Welcome to another issue of Hagwil Yaan!
Welcome back to another Hagwil Yaan issue! If this is your first time here, volume three of this student newsletter has the name: Hagwil Yaan which means "walk softly, walk slowly" in Sm'algyax!
In each issue, we focus on an Indigenous language in our region. This month, we are happy to feature the wonderful language, Gitxsanimx, of the Gitxsan nation. Hla hagwin duulpxwhl gwooyim (Spring will be here soon). Hla alks ja loohl saak (Oolichans will be in our coastal rivers soon).
As First Nations Access Coordinators (FNACs), we are here to provide you with support if you need our assistance with personal, financial or academic issues. Please feel free to reach out to us by email at FNAC@coastmountaincollege.ca
Enjoy, take care and stay safe!
We are very pleased to welcome Veronica Waechter and Lori Blumhagen as First Nations Access Coordinators at our Terrace Campus. They will be working with Jillian Swank (in Wednesdays only). Veronica is fulltime and Lori will be part-time. Their office is in the Waap Galts'ap Community Building (Longhouse).
'Connection is Indigenous' Indigenous Student Handbook
Welcome to our new students to Coast Mountain College. We hope you do well with your studies and enjoy your time here CMTN. We created an Indigenous Student Handbook to provide you with information on supports and resources available to you while attending classes at CMTN!
The online version can be viewed here on our website at https://issuu.com/coastmountaincollege/docs/indigenous-student-handbook_digital?fr=xKAE9_zU1NQ. or with this QR code.
Upcoming Important Dates
Final Day for official withdrawal - March 28, 2025
Tuition and fees due - Spring Term - April 15, 2025
Upcoming Events
Weekend Warriors Pilot Program
Bags will be refilled every two weeks or as needed. Still time to join - sign up asap!
For those students who have signed up already, please connect with your local FNAC office to find out pick up dates for your Weekend Warrior Bag.
For more information and/or to sign up, please email to FNAC@coastmountaincollege.ca.
Walk for Wellness
There is still time to join our Walk for Wellness program!
We hope to have enough steps to virtually take us from the Prince Rupert campus to the Smithers Campus. The goal is to walk towards a healthier body, mind and spirit. Your steps will help get the 348 kilometers (487,200) we need. We have until April 11, 2025 to do it! Last year we surpassed our goal and made it as far as Manitoba! We can do it together, one step at the time.
Go to the QR code listed below to enter your steps every Monday for the previous week Monday-Sunday. Every entry gets your name in a draw for a special prize at the end of each month.
Register by going to FNAC@coastmountaincollege.ca.
Sharing & Caring Breakfast Club
Date: March 4, 2025 - April 24, 2025
When: Every Tuesday & Thursday
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Location; Multi-Purpose Room, Prince Rupert Campus.
Please join Sharon Oskey, FNAC and Karen Buchanan, SEO, for a light self-served breakfast. You will have cereal, coffee, tea, pancakes, fruit and more. Please bring your own dishes and utensils. Thank you.
Mini Button Blanket Wall Hanging Workshop
Date: March 12, 13, 26 & 27, 2025
Location: Gathering Space, Smithers CMTN Campus
Time: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Learn about button blankets with our elder on campus and knowledge keeper! Space is limited and preference will be given to CMTN students. For more information or to register, please contact Katie at khumphrey@coastmountaincollege.ca
Chat with a FNAC Drop In
Date: Thursday, March 13, 2025
Location: Drop by any FNACs office or via Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/92825512316
Time: 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Please feel free to drop by for a visit. We would love to meet you. Enjoy some tea and a snack. Please contact the FNACs at FNAC@coastmountaincollege.ca for more information.
Drum Making Workshop
Location: Waap Galts'ap Community Building (Longhouse), Terrace Campus
Date: March 31, 2025
Time: 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Drum Kit will be provided. Please email FNACs at FNAC@coastmountaincollege.ca to register or to request more information. We hope you can join us for this wonderful event. Thank you.
Language Threads: Hand Embroidery Workshop
Location: All campuses via Zoom link
Date: April 9, 2025
Time: 4 p.m. - 7 p.m.
We will be making embroidery pieces, stitching traditional language with an image of the student's choice. Supplies will be provided. Elders will be on site and we will host a virtual session so that the language holders can help students who are in different areas. Please email FNACs at FNAC@coastmountaincollege.ca to register or request more information.
Student Wishful Hopeful Feast
Save the Date
Date: April 16, 2025
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Location: Waap Galts'ap Community Building (Longhouse), Terrace Campus or Virtual via Zoom link.
You are cordially invited to join us for the Student Wishful Hopeful Feast to wrap up your year in a good way. Please email us at FNAC@coastmountaincollege.ca to RSVP and/or for the Zoom link if you will be joining us online.
‘Xbisuunt Dancers Practice
- Date: Every Monday
- Time: 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
- Where: Waap Galts'ap (Longhouse), Terrace Campus.
Join the 'Xbisuunt Dancers group from the Ts'msyen Nation at Waap Galts'ap on Monday evenings for singing and drumming. Light snacks and tea/coffee available.
Practices are not held during final exams and statutory holidays.
For more information call Jill at 250.635.6511 Ext. 5222 or email FNAC@coastmountaincollege.ca.
Gitlax̱dax Sayt-K'il̓im G̱oothl Nisg̱a'a Practice
- Date: Every Tuesday
- Time: 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
- Where: Waap Galts'ap (Longhouse), Terrace Campus
Join the Gitlax̱dax Sayt-K'il̓im G̱oothl Nisg̱a'a Dancers from the Nisga'a Nation at Waap Galts'ap on Tuesday evenings for singing and drumming. Light snacks and tea/coffee available.
Practices are not held during final exams and statutory holidays.
For more information call Jill at 250.635.6511 Ext. 5222 or email FNAC@coastmountaincollege.ca.
Recent Event Highlights
FNACs were out recruiting at the All Native Basketball tournament in Prince Rupert February 10th-14th! We had a great time at the All Native Basketball tournament meeting and greeting people who came to our table . It was exciting to see so many people from the north gather to come and cheer on their teams. You could see the teams have worked very hard to get to the court.
What would Ye'e(Grandfather) say?
Now that we are into 'Wihlaxs (March), your Ye'e will be heading to the Tsimshian lax yip or to the Nisga'a lax yip (territory) to dip net or trade for saak (oolichans) or for simt'ilix (oolichan grease). There is much excitement on the Skeena River, you can tell the saak are in the water when you see the xsgyaak (eagles) and gewin (seagulls) swarming over the water. Smokehouses will be filled with saak. Luusiama goot Ye'e. (Your grandfather would be very happy).
Wihlaxs - March
saak - oolichan
simt'ilix - oolichan grease
xsgyaak - eagle
gewin - seagull
Eats with Ts'iits'
Pan Fried Eulachons or Smelts
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste
2 - 3 tbsp lard or vegetable oil
24 eulachons or smelts
Directions:
In a shallow dish, combine flour, salt and pepper. In a cast-iron skillet over high heat, heat lard or oil to the smoking point, then reduce heat to medium. Dredge eulachons in a seasoned flour and fry 5 to 7 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Serve with chopped dry seaweed and wild rice or steamed white rice. Makes 4 servings.
Credits: Recipe from A Feast for All Seasons, Traditional Native Peoples' Cuisine, by Andrew George Jr. and Robert Gairns, 1997
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Your monthly meme!
Indigenous Reads
"In the seventh book of Hetxw'ms Gyetxw's (Brett D. Huson) Mothers of Xsan series, readers will discover the important role of the bumblebee, the honeybee, and the yellow jacket wasp in the Xsan ecosystem. As flowers and trees begin to bud and bloom, Nox Ap, the bee mother, emerges from her winter sleep. To the Gitxsan, she is nature’s gardener. Without her hard work as a pollinator, we could not enjoy the fruits of strawberries and huckleberries. Follow her life from the first thaw of spring to the end of autumn." - Portage & Main Press
Indigenous in the Media
Check out the trailer for "I am Gitxsan" a new documentary filmed in Gitxsan ancestral territories.
"I Am Gitxsan, follows Phoenix Apperloo, a recent high school graduate reconnecting with his Indigenous heritage in Hazelton, British Columbia, Canada. Inspired by encounters with residential school survivors, he writes a heartfelt letter to Prime Minister Trudeau about the injustices faced by his people. The documentary highlights the impact of colonialism on the Gitxsan community, featuring insights from experts like Dr Gabor Maté and showcasing their resilience through protests and legal actions. It culminates with a moving message of hope and determination, emphasizing the power of the Gitxsan people's enduring spirit, the beauties of their culture, and their commitment to future generations. Directed By Hossein Martin Fazeli."Find out more at the I am Gitxsan website.
Student Support
Coast Mountain Students' Union
The CMSU organiser for the Coast Mountain Students’ Union, is here to support students with events, services and advocacy. If you’re having trouble understanding your rights as a student, navigating through school procedures and policies, or engaging in campus life, then the Students’ Union is here to support you. Download the CMSU app for virtual community boards, services and support systems in your region.
To learn more about what the student union does, email the student union organiser at organiser@mycmsu.ca or the student union outreach worker at outreach@mycmsu.ca.
2025 Winter Session
Please be cognizant of the CMSU Health & Dental Plan that you are auto-enrolled into when you register for courses. This is a $285 annual fee that students can choose to opt-out of if you already have coverage. You have 30 days to opt-out from your program start. Connect with CMSU for more details.
Information on the CMSU Health & Dental Plan can be found here https://cmsu.studenthealthbc.ca/Optout. Here is the link to the opt out form here. Please feel free to contact a FNAC if you need assistance with the form. Thank you.
Learner Services
LAS & Advising Help
Having a difficult time academically? We can connect you with the Learner Services Team to make sure you have even more tools to complete your studies successfully.
One on one Brightspace help - if navigating and using Brightspace is making your course more difficult to manage, let us help!
Our Learning Assistance Specialists (LAS) are available to walk you through the finer points of Brightspace so you can focus on your coursework.
To contact the Learner Support team & Accessibility Services, email them at las@coastmountaincollege.ca.
Education Advising
For Education Advising, to book an appointment, please call 1 877 277 2288 or email advising@coastmountaincollege.ca. Follow this link to book an appointment online - https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/AdvisingAppointments@coastmountaincollege.ca/bookings/
Financial Aid
CMTN Awards, Bursaries & Scholarships!
Be sure to apply for any of the awards,bursaries, and scholarships available to registered CMTN students. Contact the FNACs if you would like an application form or if you need assistance completing the application. Don't miss out on these great opportunities!
Next Awards Deadline May 1
Coast Mountain College offers an emergency funding program available to eligible students experiencing unexpected financial hardship during the course of their studies at CMTN. Find more information about emergency financial assistance https://www.coastmountaincollege.ca/student-services/financial-aid/student-emergency-financial-assistance#:~:text=The%20Ministry%20of%20Post-Secondary%20Education%20and%20Future%20Skills%20provides%20grant!
Have any financial aid questions or would like to know more about general awards, bursaries, and scholarships? Please contact the Financial Aid Officer, Allison Conway, at 250.635.6511 ext. 5204 or by email at financialaid@coastmountaincollege.ca or visit the Financial Aid webpage!
Mental Health Check-in
Are you looking for support? Here at CMTN, we can help you explore and find what support works best for you. Follow this LINK to find resources like regional counsellors, mobile apps, and crisis lines.
Need Support right now?
Suicide Crises Helpline- Call or text 9-8-8 for a safe space to talk, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. If you are considering suicide, or are concerned about someone who may, please call!
Stay connected and check out our FNAC Facebook group to keep your finger on the pulse!
Have something you want to contribute for next month's issue?
If you have any feedback, story ideas or pictures to share, please contact us:
Credits:
Created with an image by Nitr - "collage of healthy breakfast"