Being Hupacasath
I recently found this photo on the Ha-shilth-sa archives. It’s a photo of my grandpa “Tuffy” standing with my great-grandpa Willie Tatoosh Jr doing some form of Hupacasath business.
To me, this was the epitome of being Hupacasath, knowing I come from both of these men. And knowing that both these men were well respected within our Nation for their leadership. They both had the responsibility to take care of our people and I still hear stories today of the impact their teachings and leadership had on our people.
I love my community. I love being Hupacasath. I love that I come from the Watts family and the Tatoosh family. My family is huge and I am so fortunate to be able to call so many people my aunty, uncle, or my cousin. And more recently the addition of having nieces and nephews, the children of my cousins, the next generation. I also know that my roots trace and connect with all the families of Hupacasath: Lauder’s, Hamilton’s, Nash’s, Joseph’s. If we aren’t directly related, we are neighbours. We also have extended family who make up our Nation, along with loved ones marrying into Hupacasath, and those that are adopted in. We are Hupacasath and we have strong connections. Being Hupacasath is being connected to each other, our language and our lands.
Our community is our family. When I look at our family, I see so much talent, thoughtfulness, and love. The experience and knowledge of our members is a valuable resource to our nation and to our family. By working together, I know we will achieve continued success.
Today marks six years since the nurses gently woke me up in the hospital room to tell me my grandpa left us. I remember the days and the hours, leading up to his passing so clearly. I was running in the Hupacasath election in 2015 for a Council seat. I was Communications Coordinator for the Nation. I was fresh out of university with a Bachelor of Tourism Management Degree from 2014.
As for the hours that led up to his passing, I know he was surrounded by family and leaders that loved and respected him. Our final moments together were so precious and I am so thankful for the spiritual journey we shared before he left us to be with my grandma.
Four days after his passing, I was successful in securing a seat on Hupacasath Council. I was the new addition to the team as Hupacasath expanded the number of seats that year. Little did I know how challenging such a job could be for the two years, especially while carrying fresh grief. Learning how an Indian Act band governs and what systems, or lack there of, are in place to ensure sustainable success was an eye opener. To be fair and clear, Indian Act governance is a form of systemic racism, where bands are accountable to Indian Services Canada (ISC), more so than their own people. It’s a flawed system leading to mistrust and unsustainable systems that work for a little while but are limited to evolve and grow.
Walking in two worlds, one world with traditional cultural teachings and the other a colonial form of governance, was lonely. Add in the word’s ‘reconciliation’ and ‘racism’ near the end of my term, my whole world turned upside down while trying to champion solutions to both of those ‘r’ words and the weight they carry. I was exhausted, sick and not the best version of myself. I never felt so alone.
My grandpa listened to me, especially when I felt alone. He imparted his incredible knowledge and wisdom of community politics and politics in general. As I write this, I want to acknowledge that he listened to me throughout my entire life and all my challenges I faced. He was my father figure. His love was endless and I miss him and my grandma every single day.
A thing that he and I share, is a love for Hupacasath. Of course, in his role, this was his responsibility. I know that the love for our community is something each of us share.
I hope to be able to serve again. I am offering the knowledge and experience I’ve gained since his passing. I am showing up with the healing I’ve done to overcome most of this grief. From the healing I am showing up with the strength I need to help lift people up.
“My intentions right now are to help clear things up, but more importantly make my grandfather proud and use his knowledge as a tool to create a better future.”
Before I ever put my name forward, I wrote this sentence in a blog post I dedicated to my grandpa on Father’s Day in 2014. These are still my intentions and I will never let go of building a better future for our nation, our family.
Please consider me on Tuesday April 6th, my heart is in it.
Find the Hupacasath Election Info here.
