At Klahoose First Nation, administration facilities put a new face on the future overlooking Desolation Sound from Squirrel Cove, "now being built from our own-source revenue," explains Chief Ken Brown.
From offshore you can clearly see the beams competing with the trees in the skyline, says Klahoose's website. "The main rafters are in place and now the final roof is being installed. Windows are near completion and walls are being erected to finish the various rooms inside."
Chief Brown explains why it's 'own-source revenue building these facilities, "We getting away from dependency on INAC for our community development." The chief wants to break the cycle of easy-come-easy-go federal transfer payments, a cycle that grew in part from the wreckage left by the Residential School system.
Ken says, "We are looking at what delivers results to our members and continue to promote the process of healing within our community," regarding these issues. He grew up in the nearby Comox Valley because Klahoose people had to abandon their territory, exiled by poverty. The members of the First Nation once occupied over a dozen villages, and those are now uninhabited reserve property.
As the Nation continues to reconstitute in the community on Cortes Island, construction of a new 8-plex housing project has begun now. This will create community restoration in the modern context. The eleven or so Klahoose Indian Reserves may be largely deserted, but a couple hundred people with growing families can look to the future of a place in the Cortes Island community that survived the onslaught and now begins to thrive again.
It is job-one with this chief to make skill development a priority, which neatly tapers in from healing. The chief envisions a future where able people return and engage the community with industrious activity. It stems from healing, and the chief says, "We believe in the whole idea of healing. Workshops must continue to promote well-being and encourage our people to reach higher to a better future for themselves and the generations to come."
He needs healthy and well-adjusted people to steer the course as personnel in a growing number of resource and development oriented companies. "We have a lot of balls in the air, juggling a host of opportunities to set an independent course for our community."
A solid start is the Klahoose First Nation involvement with run-of-river hydro developments underway with Plutonic Power. The power projects are important, a steady stream of economic output flowing through Klahoose First Nation entities.
Forestry in the Toba Valley is a further keystone in their planning. "That is one source of investment and management and employment opportunities we are putting together for the members of Klahoose. We are changing the approach we take to the future as a community," says Ken.
The Klahoose economic development activities include growing mussels, a mariculture industry in their native waters. It is the modern reality of First Nation communities, says Ken, "that the welfare culture has to be broken and thrown on the scrap heap. It has thrown all First Nation communities for a loop."
Klahoose is a village of 80 people on Cortes Island. Another 200-plus members live elsewhere and many would like to return to the traditional territory and the work in the future planning of the lands and waters along with the families and fellow members. The community is making new opportunity possible by building the capacity to draw people to Klahoose reserve on Cortes, and this is beginning with new housing in the form of a six-plex housing development.
This will be followed by other new housing. Ken says, "With our economic base we are bringing the blood back into the village. Klahoose has a number of uninhabited Reserve properties but the Cortes property has always contained the village."
The economic foundations are laid so now there is a demand of labour and an opportunity for skill development, but it doesn't stop there. "We have big forestry development opportunities as well, including forestry that will ensue from the power developments in Toba Inlet," says the chief. Klahoose are Coast Salish with close ties to Sliammon First Nation in the vicinity of Powell River.
A lot of forestry work gets done in Powell River. Late Autumn of 2009 Chief Brown, "signed the documents to complete the conversion of Tree Farm License 10 to Community Forest Agreement (CFA) K4C. The official licensee remains Klahoose Forestry Limited Partnership, which is operating for the sole benefit of Klahoose First Nation.
"This was a key piece of the Incremental Treaty Agreement signed in March and a big step forward for us ensuring sustainable management of the valley and economic success for this business venture. This conversion is a first in the province and Klahoose now owns one of the largest CFAs in the province. In terms of re-branding, we may want to start referring to ourselves as Klahoose Community Forest (in Toba River valley)."
Chris Roddan is economic development officer for Klahoose, and says, "In our approved CFA Management Plan, we have committed to undertaking timber supply review process and new AAC calculation before September 2011."
"Along with long term timber supply planning, we have to develop strategic plans for conservation of old growth and wildlife habitat," says Chris. Oathen Xwegus and Theechim Management Group are the forestry management and engineering companies owned by Klahoose First Nation. A & A Trading of Vancouver is moving a lot of the timber into market for Klahoose.
"A&A Trading Ltd. is proud to be supporting the Klahoose Forestry Limited Partnership in realizing the value of their forestry tenures,"says John Mohammed of A & A Trading, who notes that KFLP is on target to harvest over 150,000 m3 from their Community Forest Licence in 2010, the first full year of operation since it was acquired.
John says, "A&A provides tenure management and log marketing expertise as well as operating capital. "Under Ken Brown's leadership KFLP has built a successful forestry business in a remarkably short period of time," says John.
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