Sesiyomelh- Great Grandmothers Reclaiming Jurisdiction for Children
2855 Chowat Road V0M 1A0 Agassiz, BC, Canada

Sesiyomelh In February 2019 I was approached by one of the Sto:lo leaders to coordinate a Matriarch project (what an honour to be asked to do). It would be geared at re-establishing the Matriarchial system. A way of give the grandmothers and great grandmothers and aunties to once again be the female leaders in their families and communities. History shows that the Matriarchs were the ones that lead the family, they directed the children and great grandchildren and even the l...Continue reading

Next Sesiyomelh meeting is Wednesday July 8, 2020 starting at 9:00 am. If you want to join let me, Katherine Charlie or Lori Kelly know and Lori will send you an invite for Zoom video.

Next Sesiyomelh gathering is on June 11, 2020 9:00 am on Zoom. If you want to join the session, let me know or contact Katherine Charlie or Lori Kelly and we can send you an invite. Interesting topics to discuss. Hope to hear from you. Helen Joe

Our Sesiyomelh are the strength of our families, communities and Coast Salish Nation. In this current COVID-19 pandemic we must call upon our Great Grandmoth...ers, Grandmothers, and Aunties to help comfort our families. Our Sesiyomelh Governance Project is organizing a meeting with our Health Leaders to educate our Great Grandmothers, Grandmothers, Aunties, and Mothers about this pandemic. With this learning, our Sesiyomelh will help keep our families and communities safe. When troubled, or feeling afraid and alone, I could always count on my Mom for comfort. My Grandmother gave me unconditional love that sustained me through the most challenging of times. Granny taught me the power of prayer. She taught me that faith is grown and strengthened by the tests that life gives us. Granny taught me about the blessing and medicine of forgiveness. Stay tuned for the details as our Sesiyomelh Project works with our Health Leaders to plan a webinar or Facebook live events to educate our beloved Sesiyomelh.

"Hon. Murray Sinclair: Honourable senators, I rise to speak to some of the issues that have been raised with regard to the comments of our two colleagues present. As you know, I’ve been a supporter of this legislation from the beginning, even though it has, certainly, a considerable number of flaws. One of the concerns, as I understand it, that has been raised by the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs with regard to this particular legislation is the fact that they consider that it ...Continue reading

Too many of our children are removed from their families, communities, and our Nation have we had enough? Once the Ministry or Delegated Agency takes the care of a child or children to court, it takes years to get our children back to their family, community, and Nation. Have we had enough? The federal government or should I say the Hon. Jane Philpott and the Hon. Jody Wilson-Raybould heard us. Working together, these Ministers championed the development of a federal... law to recognize Indigenous Jurisdiction for Children and Families. My heart is full of gratitude for these Ministers that listened, learned, and then acted. Jane and Jody unlocked a door that was locked by the Indian Act and the Ministry of Children and Family Development. It is up to us are we prepared to go through the unlocked door and reclaim our jurisdiction for children and families. The STC secured funding to work with our Matriarchs, Respected Elders, and leaders. We have much work to do together. It is up to us to change the world to be a better place for our children and grandchildren. No one can do this work for us, or do this work to us. We must step up, set the table, engage in a dialogue, learn to listen and listen to learn, inform ourselves and then act together. While the STC secured the funding we will work with all of our Matriarchs, Respected Elders, Leaders and Caregivers on this important work. Here’s the press release on the 1st Reading of Bill C-92! https://www.canada.ca//bill-c-92-introduced-in-parliament- Dk:

The Matriarchs decided to reclaim their jurisdiction for the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. As an elected leader, I have listened and heard our Great Grandmothers, Grandmothers and Aunties. As an elected leader, I will carry out advocacy, advocacy and advocacy with the federal and provincial governments to achieve recognition of the jurisdiction of our Matriarchs. We can and we must do this work for our children. Dk.

The attached news story sets out clearly the reasons for our people to reclaim our jurisdiction for children and families! Our Matriarchs will keep our children safe and within our families. https://www.theglobeandmail.com//article-current-child-we/

This morning, the Sto:lo Nation Jurisdiction Working Group for Children and Family Services met at the STC Boardroom. Chief Rhoda Peters, Chief Alice McKay, Chief Andy Phillips, Siyam Clara Paull, Deanna John, Brenda Morgan, Willie Charlie, Steven Point and Doug Kelly met from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. During the meeting, we reviewed the action items from the previous meeting. The Grand Chiefs Council and Matriarchs met. They are in the early stages of planning a ceremony t...o honour the Matriarchs. Notes from this meeting will be shared with the leadership later this week. Bill Yoachim, Executive Director of Kwumut Lelum is prepared to participate in a future meeting to share best practices. Willie Charlie provided the working group an overview of the Sts’ailes work and advice on the Sto:lo work. We had a very productive discussion. We went to Sts’ailes for the Tribe and Nation Rebuilding Forum. Chief Ralph Leon hosted the meeting and he was joined by Chief Alice McKay, Chief Dalton Silver, Chief Andy Phillips, Brenda Morgan, Wendy Phair, Grand Chief Kat Pennier, Grand Chief Steven Point and Grand Chief Doug Kelly. After sharing a meal, we watched two videos presented by Sts’ailes about their community and their youth. Once the meeting opened, we carried on with the dialogue from the morning session Sto:lo Nation Jurisdiction on Children and Family Services. Grand Chief Steven Point did some whiteboarding to spark discussion. The whiteboard and ensuring discussion helped us to develop a strategy to achieve jurisdiction. We set the next meeting for the Tribe and Nation Rebuilding Forum for Tuesday, November 13, 2018 at Sumas beginning with lunch and adjourning at 4 p.m. At that time, we will review the draft strategy prepared by Grand Chief Steven Point, Chief Andy Phillips, and Grand Chief Doug Kelly. We will also receive a report on the planning for the Honouring Ceremony for the Matriarchs. If you are interested in supporting the Sto:lo Nation Jurisdiction Working Group for Children and Family Services please let me know. Provide me with your email address and cell phone number so that we may keep you posted on this work. Thank you. It was a most exciting and productive day! On behalf of the people, I thank you, Alice, Brenda, Rhoda, Deanna, Clara, Willie, Andy, Steven, Kat, Ralph, and Dalton. You helped us make progress on this very important work. Dk:

Creating a better world for our children The first job of a parent is simple and it is very difficult. When I became a Dad for the first time, Mom told me that I had to give my children a better start in life than she gave me. She told me that her parents gave her a better start than they had. She gave me a better start than her parents gave her. It was my turn. Now, I see that my children are giving my grandchildren a better start in life than we gave them. Too many of ...Continue reading

Sto:lo Jurisdiction Children and Family Services September 30, 2018 The Old Way Grandmothers and Aunties As a 58-year old man, I recall my Aunties and Uncles taking in children. As a child, I did not understand why children joined our family they just did. As an adult, I learned that the parents passed from illness or accidents. The children needed a home and the Grandmothers and Aunties got together. They talked about the children and they decided which of the Aunt...Continue reading

Later this week, on Friday afternoon, a group of volunteer Chiefs and leaders are meeting to develop a plan for reclaiming our jurisdiction for children and families. This work belongs to the Matriarchs, Patriarchs, Leaders of extended families, and our medicine people. How do we begin? What are our next steps? Please allow me to share some suggestions. Matriarchs Reclaiming Their Roles My niece, sisters, Aunties and others have told me about their positive experience at ...Continue reading

What is Nation Rebuilding? Why should I bother? For me, Nation Rebuilding is all about creating a better world for our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Our first job as a parent is to give our children a better start in life than our parents gave us. A Grandparent’s job is to help their children with unconditional love. Our Nation needs rebuilding and there is much work to do. Too many of our children are in government care. Too many of our youth are in c...ustody of federal or provincial jails. Too many of our youth are suffering from unresolved trauma and grief. Deep in our pain, we need to find ways to heal. The work of Nation Rebuilding belongs to the people. This work belongs to the Matriarchs, Patriarchs, Respected Elders, Cultural & Spiritual leaders. The leadership has to provide leadership and bring the people together. We need to create safe spaces to talk. We need to learn to listen and listen to learn. We need to air out fears. Ask questions, seek information, convert information into knowledge, convert knowledge into action. This work of Nation Rebuilding belongs to all of us. Our work begins with the Children We cannot go back in time. We cannot undo the pain and trauma of the past. If we can only go forward, then we must make certain that our children and grandchildren do not suffer the pain of sexual abuse, family violence, and unresolved trauma from residential schools. We must break this cycle and prevent our children from carrying this pain forward. The Ministry of Children and Family Development is not doing the job. The government legislation, policies, and approaches do not work. The folks in charge do not understand that tinkering with failed legislation and policies will not make a difference. The MCFD approach is deeply flawed. We can do better. Matriarchs Born in 1960, I witnessed the work of Matriarchs. In times of trouble, times of need, the Grandmothers and Aunties came together. They talked about their grandchildren, nieces and nephews that needed a home. The Grannies and Aunties would talk amongst themselves and decide on where to place children. No social workers, no money changing hands, our beloved Matriarchs carried on with taking care of the entire family. This continues today, Grandmothers, Great Grandmothers, and Aunties continue to carry a deep and abiding love for their entire family. The Ministry gets in the way. Their social workers think that they know best. The family court thinks that they know what is best. MCFD and Family Court do not know our families better than the Grandmothers and Aunties. We must reclaim the ways of our ancestors. It begins by calling upon the Matriarchs to take their rightful place to exercise their responsibility and exercise their deep and abiding love for their entire family from the youngest to the oldest. Our ways look after keeping children safe and keeping our families together we must do this work!

Part 1 of 2 - PowerPoint Presentation delivered by Kukpi Wayne Christian at Cheam on Monday, September 17, 2018

Part 2 of 2 Chief Wayne Christian PowerPoint Presentation to the Fraser Salish Chiefs at Cheam on September 17 2018