It never really dawned on me why only certain people spoke the language because that’s when our people were never able to or didn’t know how to express themselves about residential school and all the trauma they went through.  I heard the language and spoke what I could because my grandma mom always said it repeatedly.

Growing up I never really had culture or language in school, I had French classes though.  Guess it didn’t really bother me because I always had many more opportunities for it when I was back at home.   But then as an adult I had the opportunity to work with my own elders of the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation.  I took it upon myself to be willing to learn.  I didn’t have any certification but I had the dedication and the time for my elders.  I worked 4-7 hours a day, 4-5 days a week just language.  As our people were oral people and our own nation doesn't have many resources available.  So yet another opportunity came, ILF Indigeneous Language Fluency certificate, I accepted and graduated from this program.  As I feel the need to be the advocate for my past elders to continue being strong and to share what they have all taught me.  I had the best time learning with my elders, I even was able to self teach myself to write in our own language. 

 I then had another great opportunity to join a program offered right in my own community, so I took it. Today I feel that there isn’t enough of our own culture in our schools.  Yes there is a wide variety of diversity in the schools but to be on our MMFN land, there should be more opportunities to learn.  When I was in school I felt like part of my identity was being taken away from me as well, because I couldn’t just be who I was.  Couldn’t miss a day of school because I needed to be present to complete my program.  But my whole ?iisaak was being disrespected.  I just have felt that during my schooling, we had to get pieces of papers (colonial) to get our own ways and teachings, when we’ve always had it but to have paper.

It’s hard to explain “our ways” because there’s so much behind it and lots that we don’t even speak of.  Lots of feelings, oral and hands on learning for our culture.  Everyone learns and has their own teachings but hishuk?ish cawaak “we are all one/everyting is one”I love how my children enjoy and continue loving to learn what I’m teaching them, or actually more or less me sharing who they are and where they come from.

caxaana/Tsaxana

mowachaht/muchalaht First Nation

2: What nation/s were here before? 

• I do know that the original place name of caxaana/Tsaxana was located down in Gold River at what we know today as “Peppercorn”

• I believe that where I reside today, there was a landing strip here

• it was somewhat of a roaming village, as we moved all along the Gold River using 7 fish weirs from the mouth all the way up (information from my brother Jack, he is a GIS technician for 

3: What nation/s are here now?

mowachaht/muchalaht First Nation

4: What can you do to build the relationship between you and the nations/people here before and here now?

• To have the open communication with and for the people of the nation/community

• able to listen/focus to carry forward our ways

• ?iisaak (respect with caring) give respect to also earn the respect

• build that trust relationship

• hahuupa, to be willing to accept the corrections to continue leading me in the right direction

• to always be open and willing to accept and learn from others respectfully

5: What can you do to build the relationship between you and the land? What does the land provide for you? What are you grateful for? (Be as detailed as you like ie “I’m grateful for the cedar trees and salal bushes in

the forest next to my house”)

• to ?iisaak the land

• take only what I need, don’t waste

• have pride of where I live/reside, the ocean is my front yard & the forest is my backyard

• it provides many uses/resources for my family

  • hisit (sockeye) my winter stock, smoked fish, upsqwii, jarred fish, whole fish to bbq/bake

  • muwach/tluunum (deer/elk) fills up my freezer of meat that provides to my whole family

  • cedar/alder trees

    • cedar, to hang my fish on, start my fire, make regalia for cultural dances, cedar roses to gift or send away with our loved ones, helps create art for our nation that was done many years ago (poles, masks, bench boxes, head dresses), 

    • alder, to help smoke my fish

  • trees, provides fresh air to breath and beautiful scenery

  • it helps me ground myself to bring me back to who I am

  • berries, it provides various berries to make jams

  • there's many medicines that go unspoken of, but I do have teachings on what to use

  • it gives me time to think/breath in the good, refreshing

  • I’m grateful for

    • the land I live on, another area of the MMFN, room for growth

    • the air, gives me strength

    • animals, provides food for my family

    • water, for cleansing/power, strength, food, nurturing

    • seasons, seasonal foods needed, provides growth for land

6: What can you do to take care of the land? What can you give back to the land?

• don’t make any changes, dig up or take anything away that doesn’t belong to me

• recycle, reduce garbage, use more efficient products

• be a leader and others will follow of respecting the land

• I can plant, support or help when needed 

• be teachable and pass on knowledge of taking care of land

• I can give back the fish guts back to the waters after cleaning my winter stock

• find anything that doesn’t belong in a place, I can bring it back to where it belongs

Step 2: Write a first attempt

Although many of the most meaningful acknowledgements of territory can come unscripted and from the heart, write how you would acknowledge the territory where you teach. What meaningful words and connections would be included from the information gathered above? Do you begin by acknowledging who you are and where you come from at the beginning? The acknowledgement can be between 5-10 sentences long for this assignment.

Chuu, I acknowledge that we are on the traditional nisma of the Mowachaht/Muchalaht quu?as people.  ?uuklthaas Michelle James, mowachat/muchalaht?aqsups.  I live at caxaana/Tsaxana Reserve, (it was somewhat of a roaming village, as we moved all along the Gold River using 7 fish weirs from the mouth all the way up).  I give great gratitude and appreciation to Mowachaht/Muchalaht quu?as people for the nisma, front yard of the ocean & the backyard of the forest.  I can show ?iisaak and carry it forward with my family about where we come from.  I can and will continue to learn, live, and grow on our traditional ḥahuułi (territory).

histatḥs muwačʕaqsups mučłaatʕaqsups

ʔuḥuks ʔumiiqsu Eva Johnson nee James

muwačʕaqsups mučłaatʕaqsups

ʔuḥuks mits nananiqsu Veronica Dick nee Titian

ʕahuusʕaqsups

ʔuḥʔiiš

Arnold James Sr

muwačatḥ mučłaatḥ

ʔuḥuks n̓uwiiqsu cawanuł Jack Johnson Jr muwačatḥ mučłaatḥ

ʔuḥuks mits nananiqsu Mary Johnson nee Williams

ʔohietʕaqsups

ʔuḥʔiiš

Jack Johnson Sr

homisʔatḥ

ʔuḥuks čakup

Charles Jack Jr

ʔuḥuks mits ʔaƛa t̓at̓naʔis Davis ʔuḥʔiiš Tyson Jack

ʔuḥuks qacc̓a t̓at̓naʔis Blair, Rebecca ʔuḥʔiiš Jordanna Jack

muwačatḥ mučłaatḥ

ʔuḥuks qʷaʔuuc River Jack

c̓awaak maam̓iiqsakqs mit ʔukłaas Taryn Joseph ʔuḥʔiiš c̓awaak y̓uqʷiiqsakqs mit Darian Jules

c̓awaak maam̓iiqsakqs ʔukłaas Stacey Little

ḥayu y̓uqʷiisakqs ʔukłaas Joni, Jaylene, Janelle, Jack ʔuḥʔiiš Thomas Johnson

Simon, Michael ʔuḥʔiiš Richard Joseph

Candace ʔuḥʔiiš Cody Savey

ʔuḥuks ʔuwiqsu Elaine Jack

ʔuḥuks małt̓ii Charles Jack Sr

ʔuḥuks mits c̓awaak čiin̓apsaqsu Angelina Campbell

ʔuḥuks ʔaƛa čiin̓apsaqsu Marceline Jack ʔuḥʔiiš Deanna Jack

ʔuḥuks mits c̓awaak y̓umiqsu Jamie Jack

ʔuḥuks c̓awaak y̓umiqsu Mark Jack