By Lawrence Mitchell, ‘Ćum’qwa:tun’ Snaw-naw-as First Nation

Snaw-naw-as hasn’t really had its own song and dance group. If it did, it has been a long time since it has performed. In fact, a lot of the culture was withheld from our parents, and from their parents and grandparents, in fear of them or their children being taken away, like what happened with residential school and the Sixties Scoop and all that history.

I grew up half my life in foster homes, not knowing how big my history and connections were. All I knew back in the ‘80s was that I was an Indian…and back then in elementary school, I was getting beaten up weekly because I was an Indian.

It got to a point where I was so ashamed of being beaten up and ridiculed all the time that I found myself walking home scratching my arms until they bled, because back then I thought being an Indian was a colour… and I hated being Indian.

I didn’t know anything about my true history as a Coast Salish person. All I knew was what we learned in social studies, that natives lived in teepees and hunted buffalo. So, in saying that, I grew up half my life not knowing who I was, why I am here and what my purpose is in life. And after moving back to the reserve in Nanoose, I’ve been spending the rest of my life learning those things I was missing as a child.

Kyrrah and Jaylen. Photos by Tricia Thomas

And I don’t want any of my kids, or other Coast Salish xwulmuxw (people) facing those kind of tribulations. At the same time, I want to let all other children in the school districts know that we don’t hunt buffalo and we don’t live in teepees. Let them know that we are rich in culture, history and that the Salish Sea is Coast Salish.

We live a way of life that has been handed down to us from the creator. And through these practices, our lives become enriched. We forge sacred connections with the animal kingdom, the spirit world, our people and the creator.

Through our song and dance group we honour those connections and share how we respect our way of life through the songs and dance. We aim to tell stories through the dance and help our neighbours understand where they are and forge new relationships through our children. We are all going to be here forever.

We will more than likely grow up as neighbours for the rest of time. Why not develop a continuum of awareness and have this relationship built and maintained on a long-term basis?

Meanwhile, back home, we are starting to practice and share these teachings and raise awareness within our children. We want to build them into this way of life, as it was not so available or present to some of us as parents and grandparents.

Through this dance group, we aim to build a connection to the children in the schools, forge a relationship within their lives, enhance teachings with our children, and fulfill our responsibilities to the ancestors by carrying on with our traditions.

Teaching our children the ways, so that, in time, they can pass them on to their children and those unborn. My children are being leaders. I always uplift them in any way I can because it takes a lot of courage and bravery to get up and dance in front of hundreds of kids their age.

I always acknowledge what they’re doing because no one else is doing it, so they are leading by example. They are leaders. And I beam with pride knowing they are so intent on learning our culture, being a part of our rich and vibrant history, and so willing to share this with their peers.

They are uplifting a nation, setting a positive example and laying a path for future growth as Coast Salish people in this area. Through future performances, we hope to engage more kids, and even parents, within our nation and work to ensure our children unborn know who they are, why they are, where they come from and how they play a role in our history, as well as show honour to our  ancestors.

••••

My children and I have been involved in song and dance for the last few months, primarily in Parksville area schools. We have danced for PASS-Woodwinds alternate school and Nanoose Bay elementary. We have helped co-host cultural awareness days with our local school, Seaview Elementary. And we have several schools in the wings waiting for us to share our story. We recently performed for the BC Assembly of First Nations and will be performing for the Nanaimo Aboriginal Center dinner in April, as well.