The Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) and the K’ómoks First Nation (KFN) are pleased to announce that the new directional signage is now being installed at Seal Bay Nature Park. During completion of the 2019 Seal Bay Nature Park and Forest Management Plan park users indicated improving directional signage as a top priority.
Representatives from KFN and the CVRD gathered together to conduct a traditional blessing and unveil the signs at a ceremony this morning. The celebration in advance of National Indigenous Peoples Day, is an important step towards building community awareness about the history and culture of indigenous peoples in the Comox Valley.
Caption: Councillor Katherine Frank, Councillor Richard Hardy, CVRD Board Chair Jesse Ketler, Chief Nicole Rempel
“Working in partnership with the Comox Valley Regional District on these trail signs has been a highlight of my term as Elected Chief of the K’ómoks First Nation,” explains K’ómoks First Nation Chief Rempel. “Revitalization of Indigenous languages is at the forefront of Indigenous communities around the world, so it is with a great amount of pride that we are here to celebrate our K’ómoks language and history with the Valley. Building cultural awareness of our history and use of our entire unceded traditional territory is critical to reconciliation and in moving forward together. It is my hope that through initiatives and partnerships like this, we will see a revitalization of our K’ómoks language and through adding phonetics to make the language easier to understand, we will share our language not only with our own members but with the broader Valley community.”
“Today we celebrate K’ómoks First Nations rich cultural heritage, language and values within Seal Bay Nature Park. Working together we have been able to build cultural awareness in our community as well as improve user experience within the park. Seal Bay Nature Park is a gem within our region and we are happy to help highlight the special significance of this beautiful place,” explains CVRD Board Chair Jesse Ketler.
Xwee Xwhya Luq (prounounced Zway Why Luck) is the traditional name for Seal Bay Nature Park and this area is very culturally significant to the K’ómoks First Nation. Generations of indigenous peoples visited the Seal Bay area for resource harvesting and to camp when traveling through the area by canoe.
The new signage includes new trail names which reflect a variety of natural park elements, animals and cultural references with an emphasis on the traditional ayajuthem language. Ayajuthem is a Coast Salish language shared between the peoples of K’ómoks, Tla'amin, Homalco and Klahoose First Nations. To help visitors learn and pronounce the Coast Salish names, signs also feature phonetic pronunciations.
For more information about the signage please visit www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/sealbaysignage. For more information about our initiatives with K’ómoks First Nations please visit www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/kfn.
The Comox Valley Regional District is a federation of three electoral areas and three municipalities providing sustainable services for residents and visitors to the area. The members of the regional district work collaboratively on services for the benefit of the diverse urban and rural areas of the Comox Valley.
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CVRD Media Contact:
Doug DeMarzo, General Manager Community Services
T: 250-334-6053