Gitxsan Hereditary Chiefs Building a Pre-Contact Inspired Self-Government
This Canada Day, people across the nation – indigenous and settlers alike – are asking what can be done to right the wrongs of the not-so-distant past? How can we make sure this never happens again? What similar errors, evils and wrongdoings are happening today?
Colonial injustices –poverty, inequality, food insecurity, child apprehension, illegal access of the land and use of the Nation’s resources – continue to have a detrimental effect on the health, safety and well-being of the Gitxsan. The Gitxsan Nation is one of the few indigenous groups holding onto its traditional language, a remarkable achievement where colonial forces have committed tremendous force to whitewash indigenous culture, removing it from the record.
In a first-of-its-kind STATE OF THE GITXSAN NATION event on July 1, the re-established Gitxsan Huwilp Government brings together respected Hereditary Chief spokespersons -representing the Clans of the Gitxsan Nation -to reflect on the atrocities of the past and present.
>GEEL (catherine blackstock)
>MOOLOXAN (norman moore)
>WII EGLAAST (jim angus)
- How residential schools impacted the lives of the Gitxsan.
- Present-day injustices and atrocities, including the Nation division created by the Indian Act and Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW).
- How the Hereditary System (vs. the band system) has made it more difficult for the Gitxsan to achieve equality and recognition.
- ·Key issues that demand action including child apprehension, inadequate healthcare, and pillaging of vital resources.
