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ART
GALLERY
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WOODWORKING
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COFFEE
SHOP
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Disclaimer
This map was supplied by
Terasen Gas. Skawahlook First Nation and
Juan Cereno & Associates accept no
responsibility for errors contained within
the map's boundaries
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Band Administrator
Manager of Lands and Natural Resources
Sharron Young
Tel: (604) 796-9129
Email:
SharSKAWAHLOOK@aol.com
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For
questions and/or
concerns regarding the
following, please contact Sharron Young |
Skawahlook First
Nation's Lands and
Natural Resources
Department has been very
busy as of late. The
Manager of Lands and
Natural Resources,
Sharron Young is
primarily responsible
for administering all
aspects of lands and
natural resources
inventory for the
Skawahlook First Nation.
Skawahlook First Nation
has acquired resources
from the First Nation
Forestry Program to
initiate the development
of a Natural Resource
Plan. As a first step in
this process, the
Skawahlook First Nation
has contracted the
services of a qualified
Forester who is
conducting an in-depth
study and report of the
natural resources within
the community.
As a second step in this
process, the Nation has
hired the services of
Juan Cereno and
Associates to use the
findings of the Forest
Management Report to
develop funding
proposals aiming at
developing the local
economy.
In August 2003,
Skawahlook First Nation
hired Himark Forest
Consultants to complete
a Natural Resources
Plan. This plan included
a biophysical inventory
of all Skawahlook First
Nation lands and the
forest resources located
in each reserve. The
primary purpose of this
project was to determine
the state of Skawahlook
forests and document
past forest activity as
well as the need for
reforestation work. New
aerial photos and
updated maps were
developed, along with a
timber evaluation and
Land Usage Report
Inventory which can be
used by Skawahlook First
Nation in future
planning of our
reserves.
Ida John, Chris Jackson
and Bobbi Peters of
Chawathil First Nation
collected information
regarding different
plant species with
particular emphasis on
documenting the cultural
and medicinal plants
available in our
reserves.
Current Lands & Natural
Resources Projects
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Negotiating
access and
use
agreements
with
Railways,
pipelines,
Telus,
Highways and
B.C. Hydro. |
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Identifying
lands lost
to the
Skawahlook
First Nation |
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Developing
Policies and
Procedures
to guide
administration
of the Lands
and Natural
Resources
Department
and to
protect the
Skawahlook
First Nation
natural
environments. |
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Establishing
a Skawahlook
First Nation
taxation
authority |
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I.P.C. Teresan Gas Pipeline
Since early 2001, the
Skawahlook First Nation has been
communicating with Terasen Gas (formerly
known as B.C. Gas) on the proposed Inland
Pacific Connector Project. The proposed
pipeline will cover 246 kilometres across
Southwest British Columbia from Oliver to
Huntington. Travelling East to West the
pipeline will parallel the north side of the
West coast/Duke right of through Skawahlook
I.R. #1 (approximately 450 metres). The
pipeline will also cross both Highway #7 and
the CP Rail tracks before paralleling the
Fraser River side of the railway tracks and
the existing West coast/Duke right of way to
the western boundary of Reserve #1. At this
time it is not anticipated that the pipeline
right of way will cross any portion of Ruby
Creek I.R. #2.
Background
As part of the communication activities,
Skawahlook First Nation Chief and Council
members, community members, staff members
and residents of the Ruby Creek area had
attended information meetings in Harrison,
Seabird Island Band, and Stó:lō Nation
headquarters. Skawahlook First Nation has
also hosted several meetings with B.C. Gas
representatives at the Band Administration
office.
Communications with Community Members
The Skawahlook First Nation has diligently
maintained all community members informed
about progresses made in the proposed Inland
Pacific Connector. Information has been sent
to community members through a quarterly
newsletter. The Manager of Lands and Natural
Resources has played a pivotal role in
answering questions from community members.
Most of the questions are formulated through
the phone, often from community members
living out-of- province or from community
members residing in the United States.
Consultation Agreement
In February 2003, Skawahlook First Nation
and B.C. Gas formalized the ongoing
consultation process through the signing of
a Consultation Agreement. The signed
Consultation Agreement extends from February
to April 2003. Although the timeframe in the
Consultation Agreement fails to acknowledge
all the past consultation sessions completed
between Skawahlook First Nation and B.C. Gas
during the past two years, the agreement
does clarify the purpose of the consultation
process. In essence, B.C. Gas is seeking an
agreement from the Skawahlook First Nation
to install new pipelines through reserve
lands so as to transport gas into USA
markets.
Legal Counsel
Skawahlook First Nation retained the legal
services of Ratcliff and Co. in March 2003.
The Vancouver-based firm is presently
studying project information. Ratcliff and
Co. will provide legal advise to Skawahlook
First Nation when the land use agreement is
drafted.
Information Coordination
Last January 2003, Skawahlook First Nation
retained the consulting services of Juan
Cereño and Associates to gather and
disseminate project information to community
members and to provide advise to Chief and
Council.
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cogburn magnesium project
North American Alloys has
been investigating the possibility of
opening a large-scale magnesium extraction
and refining facility in the Ruby Creek
area, within 3 miles of Skawahlook First
Nation. The mining proposal is referred to
as the Cogburn Magnesium Project. If
successful an estimated 120,000 tonnes of
high purity magnesium will be produced at
the plant during the next 25 years.
The Skawahlook First Nation is firmly
opposed to the opening of this plant, as
there are many environmental and health
hazards associated with magnesium excavation
and refining. Improper supervision and
regulation of such a large-scale plant can
lead to severe polluting of water, land and
air. Magnesium has been identified as a
major source of Hazardous Air Pollutants
including chlorine, hydrochloric acid,
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) such as
dioxins and furans and trace amounts of
Hazardous Air Polluting Metals including
phosphorous and manganese.
Prolonged human contacts with these
substances have been demonstrated to cause
the following health problems:
· Damage to the liver, kidney, thyroid,
endocrine, immune and nervous systems.
· Birth Defects
· Cancer
· Child Growth Retardation
· Stunted intellectual function
· Decreased survival rates in children
· Reduced levels of male reproductive
hormones
· Diabetes
In addition to the potential harm the
magnesium refining plant would have on our
community, the proposed plant would also
alter the flow of natural water sources (to
“minimize” water contamination) from Ruby
Creek. Both the contamination and alter in
water flow would have a negative impact on
the quality and quantity of water, fish
habitat, fish, fishery, wetland, wildlife
habitat, wildlife and hunting. The
Skawahlook First Nation has made it clear to
North American Alloys that we have no
interest in receiving water as we already
have one of the best water supplies in the
province.
With these immediate and long term
environmental and health hazards Skawahlook
First Nation will not support the Cogburn
Magnesium Project and are taking the
necessary steps together with Ratcliff & Co.
in putting a stop to the plant. We will
attend community information forums to voice
our concerns and opposition.
We appreciate any further information on
North American Alloys, magnesium production,
and the health and environmental hazards
associated with mining and refining. Also,
your letters of support would be greatly
appreciated and useful.
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Housing
The Skawahlook First Nation
has been working since April 2000 on a New
On Reserve Housing Approach (NORHA). This is
a five-year project to build new housing
units within the community and renovate
existing housing units.
One of the goals of this program is to train
people in different building and management
trades and to undertake housing renovations
in homes located on Skawahlook reserves. To
date, our program has been successful in
providing on-site training to three
participants while three homes have been
completely renovated.
Work to date has involved interior
renovations and repairs, carpentry repairs,
painting both interior and exterior of
premise, and roof repairs. As well,
renovations in one unit included both
structural and design changes to make the
unit more comfortable for one of our Elders.
Unfortunately, due to the ongoing dispute
regarding land ownership in our community,
we have been unable to build new homes for
community members. Until the land issues are
resolved, we are prevented from accessing
funds from the Department of Indian Affairs
to allow community members to build new
homes.
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Band administration & Tourism Centre
In order to ameliorate the
negative impact upon our community members
by the current Softwood Tariffs, the
Skawahlook First Nation began building a
multi-purpose building facility, which was
completed in March, 2005. This building
provides office space to Band staff members
as well as the space needed to operate
businesses catering to tourists and local
residents alike.
Need for the project
The Skawahlook First
Nation Band Administration and Tourism
Centre project was conceptualized as a
response to the need for developing an
administrative infrastructure that will
provide economic benefits to an otherwise
economically depressed community.
A nation of forest
workers
Traditionally, Skawahlook
First Nation members have found employment
in the forestry industry. In fact,
generations of Skawahlook First Nation
people have made their livelihood by
harvesting timber within and near the
reserve areas. Most recently, local mills
and forest companies employed several Band
members as fallers, buckers and machine
operators. The new Softwood Tariffs,
however, drove employers such as JS Jones
out of business, leaving community members
without their source of employment and
livelihood.
Location
As the Skawahlook First
Nation recently acquired over two acres of
prime land located along Highway # 7,
leaders and community members decided to
pursue the building of a multi-purpose
facility that would make their long-term
aspirations for economic independence a
tangible reality. The building is located at
the entrance of our community and is
surrounded by a beautiful natural landscape
of mountains and trees.
Project description
The Skawahlook First
Nation envisioned a culturally and
ecologically sensitive building that
provides office space to Band staff members
and the space needed to operate businesses
catering to tourists and local residents
alike. The community is now operating the
following businesses from this centre:
1. The Bigfoot Coffee Shop
2. Ruby Creek Aboriginal Arts and Crafts
Gallery
3. Black Bear Tackle Shop
4. Rental Banquet & Meeting Space
5. Framing & Woodworking Shop
Community support
This project is the
outcome of community consultation undertaken
during the past four years. Community
members have directed the new Skawahlook
First Nation Chief and Council to engage in
a process of social and economic recovery.
The directions provided by community members
are recorded in the community's 5-Year
Strategic Plans.
Sustainable Benefits
The entire Skawahlook
First Nation community will benefit from
having a Band Administration building that
would accommodate the workspace needs of all
staff members. The Skawahlook First Nation
plans to assist individual Band members in
the process of acquiring the skills and
knowledge necessary to own, manage and
operate the businesses envisioned for the
Tourism Centre. Thus, both present and
future generations of Skawahlook First
Nation community members will benefit from
this project. In the short term, it is
anticipated that the project will create
temporary employment to approximately 5
people during the project building stage.
Once the building is completed, the Coffee
Shop, the Aboriginal Arts and Crafts Store,
the Tackle Shop, and the Rental of Meeting
Space will create 3 to 4 full-time permanent
positions. Furthermore, as the proposed
building will focus on the sale of tackle
and Aboriginal arts and crafts, the shops
will support and promote the work of
numerous local artists and artisans.
To communicate questions and/or concerns
please contact the Skawahlook First Nation
Band Office at (604) 796-9129
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Proposed Cultural Resource Library
Councilor Angie Chapman is hoping to
develop a resource library which consists of
traditional practices. This information
would be available to members of the
Skawahlook First Nation for the purpose of
maintaining Skawahlook Culture and
traditions. The resource library would
include but is not limited to the following
topics:
Language
Cooking
Traditional Medicines
Art
Crafts
Documentation of Native & Medicinal Plants
To communicate questions and/or concerns
please contact Angie Chapman at (604)
796-9129 or email
AngieSKAWAHLOOK@aol.com
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Band Office Address: 58611A
Lougheed Hwy, Agassiz, BC | FAX:
604-796-9289 |
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