Mr. Speaker, this weekend in Sechelt, on the traditional territory of the Shishálh people, the Sechelt arts council, the mayor, and the school district principal for aboriginal programs announced their plans for their Canada 150 celebration, “s-yìyaya: Our Families. Our Stories.”
Shishálh elders, non-indigenous early settlers, and young people are embarking on a year of storytelling with the support of professional artists. The Shishálh have a proud oral tradition. Post-contact settlers have proud stories too. Capturing these is a way for young people to learn and to lead in the community and in the country through truth and reconciliation.
Indigenous and non-indigenous, we have a shared history, both light and dark. s-yìyaya, family, we are one.