Last week during Aboriginal Day a canoe race was held on the Mamquam Blind Channel that pitted representatives from the Squamish RCMP detachment and five other teams against a collection of young Squamish Nation paddlers and their adult skipper. Some spectators wondered what a contingent of burly Mounties would gain by embarrassing this callow group, some of whom had yet to cross the threshold of adolescence. As it turned out, the kids left the cops and all the other competitors in their wake.
That surge to the forefront is an apt metaphor for the ascendency of a community that has become a significant cultural presence and major commercial player in the Sea to Sky Corridor and the Greater Vancouver area. Recently the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam nations signed a deal with the province to acquire the Jericho Lands in Vancouver’s West Point Grey neighbourhood for $480 million. And the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre in Whistler has become a showcase destination venue at the same time as the work of aboriginal artists is in high demand.
But life is not without challenges. In 2014 the RCMP investigated allegations that two elected band administrators had mishandled funds. After months of controversy, they were officially removed from their positions. Some members, both on and off reserve, complain they are being left in the dark about deals their council has negotiated. Others claim they are not reaping the full benefit of the band’s newfound affluence. Although the community still has its share of deep-rooted social issues, the Elders’ Advisory Committee and other groups are helping to heal the wounds created by addictions, suicide, violence and abuse. Long-term remedial opportunities have been created in the form of counselling and treatment referrals, support circles and a broad range of prevention activities.
Of equal importance is the fact that more indigenous youth are graduating from secondary and post-secondary institutions than ever before and they have a greater awareness of the personal trauma and marginalization faced by their elders who attended residential schools. At the same time they are approaching the future with self-assurance and ambition, an outlook that is highlighted by the Sea to Sky Aboriginal Youth Leadership group’s recent 24-Hour Drum event and the Aboriginal Youth Ambassador program at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre.
In 2010 Vancouver Magazine interviewed Squamish Nation Chief Ian Campbell about the roadside digital billboards the band installed in Squamish and across the Lower Mainland. He said “One way or another, we are going to assert ourselves. We’re not asking anyone’s permission…just wait and see what we’re planning next.” Six years later, that bold declaration is gaining more traction with each passing day.
