300-person reunion on remote B.C. island brings healing to Indigenous family
Not many families could organize a weekend reunion of 300 relatives on a remote B.C. island. The sprawling Indigenous Cook family with roots in Alert Bay did just that.
Hundreds of descendants of Stephen and Jane Cook, who married in 1888, from all over western Canada gathered in this remote village off the northern tip of Vancouver Island for a reunion that takes place every 10 years.
The Cooks had 16 children, and now their descendants number in the hundreds. Those attending the reunion relished the opportunity to celebrate their Kwakwaka’wakw heritage in the Namgis Big House – a house modelled after the traditional homes that used to house dozens of family members under one roof. Elders, who remember when the government wanted to destroy Indigenous culture, wanted to pass on their customs to the next generation.
Hereditary Chief Chris Cook Jr. is one of the original organizers of the reunions that began more than 30 years ago.
“For me as a kid, we weren’t allowed to sing, we weren’t allowed to dance. We were not even allowed to talk our language. They were going to take the Indian out of the kid, but they couldn’t take it all, all they had to leave was just a little bit because that is what I had.”
Another Cook family member, Halie Bruce, brought her daughters to the Alert Bay reunion “to introduce them to their homeland so they can have their feet firmly planted.”
She spent time in foster care as a child until she went to live with her uncle, Chris Cook, in Alert Bay. She credits her family and connection to her Indigenous culture with strengthening her.
Bruce is now a lawyer who has practiced in the area of child welfare and knows the trauma that can arise when a child is taken from their home in an Indigenous community.
“We don’t have to stay in that darkness, we can step into the light if we can find the networks of support, of family, culture and identity. The power of culture to heal is what we are doing here when we bring people home.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.