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Squamish and Lil’wat find opportunities through Games

"I think the world is going to view indigenous peoples very differently after these Games. But I think indigenous peoples are going to view the world very differently, as well." - Tewanee Joseph speaking on the Bill Good Show Feb.

"I think the world is going to view indigenous peoples very differently after these Games. But I think indigenous peoples are going to view the world very differently, as well."

- Tewanee Joseph speaking on the Bill Good Show Feb. 5, 2010

 

The list of legacies the Sea to Sky area has reaped from the 2010 Olympics is regurgitated quickly and often: an improved highway, international exposure, a huge fibre optic line, new sports facilities, employee housing and various other pieces of what are often called "infrastructure."

But a list of tangible assets pales in comparison to a less measurable legacy: opportunity.

For the Squamish and Lil'wat Nations, the 2010 Winter Olympics represent opportunity. That opportunity began with a protocol agreement between the two First Nations nearly 12 years ago.

"When the announcement came that Vancouver and Whistler were going to pursue the opportunity to bid on the Games," recalled Greg Bikadi, former president of Mount Currie's Lil'wat Business Corporation, "there were some short discussions on what we would pursue. Working together would create a lot more synergy and a lot more benefits for the two nations than working independently."

They identified common concerns. Whistler, where Squamish and Lil'wat traditional territories overlap, figured high in strategic interests. The Callaghan Valley was also a point of interest, as was the Elaho Valley, the Games themselves and the Land and Resource Management Plan.

Economic opportunity, for current and future generations, was key - with unemployment reaching 80 per cent in Mount Currie and with a large percentage of both nations' populations under the age of 25.

But economic development is only part of the story. Cultural rediscovery is equally important. The Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre is ground zero for that reawakening.

"Getting rid of ignorance has always been something we've tried to do," said Squamish Chief Gibby Jacob. "You can't calculate that value in dollars and cents."

A seedling in 1997, the idea for the cultural centre first experienced promising growth with the protocol between Squamish and Lil'wat. Federal, provincial and municipal governments all came to the table with advice, finances and land concessions. Bell Canada and RBC Financial, both Olympic sponsors, also provided support.

Meanwhile, a foundation was being laid. A First Nations tourism program was established at Capilano University; it produced 15 graduates in 2005. Around the same time, the Aboriginal Youth Ambassador Project was launched, a program that produced a slew of envoys to work the centre floor, interacting with visitors and explaining the finer points of the nations' cultures. Basket weaving, carving and Salish weaving programs all came together at around the same time, each one training young minds on dying traditions.

"This particular facility (SLCC) lies in the past, the present and the hopes for the future," said Jacob.

The art and culture of many First Nations - not just the Squamish and Lil'wat - will be on display to the world in the next few weeks. The Olympic and Paralympic medals, the graphic imagery of the Games and the Olympic venues' aboriginal art program are a few of the most visible examples.

And while the world will learn more of First Nations' art and culture during the Olympics, First Nations have already seen many tangible economic benefits from the Games. According to Tewanee Joseph, CEO of the Four Host First Nations (Squamish, Lil'wat, Musqueum and Tsleil-Waututh) on whose traditional lands the 2010 Olympics will take place, $57 million in Olympic contracting has gone to more than 100 aboriginal businesses.

For instance, the Lil'wat struck a $2.1 million deal with highway contractor Peter Kiewit Sons Co. that brought about Lil'wat Concrete and Aggregates, the company that manufactured the barriers used on the upgraded Sea to Sky Highway. The trails and lodge at Whistler Olympic Park were built by Lil'wat and Squamish companies that partnered with existing contractors.

"Joint ventures with Lil'wat were involved in our original clearing and construction work for the Nordic centre," Gary Youngman, VANOC's consulting director of Aboriginal Participation said in a previous interview with Pique Newsmagazine , "and one of the joint ventures with Squamish Nation and Newhaven has built our day lodge in the Nordic valley, so they played an early role in construction and they've done a great job."

The skills and expertise acquired through these contracts have laid a foundation for future development projects by the Squamish and Lil'wat. The Legacy Lands Agreement that provided the Squamish and Lil'wat with 300 acres of Crown land in Whistler is also part of the two nations' economic foundation for the future.

"We need to succeed. We need to develop a sustainable economy. We need to get the kinds of businesses that would employ the right kinds of people," said Jacob.

As planning for the Olympics became more detailed the Squamish and Lil'wat were ready to step in as employment opportunities arose. It slowly emerged that the relationships built between the First Nations and companies looking for workers could be one of the greatest legacies.

"Our vision is that through the Games we are creating opportunities for employers to see who we are," said Squamish Chief Bill Williams.

"When companies see our young population they want to encourage them to learn about the companies because they are local and so are we."

In the months leading up to the Games employment job fairs were held in Squamish and Vancouver to connect First Nations and other workers with job opportunities. And while the specific jobs may be Olympic-related, many of the companies hiring are large employers who can provide future opportunities to workers with skills in food services, private security and other fields.

"The legacy will be that we have people in the community who want to contribute to the general economy of Vancouver, the corridor and B.C. as a whole and in doing so they will become self-sufficient and be able to sustain themselves without help from different levels of government," said Williams.

 

 



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