Latest news with #Yuułu
Hamilton Spectator
11-06-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
New signage on Ucluelet's Wild Pacific Trail honours Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ's Bob and Vi Mundy
By Nora O'Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Ucluelet, B.C. – A new series of interpretive signs along the Ancient Cedars section of the Wild Pacific Trail pays tribute to the legacy Bob and Vi Mundy, the Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ couple who shared priceless traditional knowledge with the west coast. Bob passed away on May 5, 2024. Vi passed shortly after on July 31, 2024. 'We couldn't imagine in our family Bob without Vi or Vi without Bob. They came as a unit, and they were really beautiful to watch. They were a testament to not giving up on each other,' said Jeneva Touchie during a June 7 ribbon cutting ceremony. 'Bob would open the door for her, even in the rain, until the day he passed,' said Melody Mundy. The new Ancient Cedars signage features an audio box framed with a carving by Kevin Touchie and six interpretive panels sharing Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ teachings, developed by Carey Cunneyworth and Jeneva Touchie. Wild Pacific Trail President Barbara Schramm says the audio box, which records Jeneva's voice, brings local voices to the Old Growth Forest. 'We didn't want to repeat the same old, same old. We wanted this done so people could learn in the right way,' said Schramm. One of the oldest trees on the Ucluelet Peninsula is now showcased with a new deck featuring interpretive signage explaining sustainable plank harvesting practices – it's also where hikers can find the memorial plaque dedicated to Bob and Vi Mundy. Cunneyworth is an archeologist and the Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Government's director of culture, language and heritage. He said the special old growth stand is culturally modified tree (CMT) and protected archeological site. 'Bob and Vi taught us how to be with the land, be with family and to take care of your community. We see a lot of that in this tree. It's quite a special tree,' said Cunneyworth. He shared that at one point, 100 years ago, Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ ancestors would take big strips off the tree to use for houses, carving or boxes. There is also a large hollowing in the tree that he says was a cache ancestors used for storage - and it may have been a bear den at some point. 'It's such a powerful testament to the forest and really giving back,' said Cunneyworth. 'It's something we can all learn from, and I know Bob and Vi really talked about that; being intimately connected to the forest and how to take care of it. I really think this whole trail with the CMT here and the knowledge they put into the signage really represents how much love they had for the Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ community and the Ucluelet community.' Ucluelet Mayor Marilyn McEwen says the new signage 'provides a legacy of culture learning for residents and visitors, alike.' 'This meaningful initiative honours Indigenous knowledge, language and the enduring relationship between people and forest ecosystems that has shaped this region for millennia,' said McEwen. Vi was a board member of the Wild Pacific Trail Society and had a 'quiet, patient way' of sharing traditional knowledge for signs throughout all Ucluelet and the region. 'Her impact ripples to this day through all the societies on the west coast,' said Schramm. 'I'm really grateful for everything they were willing to share with us,' Jeneva adds. 'They taught us to share what we know. It's really hard to imagine sometimes how to carry language without Bob around. But we are doing the best we can.' The Mundy family plans to scatter the ashes of Bob and Vi Mundy in the sea near Black Rock Resort, Vi's favourite place to eat. Three years in the making, the audio box, signage and CMT deck project was made possible through the leadership of the Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Government with support from the Province of BC Resort Municipality Initiative, Clayoquot Biosphere Trust, Black Rock Resort, the Wild Pacific Trail Society and the District of Ucluelet. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
CBC
09-03-2025
- General
- CBC
Indigenous language now included on Ucluelet bus stop signs — a first for B.C. Transit
Jeneva Touchie has been learning her traditional language, nuučaan̓uł (Nuu-chah-nulth), for seven years — something she's carried on from her grandmother, who taught the language in her community on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Now, as the manager of language services for the Ucluelet First Nation's Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Government, Touchie has helped bring the language to the local transportation system. Bus stop signs at all 36 B.C. Transit stops in Tofino, Ucluelet, Long Beach, hitaću, Esowista and Ty-histanis now include both English and Nuu-chah-nulth wording. "As a language learner and as a language teacher, it means the world to me because it's a really great connection to our land and our home," Touchie told CBC's On The Island host Gregor Craigie. B.C. Transit says this is the first time an Indigenous language has been included on its signs anywhere within its system, but it does plan to work with other communities to include local languages elsewhere. Government relations manager Seth Wright said B.C. Transit was inspired to include the Nuu-chah-nulth language on signs after seeing Parks Canada do the same. "We thought that including Nuu-chah-nulth on all bus stop signs was the right thing to do and supported our respective work towards reconciliation," Wright said. So, they reached out to the Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Government and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation for expertise, to try to figure out what words would be appropriate to use. The names on the signs were created with both Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ and Tla-o-qui-aht dialects in mind, Touchie said. "It's a working collaboration with our neighbouring nations." The Nuu-chah-nulth on local signs isn't new to the community; the District of Ucluelet started putting both Nuu-chah-nulth and English on its signs in 2022. "Ucluelet is very ahead of the times, I would say, because they're trying to incorporate language within the community, and we've been incorporating signs here within our small community of Ittatsoo," Touchie said. "It's been really great to see language kind of blossom and flourish." She said keeping the local language alive in the community helps both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people understand the history of the Nuu-chah-nulth people. "Each nation, they've all been there since time immemorial," Touchie said. "But there's, I think, a lack of understanding of what that means for particularly nations that have been there a long time. It's just a really great opportunity to raise those questions and to better understand the nations that surround the communities."
