2008 UBCM COMMUNITY EXCELLENCE AWARDS - CivicInfo · reducing risk-taking behaviours providing...

2008 UBCM COMMUNITY EXCELLENCE AWARDS

CATEGORY: PARTNERSHIPS: Local Government & First Nations Partnerships

Submission by the City of Surrey “Partnership with Kla-how-eya Aboriginal Centre of the Surrey Aboriginal Cultural Society”


UBCM COMMUNITY EXCELLENCE AWARD – PARTNERSHIP CATEGORY

Introduction As BC’s fastest growing city in British Columbia, Surrey (the “City”) is home to a large population of aboriginal peoples. The City has fostered a unique relationship with the Kla-how-eya Aboriginal Centre of the Surrey Aboriginal Cultural Society through various programs and services. This partnership has resulted in strengthened communication, cultural sharing and community involvement. Through collaboration with many city departments, this partnership has provided increased participation in city programs by aboriginal people and has identified barriers to enable the city to increase access to city services. This positive partnership complements the City’s initiative to embrace diversity and promote cultural harmony. Opportunities to celebrate this diversity through cultural sharing are integral to the social health & well being of the City.

Canoe Naming Ceremony and Feast: was held, Saturday, February 16, 2008.

The name Kla-how-eya is a greeting meaning, “Welcome!” or “how are you?” in the Chinook language, commonly used for trading purposes. The following pages provide examples of the partnership between the City and the Kla-how-eya Aboriginal Centre.


Awakening the Spirit: An Urban Aboriginal Canoe Carving Project May 1, 2007 – February 16, 2008 Artists: Mike Dangeli (Nisga’a, Tlingit, Tsimshian), Lyle Campbell (Haida), Daniel Levasseur (Gitxsan) “Awakening the Spirit” was a cross-cultural community partnership initiated and guided by the Kla-how-eya Aboriginal Centre (which alone represents 28 First Nations), partnering with the City of Surrey and the Surrey Crime Prevention Society. This project served as a multi-levelled, arts and cultural learning experience for participants, to inspire pride in identity for Aboriginal youth while modeling and promoting cultural inclusivity, and leaving a cultural legacy for Surrey’s diverse communities.

During summer and fall of 2007, Aboriginal artist, Mike Dangeli (Nisga’a, Tlingit and Tsimshian Nations), and his carving team Lyle Campbell (Haida), Mique’l Askren (Tsimshian) and apprentice Daniel Levasseur (Gitxsan), transformed an ancient 40’ western red cedar log into an authentic dugout canoe. Thousands of people visited the carving site, which was located outside the entrance to the Surrey Art Gallery, with the surrounding fencing hosting didactic signage about the project. Using a combination of new and traditional technologies, the team created a 30’ long northern style canoe that is journeying to events and festivals this summer and to Surrey elementary and secondary schools, beginning this fall.

As part of the project, Aboriginal youth were mentored in cultural practices as well as how to paddle a canoe, culminating in a four day Fraser River excursion in July, 2007. The practice of proper protocol became the subject of sharing and learning among the carvers, the project partners and from nation to nation throughout the project duration. The final ritual was a special canoe naming ceremony held in February, 2008. The Katzie First Nation was given the honour of naming the canoe, in recognition of their support for the carving project. The canoe was named Hesquell, which means “strength of the eagle” in the Halkomelem language. The eagle is part of the design painted on the side of the canoe. Three of the carvers who created the canoe are from the Eagle clans in their respective Nations.

The “Awakening the Spirit” project brought together many nations, communities and individuals to learn, share and be inspired by the creation of this wonderful canoe. The project partners are proud to have played a major role in this endeavor and the legacies it will leave the citizens of Surrey.


Canoe Naming Ceremony and Feast: was held, Saturday, February 16, 2008. Kla-how-eya Aboriginal Centre hosted this major day-long event, held in the gymnasium at Queen Elizabeth Secondary School, centrally located between Kla-how-eya and the Surrey Art Gallery. Great care was taken to assure that the naming ceremony and feast honoured the protocols of all first nations represented in the project (Nisga’a, Tsimshian, Tlingit, Haida, Gitsxan, Squamish) as well as the local project host Coast Salish nations. Over 400 people attended the event, which included ceremonies, drumming, singing and dancing by Git-Ts'amiks Nisga'a Cultural Dancers, Nahanee Family Dancers, Dancers of Damelahamid, First People's Performances, The Git Hayetsk Dancers and Children of the Rainbow and drumming as well as a feast prepared by youth in Kla-how-eya’s Culinary Arts Program.

The Community School Partnership Initiative The Community Schools partnership initiative (C-SP), spearheaded by the School District 36 (Surrey) and the City of Surrey, draws together the expertise and resources of key public and community agencies serving children, youth and families in Surrey. Using schools as neighborhood focal points, the C-SP seeks to:

• Weave together an array of local services and resources for children, youth and families

• Provide connections to the broader network of city-wide services

• Build a sense of neighborhood identity • Promote lifelong learning and overall community

livability

In collaboration, the City of Surrey and Kla-how-eya work together on partnerships initiatives alongside other community agencies to promote recreational and support service opportunities for the health and well being of the Aboriginal people in Surrey. Kla-how-eya takes part in many special events the City of Surrey hosts; i.e. Surrey’s Youth Fest, the Children’s Festival and various Multicultural events. A representative from Kla-how-eya participates in the 0-12 Children’s committee (Planning, policy design and implementation). As well, the City of Surrey offers Kla-how-eya program space at the Tom Binne Youth Centre for children’s programs twice a month.

The Kla-how-eya homework club originated in 2005 for aboriginal students ages 6-12 and currently is located at KB Woodward Elementary School. The homework club has been very


successful and is expanding into another Surrey school, W.E Kinveg Elementary in Surrey’s City Centre, which will commence in Sept 2008. The homework club is an after school program involving a partnership between the Surrey School District, City of Surrey Parks Recreation and Culture, SFY – Friends of Simon Tutors and Kla-how-eya.

Homework club objectives: The program focuses on promoting literacy, cultural teaching, social skills, physical activities and basic life skills. The children will learn through crafts, music, storytelling, talking circles, field trips, free play and elders visits. After class, the City’s recreation staff offers physical recreational opportunities to the students.

Homework Club

“MoYO” Partnership The Mobile Youth Outreach (“MoYO”) Program is an outreach program uniting multiple community partners to engage youth where they “hang out”, offering resources and opportunities to help steer them into positive and healthy activities with adult supervision. The original premise for this initiative was the awareness that ‘negative youth activity’ was regularly occurring throughout Surrey’s parks and public spaces after dark. Thhee ppuurrppoossee ooff ““MMooYYOO”” iiss ttoo c


coonnnneecctt wwiitthh aanndd eemmppoowweerr yyoouunngg ppeeooppllee wwhhiillee pprroovviiddiinngg rreessoouurrcceess aass nneeeeddeedd aanndd ttoo hheellpp ffoosstteerr ooppppoorrttuunniittiieess ttoo bbuuiilldd aadduulltt//yyoouutthh rreellaattiioonnsshhiippss.. The “MoYO” team frequently connects with youth across the city and encourages young people to use the recreation facilities and services provided by the community such as late night youth opportunities in the high schools next to the parks where they are currently gathering. There is also an opportunity for youth to communicate what activities they would like to see offered in Surrey that are not currently being delivered. In June of 2008, a 17-passenger bus was donated by TransLink to the City. The bus was converted into an interactive mobile bus to support Mobile Youth Outreach “MoYO” program. Traveling by bus, “MoYO” Teams venture into Surrey parks, local businesses and areas that youth are known to frequent. The team approaches groups of youth to provide resource information and encourage positive activity. The “MoYO” teams are comprised of members from each of the project's partners. Currently the partners in the “MoYO” project are the City of Surrey Parks, Recreation and Culture, Options, School District 36:Safe Schools and Pacific Community Pacific Resources Society (PCRS).

Outreach Workers at the Kla-how- eya Aboriginal Centre for SACS have shown great interest in the MoYO initiative. Youth staff from Kla-how-eya will participate during North Surrey bus outings, where a high percentage of aboriginal youth will benefit from this initiative. The youth workers from Kla-how-eya are able to build new relationships, and interact and connect the youth with the positive services and activities that the various MoYO partners represent. Since its inception in 2006, MoYO has connected with over 4,000 youth in this community and the numbers continue to grow with each outreach trip. Each year the city will strive to improve upon this initiative to help the project grow into a sustainable opportunity for youth in Surrey.

MoYO Bus

FREE Ride Pass

The FREE Ride Pass is a tool to encourage youth in the community to make positive choices. The passes provide each youth with 4 free visits to any City of Surrey Recreation Centres, Youth Centres, Arenas and Pools and encourages healthy activities and connect youth with their community. The FREE Ride Passes are small enough to fit into a wallet and have valuable contact information about local youth resources on the back of the pass. Some youth have never had the opportunity to experience what services are available in City of Surrey facilities. The FREE RIDE program provides this opportunity as well as a framework for engaging youth and reducing risk-taking behaviours providing healthy activities that increase positive interactions between adults and youth that translate into a sense of care and community and build personal competence and resiliency.

FREE Ride passes are typically given out to youth in the community who have been observed doing something positive; this can be as small as picking up a piece of garbage in the neighbourhood or holding a door open for another person. Youth are given FREE Ride Passes in their community at events, parks, and other community spaces by youth workers, RCMP officers and Fire Dept. The passes encourage youth to City of Surrey facilities to be active, increase physical fitness, utilize the youth drop-in resources and connect with the community. By providing a number of FREE Ride passes to organizations like Kla-how-eya, their Youth Outreach Workers are enabled to further engage with youth in City facilities, parks and other public spaces building vital relationships that will help to ensure a community where children and youth thrive.



Surrey Public Library Partnership Programs with

Kla-how-eya Surrey Public Library has an ongoing partnership with Kla-how-eya to provide computer and library literacy and job search training for students in the Culinary Arts Program. This includes 30 hours of training for each intake of students at the Guildford Library Electronic Classroom or at Kla-how-eya –students receive a certificate indicating they have completed the course. They learn typing skills, basic Word and Excel use and even participate in a blog to share recipes and other ideas while learning about design. (Cyber Kla-how-eya Cooks). They are shown how to find resources in print or on the Internet to help them when they are job-hunting. The head of the program has indicated that this training helps fill knowledge gaps or updates knowledge for most of the students - for some, it provides a new skill set. Half of the students go on to Vancouver Community College culinary arts program – this training enables them to participate more fully and keep up with other students. The Strawberry Hill branch of Surrey Public Library provided some special programs for children in the Kekinow Native Housing Society co-op that is located near the branch. Kla-how-eya staff came to the branch every week to provide “culturally significant” crafts programs for the children. The Library staff also organized a special 3-week book club around Larry Loyie’s As Long as the Rivers Flow. Library staff read chapters from the book and the children kept a journal where they ‘rated’ the chapter and drew pictures or wrote about it. The author visited the book club in the third week, answered questions from the children about the book and his life, then he read from his newest book, When the Spirits Dance. Larry Loyie encouraged the children to read and inspired them with his personal story. Each family received a copy of the book to take home. Library staff members are also doing story times twice a month at Awahsuk Aboriginal Headstart preschool – healthy snacks are provided at the end of the story time and the children receive books to keep three times a year (thanks to funding from the Urban Aboriginal Strategy). Workshops for mothers on how to encourage early literacy behaviours with their children are presented at Kla-how-eya (a program called Ready to Read). The Library has purchased collections of materials (books, music, video) by and about First Nations for both adults and children – Kla-how-eya helps get the information to its clientele. The Strawberry Hill Branch provided funds for the Kla-how-eya Tool Time program for youth 13 – 18 years of age (the funds helped build sweat lodges on the Semiahmoo Reserve – the lodges help teach youth about emotional/spiritual/physical/mental health).

CELEBRATING ABORIGINAL DAY AT SURREY CITY HALL - June 24, 2008

Staff enjoyed traditional bannock supplied by the Kla-how-eya Culinary Group


Appendix 1

Kla-how-eya Board of Directors

June Laitar, PresidentPortfolio: Community Health, Child & Family / FRAPCE/ AHRDA, Corporate Relations

June Laitar is an Ojibway woman born in Kenora , Ontario , her traditional name is PAPAMOSA’ED MAKO EE QUAY.

June served as a Member, President and Vice-President of Kekinow Native Housing in 1986 and resigned in 2007.

June was also a Member of the Fraser Region Aboriginal Planning Committee for Children and Families, HRDC Stó: lõ Nation Advisory Committee, School District #36 Aboriginal Advisory committee, Kwantlen University College Aboriginal Advisory Committee and served as a Board of Governor for six years.

June served as secretary for the National Aboriginal Housing Association and is one of the founding members.

June received the Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada in recognition of significant contribution to Compatriots, Community and Canada, an award from the National Aboriginal Housing Association for Outstanding Achievement by an individual in Aboriginal Housing and a Gold Community Spirit Award in 2006 from the Burns Bog Conservation Society, Celebrating Women And The Spirit of The Cranes

Through the many years of community involvement June has provided an aboriginal perspective to many committees and Government agencies.

An Ojibway Elder with honor and respect, from the community she serves, June Laitar Presently residing in Delta has lived in British Columbia for the past thirty years. June keeps busy volunteering in her community and spends most of her time at Kla-How-Eya Aboriginal Center of SACS where she is President and one of its founding members.

Pat Reid, Vice President

Portfolio: Community Health and Homelessness

Patricia Reid was born in Spence’s Bridge B.C. and is from the Interior Salish Nlha7kapmx Nation.

Patricia is a retired government worker, mother of 2, grandmother of 4.

Patricia has been a Kla how eya Aboriginal Centre of SACS member since 1996 and a Board member since 2003, recently appointed Vice President of Kla how eya.


.

Stuart Cadwallader, Treasurer

Portfolio: Community Health, Corporate Relations and Justice

Stuart Cadwallader is a registered status Tongas Tlingit of the Raven Clan with direct lineage to Chief Shaiks and Anislaga (also known as Ansnak or Mary Ebbetts Hunt). He was born in Ketchikan , Alaska and raised in the Kwagiulth village of Fort Rupert (Tsa’kis) where his family has continued to maintain their hereditary home.

Stuart completed his formal education at Simon Fraser University in 1986 with Bachelor degrees in Criminology and Psychology with a further Post Baccalaureate Degree completed specific to the clinical assessment and programming for children with learning disabilities (Education).

Stuart has worked within the criminal justice field for over 20 years including the RCMP, Corrections Canada, court services/Sheriffs Department and most recently as a part of the Surrey North Adult Community Corrections Department’s Specialized Sex-Offender Supervision team.

Stuart is currently an active member of the Board of Directors of the Kla-how-eya Aboriginal Centre and the Chair of the 5-Nations Aboriginal House of Justice (with representation from the Katzie, Tsawwassen, Semiahmoo, Kwantlen and Surrey Urban First Nations) which works with both Corrections Canada, the National Parole Board of Canada and other user-groups to support and facilitate the reintegration of Aboriginal offenders back into our communities. In addition, Stuart continues to sit on the Métis Nation British Columbia ’s Criminal Justice Advisory Committee as well as being a recent past member of the Fraser Health’s Aboriginal Mental Health and Addictions Steering Committee.

Laird Hiatt, Member

Portfolio: Lands & Property Maintenance and Development Acquisition

Laird A. Hiatt was born in The Pas, Manitoba . He lives and works in Surrey, British Columbia. Laird is Métis and he is extremely proud of his heritage. He is very involved in the First Nations community. Currently, he is a director with Kla-How-Eya and in the past has served as a director/executive on a number of First Nations boards.



Beverly Dagg, Secretary

Portfolio: Secretary

Beverley Dagg , a Cree aboriginal woman, was born in Saskatchewan . She has 36 years experience either working for aboriginal organizations across Canada or volunteering as a board member, and more than 10 years working in administration for the seamen’s labour union in Vancouver . A senior, Beverley recently returned to work part time, and is a competitive dragonboat paddler with Abreast In A Boat dragonboat team (breast cancer survivors). She currently serves on the board of Kla-how-eya Aboriginal Centre of SACS, Kekinow Native Housing Society, First Nations Breast Cancer Society, and Charleston Terrace Housing Co-operative. Kla-how-eya Aboriginal Centre of SACS 13629 – 108th Avenue Surrey, BC V3T 2K4

Executive Director, Cameron McBeth 604.580-8885 ext 222

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