William Housty’s Addresses NEB on Heiltsuk Culture, Threat of Oil Spill

April 14th, 2012 Comments Off

The Klemtu J.R.P. Hearings

April 14th, 2012 Comments Off

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Quotes from presenters at the JRP Hearings in Klemtu, Kitasoo/XaiXai Territory;

“At a young age, I was put to work by the community. I was a band counselor or band administrator for 40 some odd years for this band. I have had the opportunity to meet and try to work along with civil servants of the country we know as Canada, but never have we been taken seriously. Our concerns we have presented on the table are only dealt with on a token basis, which is next to nothing.” – Percy Starr

“There is always some kind of activity practiced my people to exercise their right whether its utilizing land based resources or aquatic resources. Usually it is aquatic resources.” – Percy Starr

If this project goes through, what will be left of us? What would you want if you were in our position and we were in yours?” 18 year old Chantal Pronteau

“I had no idea of the harsh weather conditions and hurricane force winds, till it hit me, along with the rain.” – 18 year old Chantal Pronteau

“Every day is a new day out in the Great Bear Rainforest, as it is home to a complicated range of Eco-systems.” – 18 year old Chantal Pronteau

“I have grown to love honor and respect this coast and would like to see it grow and continue to thrive forever.” -  – 18 year old Chantal Pronteau

Percy Starr -”technology not the culprit..it’s human error”

“I have grandchildren, I have great grandchildren. I’m worried they’re not gonna be able to eat if this goes through.” Chief Archie Robinson

“We don’t want it, we don’t need it. We don’t need another industry to come and destroy our resources.” Chief Archie Robinson

“Our resources from the ocean sustains us!” – 98 year old Violet Neaslossour

Witnessing the J.R.P. Hearings in Bella Bella

April 13th, 2012 Comments Off

Witnessing the J.R.P. Hearings in Bella Bella – by Ora Cogan

I came to Bella Bella to stand in solidarity with the Heiltsuk Nation during the J.R.P Hearings.

Enbridge inc. is proposing the Northern Gateway Pipeline. The Pipeline would run from the Alberta Tar Sands to Kitimat BC, where super tankers would ship “The world’s dirtiest oil” through The Great Bear Rainforest to China and the U.S.

In order to approve the pipeline, the Canadian government is legally obligated to consult with First Nations and other communities that would be affected by this project. This is where the Joint Review Panel hearings come in, but as Madame Justice Browne stated; “Listening” and then “doing what one pleases” does not amount to consultation; it must be more than that.”

The hearings in Bella Bella were monumental. These Heiltsuk presenters of all ages spoke powerfully and to the core of this issue, and the J. R.P. Staff’s behavior was incredibly disturbing.

A peaceful protest at the airport on Sunday, populated mostly by school children, was interpreted as a threat to J.R.P. security personnel. Instead of joining the community feast upon arrival into Heiltsuk Territory, the J.R.P. staff sped away in a motorboat from the reserve to Shearwater, a fishing resort across the channel.

Attendance to the feast was a necessary gesture of respect, which the J.R.P. staff neglected.
At the feast there was a cultural program with singers and dancers, traditional food, and speakers including Heiltsuk Elected Chiefs, Hereditary Chiefs and Community Members.
Students began their hunger strike, as a protest to Enbridge, that night to the applause of their families and community. There are more than 500 people worldwide who joined them.
While all this was happening, The J.R.P. Staff were seen shooting tequila in Shearwater.

The hearings were at first completely cut, supposedly because of the interpreted “security threat” of a very peaceful protest. After meeting with the Heiltsuk Tribal Council, which they required an R.C.M.P. escort for, the J.R.P. staff set back the hearings one and a half days instead and refused to make up this time. As a result, up to half a dozen community members were not able to give their oral evidence.

This was a terrible beginning to what is, in my opinion, an inherently degrading process. The success rate of approvals for such processes is over 90%. Enbridge has begun construction on the pipeline in Alberta. The Harper government is determined to see this project through and has the power to overturn the J.R.P. decision. As far as I can tell the game is rigged

There is something twisted in this whole process. Why are Heiltsuk people be speaking to the panel in the first place? They have already said no, so has every Nation that holds territory from here to Alberta. This is their land, and they have said no… Another example of government and industry undermining First Nations Authority in their own Territory. The Nuxalk have backed out of the hearings, Other Nations have refused from the beginning. Maybe some First Nations are going through with the hearings to make sure that if the J.R.P. staff approve the Northern Gateway Pipeline, they would do so in the face of hard evidence.

When I arrived at the united church, the day the hearings finally began, the Bella Bella Community School hunger strikers were sitting at a table in front of full plates of food.
I asked them if they were breaking their fast, they said no… I guess they were just torturing themselves. They were on hour 44 of their 48-hour fast in protest of Enbridge.

A few minutes later they got up, plates untouched, and sat on a bench against the wall and watched as the J.P.R. staff and Community members gathered in the room for lunch.
The Minister spoke; “We are in the house of god now, you are safe here, you have nothing to fear but fear itself.”

After lunch, when everyone was settled in the school gym to begin the hearing, the drummers could be heard outside of the school like a thunderstorm slowly moving towards us, echoing in the school hall as they lead the Hereditary Chiefs into the hearing. I have many friends who are traditional singers here, I’ve heard them many times and they always sound powerful, but rarely have I heard them sing so intensely. The very sound of their voices could obliterate anyone who threatened their people and land.

Heiltsuk Chiefs, Fisherman, Elders, Lawyers, Scientists, and Community Leaders got up one by one, to give their cultural, scientific, historical, political, spiritual, economic, political and philosophical evidence of why the Heiltsuk oppose the Northern Gateway Pipeline.

The Heiltsuk have lived here 10,000 years and to this day steward their territories and are sustained by living off the water. The Heiltsuk have survived the 75 year potlatch ban, the era of residential schools, attempted genocide and the colonial list goes on…

From what I understand from speaking to people here, The Heiltsuk People have revitalized their culture and are healing from all of these atrocities… It is horrific to me that they face this tremendous threat of an oil spill in their waters.

Here are some quotes from presenters:

Jordan Wilson, who works with the Guardian Watchmen, monitoring the use of Resources in Heiltsuk Territory; “Our efforts at sustainable economic development are at risk.” He said, “This is not a history lesson. Our culture is alive and we practice it today.”

Carrie Humchitt; “Aboriginal people have the right to conservation and preservation of their environment.”

Michelle Brown spoke from the family perspective; “My children have the right to have children and grandchildren who have what I grew up with.”  And “Our ancestors taught us to respect our land. It’s our duty and responsibility to maintain it for future generations.”

“The grounding of a supertanker would take all our resources away. Not for a year. Forever.” -Chief Mel Innes

“The loss of our resources will erode our entire culture.” Chief Merlyn Slett
“Environmentalists understand First Nations worldview around stewardship and they stand with us.” – One of the Bella Bella Community School hunger strikers

The second day started with the Heitsuk singers, they circled at the front of the room; their sound was rich and low, filling the air. While they sang, the singers set off an air siren from a megaphone that wailed inside the song. The siren spoke to me of the critical nature of this moment.

Evelyn Windsor, a well-loved and respected Elder, was the first to take the floor that morning. She spoke about her time in residential school, she held up a painting of a bighouse and explained many things about her culture and Heiltsuk history. Here are some quotes from her testimony:

“What befalls the earth befalls all of us. A spill will kill our waters, our lands.  It will destroy us too.”

“The risk of an oil spill is too high. We are the keepers of our lands and we wish to have a sustainable environment for those yet unborn.”

“So many things we’ve lost. They’ve already taken so much away from us. Can we afford to lose more? To lose all?”

I had a panic attack last night. My ears were ringing. I could feel a thin line of static cutting through my brain, I could not hear my own voice, and I felt dizzy and sick. The immensity of this struggle struck me in the chest like a wrecking ball.

Now I have to say this because it is the heaviest thing in my heart right now.
I could count witnessing these hearings as one of the most challenging experiences in my life.
I have had the honor of paddling on tribal journeys with the Heiltsuk Canoe Family from Bella Bella to Gitga’at. I’ve danced with Heiltsuk women at potlatches, learned Heiltsuk songs. I am slowly learning about this incredible Nation, their land and waters. As a guest here I have been treated so well, fed traditional food that my friends have harvested, sheltered, and well loved by my friends here.

It has been incredibly hard to watch some of the most powerful, dignified, outspoken people I know, pour their hearts and minds to these astonishingly ignorant and disrespectful people in one attempt to save their coast from the catastrophic threat of an oil spill.

On the last day of the hearings, young women staged a protest at the airport. The J.R.P. staff were forced to walk past us as they departed. We carried signs that said ‘Your oil will lead to another cultural genocide” and the likes. They did not wince.
I have great respect and trust in the Coastal First Nations leadership in the opposition to the northern gateway pipeline movement. I have high hopes that my peers will set down the apathy and cynicism, so many of our generation carry, to participate in this fight… As a friend of mine said when Harper was elected: “We all need to be really good to each other right now, because this is going to be very hard.”

Beth Humchitt, Heiltsuk First Nation speaking on Enbridge during the J.R.P. Hearings in Bella Bella

April 10th, 2012 Comments Off

Beth Humchitt speaks on Enbridge during the J.R.P. Hearings in Bella Bella

Please click on the photo for Video

Heiltsuk Traditional Singers and Hereditary Chiefs enter the J.R.P. Hearings in Bella Bella

April 4th, 2012 Comments Off

 

Click on Photo for Link to the Video

 

 

 

Community Voices Rally in Bella Bella that apparently “Threatened” Enbridge.

April 3rd, 2012 Comments Off

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I came to Bella Bella to show support for my Heiltsuk friends during the J.R.P. Hearings.

These hearings mark the beginning of what will be an National and International struggle, Against the Harper government and the Oil industry, To save “The Last Intact Rainforest on Earth” and to see First Nations authority over First Nations Territory upheld.

http://www.ilcp.com/videos/spoil

Yesterday, Enbridge representatives and The J.R.P. members stated that they felt threatened when they arrived to a Heiltsuk protest at the Bella Bella airport. Because of this supposed “threat” they refused to attend the community feast they were invited to, cancelled the first day and a half of the hearings and apparently refused to speak with tribal council members without a police escort! Having met several Tribal Council Members I have to laugh… Or cry.. It’s like saying you would need a police escort to talk to the Mayor of Vancouver.
How insulting is that?? I was at the protest at the airport. It was mostly school children, Traditional Heiltsuk singers and Hereditary Chiefs. It was an incredibly peaceful protest…
The Enbridge representatives and the J.R.P. members pretty much high tailed it from bunch of school kids and singers in regalia away from the Heiltsuk community, Bella Bella, on a motor boat to the non-native community of Deny Island across the water. It has been hard to watch the kind of disrespect that the J.R.P. staff and Enbridge have shown to this community over the past two days.. not surprising but very hard to stomach.

I have experienced nothing but respect and hospitality from this community and am in constant awe of their patience with this inherently insulting process.
The JRP members finally came back today, across the water, to discuss things with community leaders at the Band Office.
I know because I saw the J.R.P. staff sneaking back to the dock, down the beach with RCMP escort instead of just walking down the road! What a disgrace.

At the United Church this afternoon I sat with community members, neighboring tribal representatives and activists, all upset by what has been a confusing show of disrespect so far.
The list of speakers whose testimony is jeopardized by hearing being cut short includes more than half a dozen hereditary chiefs, elders and high-ranking women.
Late in the day it was announced the hearing will finally begin tomorrow at 1pm.

The students at the Bella Bella Community school are at this point 32 hours into their hunger strike.

Oil Madness in BC

March 28th, 2012 Comments Off

Oil Madness In BC

Article by Ora Cogan
Published in The Fishbowl March 1 2012
Enbridge Oil wants to build ¨The Northern Gateway Pipeline.¨ To transport ¨The Worlds Dirtiest Oil¨ from The Alberta Tar Sands to Kitimat, BC. From Kitimat it would be shipped on super tankers through ¨The Great Bear Rainforest¨ i.e. ¨The last intact rainforest in the World¨ en route to China. The Pipeline would cross a thousand rivers and streams, sensitive ecosystems and potential Land Slide areas. The Tanker route is a labyrinth of islands, an area that is prone to stormy weather and difficult to navigate even for smaller vessels. If the project would go through, 225 Super Tankers would run each year.
Considering these conditions and that Enbridge has been responsible for approximately 804 oil spills already, it would not be a matter of IF but WHEN there would be an oil spill. Just one spill would devastate the North and Central coast of BC, Home to The Heitsuk, Gitgaát, Haisla, and many more First Nations Communities who are unanimously opposed to the pipeline, have lived in this area for time immemorial and depend on the sea for their livelihood and culture.
Hundreds of resident whales in the area would be affected by the sonic disruption these vessels make. The Spirit Bear, who is unique to the region, Wolves, Salmon, Eagles and countless other species would all be at great risk.
On an International scale, if this oil makes it to China, we are looking at burning so much fossil fuel that the effects on the planet will be catastrophic. The Harper government plans to double down on the extraction of this dirty oil instead of following the international guidelines backed by scientists and climatologists in the Kyoto Protocol.
This is a massive crisis we are in, not a regional battle between radicals and industry as The Harper Government would have us believe. Let’s find ways our economy can thrive with sustainable jobs and without destroying the last wild places in the World. Let’s stand by the First Nations of BC who are opposed to this Pipeline. This time is critical because the Northern Gateway project has not been approved yet.
Come to Beaver Point Hall on Friday, March 2nd for dinner, guest speakers, documentaries and an awesome dance party with The Barefoot Thieves and More! Let’s get together as a community and talk about what this means to us and celebrate at the same time! We are all in this together!

Linx

March 28th, 2012 Comments Off

Artists

MAG

Anni Rossi

Shearing Pinx

Daniel Lercher

Chelsea Wolfe

Diadem

 

Labels

Isolated Now Waves (North America)

Borne Recordings (Europe)

Booking

Paper & Iron Booking (UK & Europe)

Koloni (Scandinavia)

Borne (Spain & Portugal)

September 23rd, 2010 § Leave a Comment

Press

September 5th, 2010 § Leave a Comment

Reviews for The Quarry

“The Quarry is perhaps a bit darker in tone and haunting in mood than her previous recordings. Deeply moving, but not despairing, each word is drawn out into almost non-verbal utterances which at times seem as much inspired by old tymey Appalachian folk as by Canadian aboriginal music vocalizations and Cocteau Twins’ Elizabeth Fraser. Cogan’s voice lilts and swoops amid her delicate finger picked and strummed guitar along with some dreamy dulcimer, violin, and fleeting moments of droney dissonance too. The dozen numbers take an unhurried pace, gradually winding their way into your heart. A lovely and deceptively potent aural elixir!”
- Aquarius Records

“The Quarry certainly doesn’t feel like an ordinary folk record. Cogan has managed to put her musical finger onto something strange and surreal.” -The Vancouver Sun

“Extraordinary and atmospheric” – Americana UK

“Local songstress steps up to the big leagues with a stunning album of textured, hazey folk, perfect for cold Vancouver nights.” – Scout Magazine

“The dramatic cover shot, snapped in the stairwell of a hotel in Castelló, Spain, captures a lot of the mystery that runs thick throughout Ora Cogan’s latest album. Something of a departure from the Vancouver native’s clear, sparse, traditional style, The Quarry is big on atmosphere, submerging Ora’s already heady vocals in a deep well of reverb to give them an even more haunting quality. Recorded and co-produced with Jesse Taylor of Twin Crystals, Ora plays every instrument, including electric guitar, violin, dulcimer, drones and drums (except on two songs, where Kenton Loewen of The Crackling steps in). Divided into two ’sides’ (vinyl collectors can drop the quote marks) of six songs each, the album includes covers of Sam Cooke’s ‘Troubled Mind’ and traditional number ‘Down To The River’ plus two instrumentals, ‘Lily’ and ‘Nite Prison’ (named after the studio where the album was recorded).” – Wears The Trousers Magazine

“Ora Cogan continues to make Vancouver look good with The Quarry” - HEAVE Media

“Ora’s brand new luscious record is here! Totally beautiful and packed full of layers of soft soundscape/dark folk drone meditations! Recorded meticulously by Jesse Taylor at Nite Prison in East Van. A lot of work went into this breathtaking new effort! A masterpiece in epic song writing from one the best and unique artists around!” – Nominal Records

“Time apart from reality is hard to come by.
However, if you manage, separating one’s self from the rush of worldwide goings on can yield some truly revelatory perspective. On her latest album, The Quarry, Vancouver singer-songwriter Ora Cogan finds autonomy and uses it to project moments of her life into sonic fantasy.” - Discorder

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