Funding enhances projects that bridge communities together
Last week, the federal government made an announcement that Spirit Bay is receiving a $2.9-million grant for Indigenous and economic development.
This will help develop the village centre at Spirit Bay, a multiphase, mixed-use development for up to 500 homes on 40 hectares of land. The project is a partnership between the Trust for Sustainable Development and Beecher Bay First Nation, which owns 51 per cent of the project.
Spirit Bay is a colourful and bright ocean-side community that I think is going to make some big changes.
Aside from the economicdevelopment and social opportunity for the members of Beecher Bay, it’s going to, and already is, merging communities and building strong relationships between Indigenous and nonIndigenous people. The development is also working with the First Nation and post-secondary institutions to offer education, mentorships and hands-on experience to members of Beecher Bay First Nation and others.
It’s important to highlight that the federal government acknowledges the benefit that Spirit Bay is adding to our communities and that the funding is aiding in the development of Spirit Bay.
Collaboration and support are always going to be crucial in bringing projects across the finish line or speeding up the timeline. Sometimes, we are called into big projects and other times small ones, but every project has a place in making things better.
Last month, the Port Alberni Friendship Centre’s daycare, ?iihmisukt’aatne? (translated from Nuu-chah-nulth into English as: Treasure our young ones), was awarded $100,000 a year for three years from the First Peoples’ Cultural Council Grants. The funding will cover three years of full funding to continue and expand its current Nuu-chah-nulth Language Nest program.
The friendship centre opened its daycare in January 2017, and received limited funding from various sources, including the cultural council. Without a set amount of funding, the program was running with uncertainty.
Cyndi Stevens, executive director of the Port Alberni Friendship Centre, spent years with her team turning the daycare centre idea into a reality. Serving Indigenous families, Stevens had a dream to incorporate elders and a traditional language program to help the children connect with their traditional teachings and culture.
“Culture is who we are, and it’s the pride we have as Indigenous people,” Stevens said.
The perfect pairing came when an elder approached Stevens and asked for space to offer a language nest, a program in which elders teach children and families through their traditional language. When the centre opened, so did the language nest. It was limited to a couple of elders operating the program, due to limited funding.
“A language nest should have a language support person, they would support the elders and assist with the programming,” said Stevens. “The elders’ strength is the language and the culture.”
This new funding will cover the elders, a language-support worker and other bonuses such as the creation of children’s books, additional tools, a mentor apprentice and training with parents. Staff at the centre are also learning the language and incorporating it into their interactions with the children.
“We are having babies whose first words are in Nuu-Chah-Nulth and their parents and caregivers have never spoken the language before,” Stevens said.
This is powerful stuff. When a baby’s first word is in their traditional language, it means they are being immersed in their culture and it’s building their foundation. This is something that has been lost for many Indigenous people, and to hear that these cultural lessons with elders are making such a profound impact means the Port Alberni Friendship Centre has found a formula that works.
There have been some challenges when it comes to the mandated curriculum and the elders’ teachings, and now Stevens said they are working on how to balance both in a complementary way.
“We see differences in the parenting tools offered. Our elders say the old teaching: ‘Let the children be who they are,’ and the early childhood educators have a set of rules to follow regarding children’s behaviour,” said Stevens. “We are working on balancing things.”
Just like Spirit Bay, the Port Alberni Friendship Centre is working with post-secondary institutions to offer education, mentorship and hands-on experience to Indigenous adults working toward becoming certified in early childhood education.
We are all stronger when we work together, and when children witness the benefits from bringing culture and practices together, they are going to see first-hand how powerful collaboration is. Charla Huber works in communications and Indigenous relations for M’akola Group of Societies.