Life lessons

December 9, 2009

Edith Loring-Kuhanga

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

I would like to introduce myself to you as a NDP candidate for the Saanich Gulf Islands Riding. For those of you who attended the SGI NDP Fall Feast, please forgive me if some of the details in this letter were included in my speech. I am honoured to put my name forward and I hope that you will support me at the nomination meeting to be held on March 6, 2009.

I am from the house of Gwininitxw within the Lax Gibuu (Wolf) Clan of the Gitxsan Nation in north central British Columbia. In addition, I am a member of the Gitwangak First Nation. My Gitxsan Name is Nox Gyes which I received in August 2007. I carry the head matriarch's name of our house which is indeed a privilege and honour. This name was given to me to recognize all of the work that I have done to improve the lives of others at home, provincially, nationally and internationally. Carrying the matriarch's name, I recognize the huge responsibility not to do anything that would bring shame to my traditional name, to my family, to my house group, to my Clan or to my Nation.

I have seven sisters and brothers along with 47 foster brothers and sisters. There were never less than 20 children living in our home at one time. In addition, our grandmother lived with us for most of our life. We learned the importance of respecting the Elders in our lives, and our responsibility to care for them. We learned how to share what little we had with others, to be honest, and to be hard workers. We lived off the land using medicinal plants; spring fishing; berry picking and extensive gardening in the summer; moose and deer hunting in the fall; and feasting, arts and crafts and making clothes during the winter.

We also had to learn how to be good stewards of the land, water, and air not only for our own survival, but for the survival of the seven generations who will follow us. Only taking what we need and always giving something back to Mother Earth was drilled into us at a very young age and so being a conservationist and environmentalist is in my blood. Today, I continue to practice my cultural ways and the values I was raised with such as the importance of family, love, honesty, caring for others, sharing what you have, hard work, taking care of Mother Earth, and taking care of our Elders.

We were raised in a very strong NDP family so my political roots go back to my childhood. I remember my dad driving around with all of us kids in the back of a pick up truck and getting us to run up to our NDP brothers and sister's houses to remind them that it was election day and to go out and vote. If they needed a ride, he would give them a ride to and from the Polling Station. Our family continues this tradition in making sure that our brothers and sisters are voting.

I got married at 16 and was divorced five years later with two beautiful sons. Since my father always encouraged us to get a good education, I decided to return to school even though I was a single parent raising my two sons and a niece. I completed my upgrading in six months and enrolled in the Bachelor of Education Degree, University of Victoria. I moved to the Saanich area in 1984 to complete my degree. In 1986, I graduated with distinction from the University of Victoria.

I was hired by the Saanich Indian School Board (SSIB) to help the W'Saanich people transfer control of their education system from the federal government to the local people. During my 8 years there, I held numerous positions: elementary school teacher, counselor, SENCOTEN Language and Culture Curriculum Developer, and Chief Executive Officer. I resigned from the SISB in 1992 and moved home to spend time with my ailing father. While I was at home, I worked as the Education Director for my band and started my own training and consulting business out of my home. My father passed away in April 1993 and in June of that same year, I was awarded custody of my brother's three children: two boys (ages four and eight) and one girl (age six).

With six children, I moved back to the Saanich area to complete my Masters in Education Leadership and continued my business, First Nations Training & Consulting Services. Sixteen years later, we are a well recognized national training and consulting business which provides training and consulting in all areas of education, health, child care, head start, administration, policy development, proposal writing, small business development, language and culture, home and community care, band management and governance, leadership, and strategic planning.

The following issues are what encouraged me to seek the NDP Nomination for the SGI:

1. Environment and Climate Change: We all recognize the urgency in addressing our environmental challenges and dealing with climate change, locally, nationally and internationally. The lack of leadership by the current government demonstrates that we can not leave it up to Harper and his Conservative Government to address our climate concerns.

Although the climate changes are affecting all of us, the Indigenous people throughout the world will be most impacted. They won't be able to live their cultural ways and practice their way of life - the way that they have for thousands of years.

I am committed to ensuring that our coastal waters are not open to oil tankers and additional salmon farms. Over the past 25 years, I have learned how important the land, water and air are to the local W'Saanich people of the Saanich Gulf Islands. I have also had the privilege of visiting many of their traditional areas. I saw first hand the effects that fish farms are having on our environment and wild salmon when I took a tour around the Campbell River area last spring. Our wild salmon continue to be negatively impacted so we have a responsibility to stop fish farm expansions. I am committed to helping create environmental policies that will protect Mother Earth rather than continuing to destroy her.

Local farmers and growers are essential to our local culture and economy. Buying local products not only assists our local economy but helps in reducing carbon emissions. I will advocate for our local farmers and growers to ensure that their livelihoods are protected.

2. Economy: As we have seen in the past year, our local and national economy has been greatly affected. Unfortunately, much of the economic stimulus has not benefited our every day Canadian and the Elders/Seniors in our communities. I will work hard at ensuring that we create a national sustainable economy that we can all be proud of and benefit from.

3. Elders/Seniors: I value the contribution that our Elders/Seniors have had on our local community and all across Canada and will advocate for good health care and fair pensions. For the past two years I have been working with Dr. Elaine Gallagher, past Director of the Centre on Aging at the University of Victoria to create more age-friendly communities. It is essential that all levels of government help to plan environments where our seniors can live and thrive.

4. National Health Care: I am committed to preserving and protecting our national health care. I understand the importance of keeping our medical care which is envied by many countries throughout the world. Allowing privatization of health care will only create a two-tier system that will only benefit the top income earners. I will work diligently at protecting our health care that all citizens can benefit from.

5. Education: I know the value of education and have worked hard to reach my educational goals. In December 2008, I became a Trustee for the Saanich School District #63. Over the past year, I have worked diligently at ensuring that all of our children receive a quality education in our district. Within the district, I am Chair of the Education Directions Committee and am a member of the Green and Policy Committees. In addition, I am on the Executive for the Vancouver Island School Trustees Association and Co-Chair of the Aboriginal Education Committee of the BC School Trustees Association. I will continue to work hard at protecting public education and improving post-secondary educational opportunities for our future leaders and ensure that they not graduate with huge debt.

6. Child Care: I have been privileged to have worked with approximately 300 of our First Nation Child Care/Head Start Centres across Canada and have witnessed first hand on how important child care is to our young families. Many of our young families can not afford to pay the huge day care fees that are being charged. I know the importance of standing up for national child care policies that will help our young people continue to work and contribute to our great community and country.

I hope that this letter has provided you with some background on who I am, what my values are, what I believe in and why I have chosen to run in the Saanich Gulf Islands riding. At the end of January, I will start contacting all of you by telephone to listen to your ideas and what issues you feel that we need to address in Ottawa. I look forward to getting to know all of you better.

Unfortunately, I am unable to attend the AGM on December 12th as I am leaving for Tanzania, East Africa on the same day. My husband is originally from Tanzania and we celebrated our 11th Wedding Anniversary this past fall. Two years ago when I was in Tanzania, I started a foundation called, Community Action Against Poverty. The purpose of the foundation is to assist women to start small businesses that will sustain themselves and their families. We provided the initial $500. and established a micro-lending project with 25 women. Most of the 25 women have benefited from the fund so far. When I return, I will be working with another 25 women to develop their small businesses. If you would like to follow me while in Tanzania, please follow my blog at http://loring-kuhanga.blogstop.com We will return on January 13, 2010 with many stories and full hearts.

I have lived and contributed to the Saanich Gulf Islands area for the past 25 years. I have raised my children here. I have dedicated many hours to our community and will continue to do so. This is my home and I will continue to contribute to our local community. I believe that I am the best candidate to represent the Saanich Gulf Islands in Ottawa!

I look forward to meeting each of you, getting to know all of you, and listening to your concerns and ideas on how we can pass down a community that all of us can be proud of to our future generations. Have a safe and happy holiday! Thank you.

Edith Loring-Kuhanga