If you are looking for inspiration, look no further than the story Percy Guichon was willing to share with us. Through hardship and discrimination, pain and suffering, a few First Nations were able to create thriving communities out of hard work and ingenuity. Percy came on the show to share his personal story, but also that of his Nation and the success they have had building forestry enterprises that look out for land and give back to community. Reconciliation takes lots of forms, Percy’s story is about collaboration and thinking outside the box.
Resources
The residential school Percy attended as a child was purchased by Williams Lake First Nations to help honour their ancestors:
Article: St. Joseph's Mission residential school site should be 'a place of healing'
Central Chilcotlin Rehabilitation Ltd.
Forest Enhancement Society of BC
Tripartite Framework Agreement
Sponsors
Quotes
20.46 - 20.54: “I think… the start of… reconciliation is just by acknowledging those… past harms and what it did to our people.”
24.14 - 24.32: “I think it’s about working together… with government, with the public, with whoever wants to listen… to our story and just… talking about it, acknowledging it and bringing solutions and coming up with solutions together, with the rest of Canada.”
Takeaways
Traditional territory (4.44)
Percy is a member and Councilor of Tŝideldel First Nation in the interior of British Columbia, having served his Nation in several capacities earlier. Out of 750 members of the Nation, only 350 still live there. His mother and aunt raised him in a remote area, and he only learned to speak English in school. He is grateful to be one of the few of his generation to speak his native language. After several varied careers, he established a forestry organization with three partners.
Helping the community with knowledge and experience (8.40)
Percy’s mother was a rancher, as most First Nations members were when he was in school. The conditions of First Nations members at the time were some of the reasons that inspired Percy to run for Chief many years later, where he served for 6 years. He then wanted to help his people through forestry and economic development but still serves as an active Council Member. He then began Central Chilcotlin Rehabilitation Ltd., or CCR for short, and is now a Board Member with them.
Indigenous consultation (12.21)
Percy’s earliest memories are of living on the land with the other animals that occupy it, including its waters. He rode in wagons and helped make hay and tend to the cattle and horses. That laid the seed of his interest in forestry and took up a forestry work experience program in high school, doing silviculture surveys. Watching logging companies harvest in their territories without their inclusion or consultation was frustrating, but the then Chief began the process of respectful dialogue which has now made a difference to the consultation process.
Truth and reconciliation (19.49)
Percy believes that efforts towards reconciliation are taking place all over Canada to acknowledge the harms done to Indigenous communities through residential schools, cultural genocide and economic marginalization. Percy and his brothers are all residential school survivors and are a testament to how important language is in preserving culture. Separating children from families has given way to intergenerational trauma and issues like alcoholism in the communities.
“Communities building their own destiny” (22.41)
Percy takes hope in Indigenous-led programs for children in the community, especially safe houses for children at risk. While there is a long way to go to make things right, he sees things going in the right direction now. He believes it is important for institutions and systems to work with Indigenous people to remove barriers to meaningful long-term employment and empower communities to bring back cultural pride and traditions. Through the funding of the provincial and federal governments, schools and health centres can thrive in the communities.
Reconciliation and forestry (26.17)
Percy is impressed with governments and industries stepping up in the last 5 years to recognize the role communities play in forestry and their sovereignty in decisions made on their land. First Nations communities have formed forestry companies, created development corporations and begun holding sustainable jobs within the community. They are also being consulted by the Ministry of Forestry and meet the local forest district regularly to support community-led forestry and create healthier communities where better understanding leads to better relationships.
The trauma of residential schools (30.55)
Percy went to residential school at age 7 along with his siblings and cousins. “When you first arrive at residential school, it’s quite intimidating: a four-storey building in the middle of nowhere. As a kid, it seemed like a prison in the distance. You are mad at your parents but they have no say”, he describes it. He had to be tough and prove himself to protect his siblings and cousins. While he learned a Western education and played hockey, the impacts on his community, his culture, his friends, his family, and his sense of self were devastating.
Creating resilient forests (41.13)
A former Chief helped start a conversation with government partners who shared a new funding source, which inspired the idea to start Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation to take on community-collaborated projects. They wanted to focus on forest stands impacted by the mountain pine beetle and other insects but an 800,000-hectare fire shifted the focus to rehabilitation of burned stands and strengthening the populations of moose, deer and salmon for community sustenance. They created a biomass company which also created more jobs.
Leave a lasting legacy (47.29)
CCR today focuses on cleaning up the mountain pine beetle-infested areas. Since other logging companies “had their pick of the cream of the crop” while Indigenous forest licences were not being implemented, their returns are not as high and they have to use more processes, equipment and labour because the wood is small. However, employing more people means contributing to healthier and safer communities. Percy believes it is important for First Nations communities to be involved in the forest industry to create sustainable forests.
From companies to communities (55.28)
Percy rejoices in the transfer of forest licences from companies to communities, who not only look after the wood but also the salmon in the rivers, the health of the ocean and lakes and the wildlife populations, especially moose. Many different initiatives are enabling communities to “have a say in what happens in their backyards”. This helps distribute the responsibilities between conservation officers and community members. Six chiefs in Canada share with the government what matters to each of their First Nations to build self-reliant healthy communities.
Honouring agreements (1.04.45)
Percy shares the stories of how different First Nations have built agreements with the government, similar to how they created treaties. He narrates how the early settlers needed permission from First Nations to cross their territories, and how they brought in diseases which decimated over 75% of the population. He speaks of the battles that ensued before all parties could come together to talk about peace treaties. However, 6 chiefs were murdered, which led to the intergenerational mistrust of the government for 150 years.
Strengthening the culture (1.10.53)
Percy speaks about the supreme court decision demarcated title land area, how the BC government exonerated chiefs and the tripartite framework agreement, which are positive steps towards rebuilding a foundation of trust between the government and First Nations. The revenue generated from CCR has allowed the community to reclaim a property on the nearby lake to which they had lost access. The community has rejoiced at this development, allowing their families to enjoy the land again.
Healthy and happy communities (1.19.25)
Percy believes that communities must have forest licenses so they can benefit from them. While a lot of territory has been lost to wildfires, traditional practices like berry picking and collecting medicinal plants are still carried out by Elders in the community. CCR has helped the community acquire another property which they hope to use for eco-tourism activities, re-introduce traditional horseback riding and create many opportunities for future generations. These programs help keep the community meaningfully engaged and happy.
Building relationships (1.27.30)
Percy looks forward to building relationships with other First Nations neighbours, sharing best practices and exchanging expertise and resources to create future-forward sustainable projects. Combined with relationships with industry and both levels of government, these strategic relationships help pave the way for the future. He encourages parties to join Indigenous community events to build and maintain those relationships. Understanding their definition of reconciliation and learning about their needs is the first step to involving them in decisions.
Allyship in action (1.34.14)
Percy laments that many First Nations communities have been overlooked. It’s good business sense to seek their permission when operating on their territory to get buy-in, help with planning and provide input on their needs and wants. It is important to be respectful of the communities, address land rights, create revenue-sharing agreements and help the communities grow. He acknowledges that building those long-term relationships requires effort, but he guarantees that it benefits everyone in the end.
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