By Cheryl Jahn

New Lheidli T’enneh display part of Truth and Reconciliation

Jul 6, 2023 | 3:57 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – “In July, it’s the first run for the Salmon Run. Sockeye. And that goes up on the Nechako on the Stuart Lake run. They went through the Nechako because all the fish, all the salmon, they brought it here and smoked, canned it, dried it.”

That’s elder Clifford Quaw describing a portion of one display in a series at the Prince George Public Library, showing the fish cache in a photo of the original village on the banks of the Fraser River in 1891. It is one of four displays at the library depicting Lheidli T’enneh history.

“I do lectures at School District 52 schools, CNC. I did one of the UN telling about the history of how we became, how we became or how we lived here a long time ago,” says Quaw. ”

And what’s amazing is that from Grade One to Grade to Grade Seven, they actually listen.”

Day of Mourning

"One fatality is too many:" National Day of Mourning to call for safer work conditions

9h ago

PORTLAND PREVIEW

Portland Winterhawks "excited" for series against Prince George Cougars

10h ago

Prisoner Turned Advocate

Former Prisoner Turned Advocate: Resident Fights for Disability Rights in Clothing

13h ago

It is one more in a long journey toward Truth and Reconciliation. In 2019, the Lheidli T’enneh made history as part of the process, hosting a potlatch, or balhats, for the first time in this century.

“What it does, is it unites the community big enough to the hereditary chief to accumulate wealth and what happens at a balhatz, or a potlatch, all he has accumulated gives him back to the community. Yeah. And each one gets whatever they want.”

For Clifford Quaw, this display and others are not only about creating awareness within the broader community but within.

“So what now? Now is to trying to reunite the whole community as a whole like it was once before, when the community was a community.”

The display will remain at the library until the end of this month.