In this far-ranging conversation, Dr. Keith Carlson and podcast host Á’a:líya Warbus discuss his long-time work as a historian for the Stó:lō people and some of the projects he’s been involved since first arriving in Chilliwack in 1992. Everything from interviewing Elders and researching pre-contact Stó:lō governance, to creating books like the Sto:lo Atlas and We are Asked to Witness, to what it would take to create a truly Stó:lō, yet modern, governance system. Keith Carlson teaches history at the University of the Fraser Valley and holds a Tier one Canada Research Chair in Indigenous and Community-Engaged History.
Episode 4 – Xólhmet te mekw’stám ít kwelát: We have to take care of everything that belongs to us
Guest: Maex̱’eyétel Jason Thompson, Leq’á:mel
Many young people can’t wait to put distance between themselves and the place they grew up in. The answers are out there, rather than at home among the people we’ve known all of our lives. But what makes us change our minds? Leq’á:mel’s Jason Thompson talks with host A’a:liya Warbus about making a conscious decision to change directions and come back to do important work on the land and strengthen his cultural and personal connections to his community.
Episode 3 – Never forget your roots – A Stó:lō police officer’s story
Guest: Angie Kermer, Leq’á:mel
Leq’á:mel’s Angie Kermer talks with host A’a:liya Warbus about her 30-year career as an RCMP officer, Indigenous policing in other jurisdictions, Stó:lō justice pre-contact and more. Kermer is Haida, Stó:lō, Squamish and Nooksack through her immediate family connections, and has lived in Port Hardy, Campbell River, North Vancouver, Leq’á:mel and more. Listen in as she discusses how she stayed true to her community ways, implementing them into her work and police culture, while witnessing the world change and grow.
Episode 2 – We are the People of the River: Post-Contact Fishing in Context
Guests: Xwelíqweltel, Grand Chief Steven Point
When the Europeans arrived in the 1800s, they considered the People of the River as the owners of the land and the fish in the river. The Stó:lō traded with those who first arrived and helped create new products and markets for the Hudson Bay Company, who were originally interested in fur. Since that early time, the colonial government has imposed ever increasing rules to restrict Stó:lō access to the fish in Stó:lō territory. Xwelíqweltel, Grand Chief Steven Point discusses this history and why the Stó:lō people need to understand the past in order to move forward.
Satsan, Herb George, Hereditary Chief of the Frog Clan of the Wet’suwet’en Nation
Xwelíqweltel, Grand Chief Steven Point
“People take off their Indian Act hat and it’s quite dynamic and amazing to observe and be a part of. And then they put on their inherent right blanket, their robe of power. And then they start talking about, okay, now this is what we need to do together,” says Satsan in this far-reaching conversation with Grand Chief Steven Point. The pair spoke during our Light the Fire video series in April 2022 and we’ve condensed the talk a bit, but this podcast still covers so much including, our inherent right to self-government, the impact of the Indian Act, the push to revise the Canadian Constitution to recognize Aboriginal and Treaty Rights, Indigenous Rights Court Cases and more.
