On Monday, October 23, 25 years of cooperative community-based research was celebrated in Lach Klan, Gitxaała. The dinner was hosted by Professor hagwil hayetsk (Charles Menzies) on behalf of UBC. Dr Clare Crowston, Dean of Arts, UBC-V was also there on behalf of UBC to acknowledge the work and support and involvement of Gitxaała community members in the project. The dinner also marked the end of Charles’ active in-community research.
“Doing research with Gitxaala has allowed me to connect with and be in service to my ancestral community. Beginning research in this territory 25 years ago was an important homecoming for me both personally and professionally.
All the Gitxaala related projects focused on natural resources: forestry, fisheries, and traditional food harvesting. All focused on the importance and relevance of Gitxaala knowledge for shaping forests and oceans. This reflects my family’s connection to commercial fishing and my own experiences on the water.”
– Professor hagwil hayetsk/Charles Menzies in his speech at Lach Klan, Gitxaala
This is the fourth community acknowledgement hosted by UBC since the collaborative project started in the late 1990s. The first community acknowledgement was captured in the video Returning to Gitxaala
Learn more about the many theses and peer-reviewed publications that have emerged from the past 25 years of collaborative research, in this blog post.
From left to right: Bruce Innis, deputy Chief, Clare Crowson, Dean of Arts, Linda Innis, Chief Councillor, Jocelyn Lewis, Councillor, Charles Menzies, Brenna Innis, Councillor, Dustin Johnstone, Senior Advisor Culture and Language, Maureen Tommy, Chief Executive Officer
