“This ÁLEṈENEȻ (homeland) image references a story of the creation of our home- lands here in W̱ SÁNEĆ. In the story, we say that the creator made our homelands, the islands (ṮEṮÁĆES) and high mountains from stones he casted. The stones however, were actually people who emanated good qualities that the creator believed we should all have. The creator told the islands as he cast them outward, “take care of your relatives.” In the image, the creator speaks to one of the islands before he casts them out, while the human form appears in a stone that is suspended in mid air and an island emerges from the water opposite the creator.“ by artist David Underwood — PENÁĆ
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ṮEṮÁĆES Revitalization Project
What is the ṮEṮÁĆES Revitalization Project (TRP)?
- The ṮEṮÁĆES Revitalization Project (TRP) is a community to community engagement between the W̱SÁNEĆ and Gulf Island communities to support W̱SÁNEĆ reconnection with their unceded Homeland in the Southern Gulf Islands – ṮEṮÁĆES – “their relatives of the deep.” ṮEṮÁĆES refers to the Islands where the Creator XÁLS established the W̱SÁNEĆ law of a reciprocal relationship of care between W̱SÁNEĆ and ṮEṮÁĆES. The W̱SÁNEĆ are obligated to look after the Islands as their relatives and in exchange the Islands will look after the W̱SÁNEĆ. This sacred relationship to the land was severed by the impacts of colonization. The TRP has fostered and supported the W̱SÁNEĆ reconnection with their homeland through the creation of four W̱SÁNEĆ led films that document the W̱SÁNEĆ connection with their ÁLEṈENEȻ (Homeland).
- The project is a partnership between the Southern Gulf Islands Community Resources Centre, the W̱SÁNEĆ School Board, the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council, the South Pender Island Historical Society, the UVic Living Lab Project and Raincoast Conservation Foundation. Major funding came from the Real Estate Foundation of BC.
- Raincoast Conservation Foundation brought W̱SÁNEĆ members to the Islands on their 65 ft research vessel, the Achiever. The TRP documented these gatherings through the eyes of their SELW̱ÁN ( Elders) in four films. The main film, ĆELÁṈEN TŦE ŦEŦÁĆES documents the more than 5000-year history of W̱SÁNEĆ presence of the islands and the impact of colonization on their culture, language and connection with the land. Two shorter films describe the W̱SÁNEĆ connection to S,DÁ,YES (Pender) and S,ḴŦAḴ (Mayne) Islands more specifically. The final film is an animated depiction of the story of the creation of ṮEṮÁĆES crafted by PENÁĆ (David Underwood) a SENĆOŦEN language teacher and researcher. The films are owned by the W̱SÁNEĆ School Board for educational resources for the students of the W̱SÁNEĆ Tribal School – ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱ and for the education of Islanders on W̱SÁNEĆ history and culture.
- The four films were first shown in August 2022 at community forums on S,DÁYES (Pender) and S,ḴŦAḴ (Mayne) attended by over two hundred islanders. In addition, the films have been shown to students at the W̱SÁNEĆ Tribal School and to the general public at the UVic First Nations House.
- Extensive evaluation of the project by the organizers and participants was carried out and can be reviewed here: S,DÁYES (Pender), S,ḴŦAḴ (Mayne), and Project Organizers.
- Following the video showings on the Islands, islanders got together to develop a list of Reconcili-Actions designed to re-connect W̱SÁNEĆ to their homeland. The resultant document can be found here. The list provides the framework for ongoing community-to-community engagement.
- All the activities in the ṮEṮÁĆES Revitalization Project were planned collaboratively by the W̱SÁNEĆ – S,DÁYES working group and guided by the Elders who participated in, and in many ways led the project.
- The final project report to the Real Estate Foundation of BC can be accessed below.
