Musqueam / UBC Relationship
a dinner
Early in the week of June 9th members of the UBC Board of Governors sat down to dinner with members of the Musqueam Indian Band’s elected council and administrative staff. I was present in my role as an elected faculty governor. I’ve been at many such meetings between First Nations’ leadership and some other non-First Nation group (often called ‘proponent’ in development parlance). This was my first time being a member of the proponent’s party.
UBC sits on a large chunk of Musqueam’s unceded land. In fact (as pointed out by one of the Musqueam speakers), UBC sits on a chunk of land more than twice the size Musqueam’s own community holds as reserve land. UBC’s presence (in the context of Canadian law that affirms and acknowledges Aboriginal Rights and Title) compels the university to reflect on its relationship with Musqueam as the territorial host nation.
The dinner was held in the Musqueam Cultural Centre, itself a product of a relationship between local First Nations and the 2010 Olympic Organizing Committee. Musqueam has many such formalized relationship agreements.
The evening’s program was simple. Informal mingling, a few speeches, dinner, more mingling, then closing speeches. The emphasis was on the mingling, not the speeching.
As a member of a non-Musqueam First Nation I have been at many such dinner meetings. I’ve even organized them from time to time. The point to these meetings should be clear: an act of a First Nation’s authority and jurisdiction. Yet, outsiders continue to misunderstand them (willfully or through ignorance I am never certain).
When Europeans started washing ashore back home on the north coast ancestors like Sabaan and Hale held feasts to which they invited the wayward seafarers to. At these feasts the lay of the land was explained, food was served, gifts given, and the captains took notes in their logbooks and proceed to cut trees, catch fish, and harass the local folks. Little it seems has changed. Yet First Nations folks, like Musqueam, remain optimistic that change is possible. First Nations are also realist enough to appreciate it is hard work building competency and capacity in outsiders.
After diner and speeches Musqueam gave a blanket to Melanie Stewart, UBC VP-External and also to Judy Rogers, UBC Chancellor. UBC, through the offices of President Bacon, gave Musqueam a print of the Musqueam artist (Richard Campbell) designed bronze disk seated at the foot of the UBC Reconciliation Pole.
This observer looks forward to watching the relationship journey mature.
