Crossroads Cultural Resource Management

Here at Crossroads, we've been thinking about how to be helpful regarding the protests across North America. Our friends at Culturally Modified captured our sentiment and shared resources to help give Canadian historical context to this moment in time.

Culturally Modified just launched their latest issue! Check it out as they revisit and highlight some of their best Indigenous content:

relationship *the way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected, or the state of being connected* This latest piece from Culturally Modified explores the complex relationships that currently exist in Wet’suwet’en territory. Chief Na’Moks and Chief Knedebeas contribute to the dialogue and remind us that we are all connected.

When our principal, Rick Budhwa was contacted by The Narwhal to provide commentary on this piece (not to prove a side of the story, but rather for the journalist to better understand the context of this complicated situation), we were cautious at first. However, after looking in to this publications track record and values we felt that our works and intentions would be accurately represented. This piece in The Narwhal is a great reminder for our friends who live far away as ...to what is occurring at the ground level here in Northern BC. It highlights the complex nature of resource management, specifically related to heritage resources, and the very unique and special socio-political environment we have here in our province. https://thenarwhal.ca/they-are-erasing-our-history-indigen/

Our team had a blast speaking to anthropology students and aspiring applied anthropologists about careers in cultural resource management (CRM) at the joint American Anthropological Association and Canadian Anthropology Society 2019 annual meeting in Vancouver last week. CRM is usually associated with archaeology and material culture, so we love having the opportunity to encourage the next generation of anthropologists to remember and focus on the often more important intangible aspects of culture. Dana Evaschuk Jocelyn Franks

Fantastic turnout for the Indigenous Resilience session chaired by our Principal, Rick Budhwa at the joint AAA/CAS conference in Vancouver. We are honoured to help contribute to improving the resource management process for all First Nations.

This is a great example of meaningful co-management of heritage resources and demonstrates how we can begin to manage for the intangible aspects of CRM. It's promising to see a partnership like this at the federal level, hopefully it's the first of many more!

"I have a memory: being aware that there was nothing in the world that I could not express in my language. My mind could do somersaults in the language. Now I'm losing the ability, because I'm surrounded by English everyday." ~ Patricia Ningewance

Dear friend Andrew George, getting the recognition he deserves... "The 50-week, industry-proven cook training infuses Indigenous culinary techniques and ingredients into the standard curriculum of Okanagan College’s Culinary Arts Certificate program. Through an unprecedented partnership between a university, a government agency and First Nations communities, it also creates a clear pathway for participants to attain Red Seal certification."

Join us today as we celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day at the Friendship Centre hall!

When Lou-ann Ika'wega Neel moved from Alert Bay to Victoria at the age of seven, she started visiting the Royal B.C. Museum because it made her feel at home. Now, she's part of the museum's repatriation department and is working to help repatriate the thousands of Indigenous belongings and ancestral remains in the museum's collections. #NationalIndigenousHistoryMonth

To celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day, Culturally Modified is giving away this beadwork piece! Head on over to the Facebook page for details.

For National Indigenous History Month, we've asked our Crossroads team to share their favourite places in northern BC to experience Indigenous culture and history. If you have a favourite place, please tell us in the comments! It feels like everywhere one goes in northern BC one can feel Indigenous culture and history imbued in the landscape. I recall walking a short ways into the forest near Morice Lake (Wedzin Bin in Wet’suwet’en). The grove was quiet calm, with a delicat...e carpet of deep moss and intricate plant life, including an abundance of Labrador Tea, important to First Nations as plant medicine. Crossroads colleague Carla Lewis and I were there to collect some of the plants for gifting. For me, it was an example of every place across the north holding cultural significance. ~ Sarah Weber, Cultural and Ecological Resources Specialist #NationalIndigenousHistoryMonth

Your Saturday morning read. #NationalIndigenousHistoryMonth

"Coast Funds’ conservation finance has supported ecotourism and cultural revitalization ventures, from guest cabins in Bella Bella, rediscovery camps in Haida Gwaii, seaside cottages in Campbell River, to the Spirit Bear Lodge in Kitasoo/Xai’xais territory."

"There's a lot going through my mind. I'm thinking of what they went through, those who went before us," Wuttunee said. The obsidian will soon be shipped to the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Regina.

"A private contracted archeologist was conducting a mandatory site survey. Mitzi Gilroy went to meet her in the field. She saw the rich discoveries made in just one day of digging up several small patches. The government letter confirms a further three-day dig and 'specialist analysis' confirmed the value of the find."

And the bucket list continues to grow... Anyone out there checked these out in person?

"The museum has worked with First Nations groups to ensure the poles are taken down in a culturally proper manner."

"The report, obtained by CBC News and verified by sources, concludes that a genocide driven by the disproportionate level of violence faced by Indigenous women and girls occurred in Canada through 'state actions and inactions rooted in colonialism and colonial ideologies.'"