Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour the life of Moonaquin mit Stephen Charleson, a proud member of the Hesquiaht First Nation and the House of Kinquashtakumtlth.
Stephen was a lifelong fisher, learning traditional fishing and navigation skills from his father and brothers and living his entire life on the lands and waters around Hesquiaht Harbour, except for the painful years he spent in residential schools and the Indian boarding homes program.
He was immensely proud of the recognition by the courts of Hesquiaht fishing rights through the T'aaq-wiihak fishery. He was both a teacher and a learner, studying the Nuu-chah-nulth language in his final years. Throughout his life, he shared his teachings and touched the lives of hundreds of people from all walks of life, establishing the Hooksum Outdoor School in 2000, specializing in outdoor and environmental education.
Stephen recently passed to the other side and leaves behind his loving wife, Karen, six children, 12 grandchildren and a legacy of strength, culture and connection to home. May he rest in peace, and may we honour his memory with action and respect.