Tsalmkgekit, Tsalmkgekit'mHanaak, g'un Khuba Wilps:

I would like to convey some thoughts about the All Native Tournament that occur to me since I saw the full page Ad in the Daily News and read the article discussing the future of the Games;

I have heard some criticism and I have some concerns myself, and of course with the downturn in the global and national economies, it will become more and more difficult to put on a first class event that will draw the same numbers of excited audiences. It would be a shame if we lost this celebration and so I hope everyone will think about how much it has meant to us to be able to play and spectate each season in the City of Prince Rupert.

One thing that catches my attention is the concept of management. There seems to be a trend toward young business types who don't seem to reflect the old heart of the competition. When I was a young player there was a slate of Elders from all over the area who conveyed a certain aura of elegant wisdom and with the passing on to Heaven of the last of those, I mean here Hale, Chef Russell Gamble, there is a void which should be refilled.

You never seem to see the Hall-of-Famers either. Why is that? I believe they should be celebrated every year, not just the one time that they are inaugurated; perhaps you should think about allowing them to have passes they way we did when we were playing, after all the young beginners must want to perform in front of their predecessor All Stars. The City itself would be better for having them back.

Another curiosity is the dwindling presence of other people from the area, who aren't Indians but are equally as "native" to the area as the rest of us. And I would really enjoy seeing new Canadians in attendance, and watching them mix in with the young Princes and Princesses from the Villages.

Well of course we know that there has been a time of zenophobia when some of our people wanted to focus on themselves but I don't think we should encourage that to go any further because the world is opening up now, not closing in. Nationalism has gone overboard with the "its about poor me" syndrome and ethics, and with the admissions of wrongdoings it would be good if the Indian People set a new example of how to be open and welcoming and most of all, GLOBAL. We may have bought to deeply into 'canadiaism' and 'americanism' and overshot the mark of being our respective tribal selves, and I believe being All Native should be opened up to being ALL WORLD.

With that thought to guide you why not expand the parameter of the Tournament and invite teams on parity from other Continents to come and compete against the winners of our divisions?

While you reflect on that idea I have another:

The report on schools in the Province shows that Indians are not learning as well as their peers in the other communities. When I grew up I remember that there was a generation ahead of me that was very well read and excellent orators. I refer to the likes of those who founded the Native Brotherhood and the Nisga'a Land Committee, and those who fought for the Land when it was illegal to do so. The main thing is that what the Elders of our Elders did, our Ancestors from generations back, was ensure their children were well taught and educated and that has paid off in the current trend in the Land Question recognizing our Rights and Titles. But I also saw that those same Elders did not segregate themselves from the other good people in their communities, they always respected each other and worked together for the greater good.

So why not have spelling bee's and speaking contests and of course everyone likes the "idol" shows so have Talent Competitions: singing, dancing, bands, you name it.

In deciding these things for the Tournament we should look at the connections that the Games have to the Villages. I believe there has been a negative trend that has hurt the whole country which is in the way that people are elected. While the Tribes have Hereditary Chiefs who are forever, and that is sacred, we should also look closer at how we elect individuals into public office. There needs to be more transparency so that the best qualified person actually has an opportunity to present herself for election and so that the media doesn't impose it's influences disproportionately on the outcome. This should grow from the Villages and not from the Cities because the Cities are predisposed toward vested interests that are contrary to the Ecology and the Environment.

And so in closing this I would suggest strongly that we infuse everything we do with Religion. While many may disagree for their own reasons, I hope some will appreciate that the world is moved by the beliefs we all carry within our hearts and that what goes on outside or on TV, is actually what causes the bad things like 911, or like consumption of addictive substances and like unhappiness in the home. By Religion I mean the beliefs of our Grandparents and that is based on the Holy Bible. If many don't know the Bible then they should not discount what got us to where we are, or they should step up and tell us about something better to believe in and follow; we'll listen.

In the early days, when the Salmon were plentiful, and everyone made money in the Canneries, there was a great problem with drinking. The Tournament was one of the ways the Elders of the Village and the Cities decided to try to curb the wild ways and that has been a great success. But a void has been opened up that is being filled with nonsense and fluff, and when the children cannot read or write the end of them is near.

To our Ancestors in Heaven, I say HOWA, and to the children here on Earth I say BE WISE, BE COOL, BE SMART, BUT DO GOOD AND DON'T WASTE A MINUTE.