certainly comfortable with elders, Peters began the task of determining who to interview then going door to door asking permission.
“I had to go back a second time to see if the first ‘no’ could become a ‘yes’,” she said.
“I had to really sell it to them, convince them of the value of such a book. Finally, everyone wanted to be in the book. I already have a list of people who want to have their stories included in volume two.”
Peters conducted all her interviews in Southern Carrier. Although the first expectation for the book was that it would contain residential school stories, she quickly recognized this was still a difficult subject for many of her interviewees.
“We gave it a lot of thought and decided to have them talk about their earliest memories, family relationships, growing up and even some of the legends these venerated elders learned at the knee of their own elders,” she said.
“It included skills they learned from their family and the traditions and culture of their people.”
Peters said that some writers eventually related a little bit about their residential school experiences.
“I was taken to residential school at the age of six and it’s a very emotional topic, but now, after working on this project, I can speak of it,” she said.
However, Peters spoke most eloquently of her own experience growing up with parents and elders who taught her about the world around her, the animals and their power and how she learned to trap and skin with respect for those animals as well as the survival skills and plant lore she learned.
Once she had completed her interviews, Peters faced the monumental task of transcribing hours and hours of recorded stories, first to paper then another translation to English.
Shaw worked closely with Peters providing direction, editing and dealing with the task of getting the book into print.
“What we have done is something wonderful. A true commemorative project that will have lasting impact on the lives of all the children and grandchildren of our wonderful storytellers. It is a book that says a lot about the family closeness, respect for the land and animals and a resilience that is to be commended,” Shaw said.
“So much laughter from the authors as they told their stories and shared their lives – always with the intention that these stories were written for their children and grandchildren.”
Both Shaw and Peters expressed how proud they were of the book and are eager to share it with the world.
A gala book launch and signing as well as a local art display is planned for Friday, June 21 at the College of New Caledonia from 5 – 8 p.m. Those interested in attending are asked to call Sherry Shaw, 250-992-9085 to reserve their seat or email sherry@nazkoband.ca.