First Nations Resources

According to statistics (note: I am wary of such things, but here it helps to communicate a point);

“First Nations youth in Canada are more likely to be incarcerated than graduate from High School”

The First Nations youth I know, are incredibly aware and perceptive. They know what is happening around them. These are smart kids.

The world around us influences our ability to fulfil our full potential. It is a reality that some kids have a more challenging ‘world around’ them. There are real reasons and histories which have led to this. If we can each try to understand these reasons and histories, and do what we can to address these, we are a step closer to creating a place where each child is able to become their truest, happiest self.

If anyone would like further context about what Patrick Charleson Jr. has spoken about here, and what I am writing about, there are many great resources about First Nations in Canada. Including, what they have experienced in recent history and how they are moving forward as a people.

Online you can check out;

-the First People’s of Canada Website

-the University of Calgary

-the Assembly of First Nations Website

I Don’t Feel Angry Anymore

“I’m proud now that I’ve dealt with my residential school and how I feel about white people in general. Because I grew up hating white people. Because of how it was. I had sugar shakers broken on my head.

I tell ya, have you ever seen that movie called Billy Jack and these white guys are pouring flour over an Indian boy’s head, and it triggered that so bad, I was right back with the Brothers…the sugar was just pouring down.

When they say they take something out of you, that’s how I feel, they took something out of me. And that was trust. And it’s really hard for me to trust. I think I’ve grown up to a point where I don’t feel angry anymore.

Maybe it’s because of my grandchildren. Whenever I’m hurting, like when my wife took off, I used to have them over all the time. They’d come and hug me, I’d tell ‘em I love ‘em and I’d just hold ‘em, and it makes you feel better. Because you know that they’re there, it makes you stronger as a person. I call them my medicine ay.”

Hesquiaht Elder, Patrick Charleson Jr

Photography: Donovan Williams, Jacine Charleson, Kevin Charleson, Patrick Charleson IV, Rakaylyn Charleson

We Were Gone

“The best thing for our kids here is going home to their parents, going home every night to their parents.

We never had that. Ten months of the year we were gone. So we…I didn’t know [how to be a parent]. It took me long time to learn how to be a father.”

Hesquiaht Elder, Patrick Charleson Jr

Photography: Donovan Williams, Jacine Charleson, Kevin Charleson, Patrick Charleson IV, Rakaylyn Charleson

Respecting Our Culture

“I used to dance when I was young, we were always taught to respect our culture. By respecting our culture, we had to learn how to dance, and speak our language.

After I got out of res [residential school], it was drilled into our heads we couldn’t and we shouldn’t – our grandparents are heathens.

One of the pride and joys of Hesquiaht is the Sparrow Dance, we had some of the best sparrow dancers. I want to see my Grandson here, do that dance. But our tribe is so…always feuding. Certain groups saying we’re doing this wrong, because they think they’re right, stuff like that.

When it comes to actually doing it, as long as they’re learning. That’s what my Great-Grandfather said, he said, as long as they are doing it ay, they are not losing it.”

Hesquiaht Elder, Patrick Charelson Jr

Photography: Donovan Williams, Jacine Charleson, Kevin Charleson, Patrick Charleson IV, Rakaylyn Charleson

Use Your Voice

“Don’t be like me. When I was in school that’s how we talked – with our eyebrows. And we talked with our head. You know why, because we were not allowed to talk.

That’s why I say to you guys all the time learn how to use your voice. Be proud of it, don’t be ashamed of it. When someone asks you a question, don’t just nod your head.  Talk with your voice ok. Don’t be shy.

Be proud of who you are. From here…from your heart.”

Hesquiaht Elder, Patrick Charleson Jr

Photography: Donovan Williams, Jacine Charleson, Kevin Charleson, Patrick Charleson IV, Rakaylyn Charleson

Help ‘Em Come To My Page

“It took me long time to trust white people – really long. Because they were commanding us, telling us they were the bosses and stuff. It took a while. But now I’ve dealt with my residential school and I can talk to people, but I also let ’em know.

That’s how I get comfortable with white people, let ’em know, and help ’em come to my page.”

Hesquiaht Elder, Patrick Charleson Jr

Photography: Donovan Williams, Jacine Charleson, Kevin Charleson, Patrick Charleson IV, Rakaylyn Charleson

The Bad Words

“I knew a little bit of Hesquiaht. But by the time we got to residential school, they beat it out of us. You know we were not allowed to talk that way. Pretty early they strapped the hell out of us. We learnt right away that we couldn’t do it. They called our parents heathens.

But you know one thing about them strapping us all the time, we learnt all the bad words, and what to call them. That’s the thing I know, if you look at our generation, that’s all we seem to know is the bad words, because that’s what we’d use on them.”

Hesquiaht Elder, Patrick Charleson Jr

Photography: Rakaylyn Charleson

700 Million Dollars

“All our Hesquiaht territory was not even logged. But I guess it started changing when I was seventeen. The logging company that was here moved in, and they started logging.

And the sad part about it is that Hesquiaht never got a thing out of it. I think they said there was over 700 million dollars worth of logs that came out of this area.

And you think we ever got anything out of it? I mean there were jobs, people were working up there, I was working up there. Bad for the environment but it was a job for me, you know. But that’s the sad part about it, maybe we wouldn’t be in the situation we are in now, if we had got a little bit of the profit, shared, you know.” 

Hesquiaht Elder, Patrick Charleson Jr

Photography: Donovan Williams, Jacine Charleson, Kevin Charleson, Patrick Charleson IV, Rakaylyn Charleson

Tradition to Welfare

“I bought that boat for my kids, for you guys. Someday you might be fishermen or fisherwomen. That’s why I bought it – so we can keep it in the family – a tradition. We are a fishing family.

But don’t put your hopes on it too high, because fishing is a dying industry.

The fish have been decreasing all the time I have been here.  It was a good living too. It was fun. The other day we were talking about how we used to live off the benefits of fishing. We’d have money in the bank, now I’m waiting in line for welfare – it’s hard to accept.”

Hesquiaht Elder, Patrick Charleson Jr.

Photography: Donovan Williams, Jacine Charleson, Kevin Charleson, Patrick Charleson IV, Rakaylyn Charleson

Until There’s Nothing Left

“I think people…people, we are our worst enemies. We seem like we have to do everything until there’s nothing left.

I used to be really disgusted with that ay. They [fishing corporations] cleaned one area out, then moved to another area. The rules were the fishermen had to get the quota.

The companies put their quotas over and above the environment.”

Hesquiaht Elder, Patrick Charleson Jr.

Photography: Donovan Williams, Jacine Charleson, Kevin Charleson, Patrick Charleson IV, Rakaylyn Charleson