hohojɛ (Getting Ready To Do Something)
hohojɛ means getting ready to do something. Tla’amin teachings tell us that the process is as important as the outcome, and includes forward planning, preparing ourselves, and carrying ourselves in the right way. These are the same teachings we will apply when designing, delivering, and evaluating our services.
Before we can make a χa:p̓, we need to gather all of the supplies – we need to dig the roots, clean and prepare the roots, and gather and dye the cherry bark. This requires many people to contribute, and sometimes requires us to travel far together. We need to plan our route, ensure we have all of the tools and other things we need for the journey, and bring people with different skills and roles: those who are able to convey the teachings and direct the work, those who carry out the hard work of gathering and carrying, and those who need to learn the process. Before we take any roots, we prepare ourselves – we acknowledge our ancestors and give thanks to the land and the tree that is providing roots or bark. We keep these good thoughts, gratitude, and positive intentions in our minds as we carry out the work.
This process of hohojɛ, or getting ready to do the weaving through planning, gathering, and readying supplies, is inextricably tied to the land, our cultural practice, and to ʔayʔaǰuθəm.3 These three conditions are in place throughout the work and are what allow for a χa:p̓ to be made. They are the enabling conditions for a Tla’amin Service Model – these need to surround and be embedded in everything we do.
Culture
Our culture is comprised of our belief systems, taʔow, values, and shared understanding, including our spirituality. Culture is living. It is important for our work and lives to be grounded specifically in Tla’amin culture and related practices and traditions, recognizing that every culture is different.
“You have to be proud of who you are. What are the values our people have? Honour, respect, care, love. Our taʔow taught all those things. We instill those values in everything that we do. We’ve got a long way to go, but we’re in a better place than we were.”
Language
ʔayʔaǰuθəm represents our unique worldview and relationship with ʔəms giǰɛ4 as Tla’amin qaymɩxʷ. We must continue to find ways to use our language in our day-to-day operations to support language revival and celebrate Tla’amin culture. This will help us to maintain strong cultural connections and is foundational to Tla’amin cultural continuity and resurgence.
“Work together to bring back the teachings and the language. English does not encapsulate what our teachings hold, and what our ancestors taught us.”
Land
Tla’amin creation stories speak of how the Creator put Tla’amin qaymɩxʷ on this land and waterways, and of a deep connection to the land from the time of birth when Elders bury the umbilical cord in a special place within the territory. This connection is nourished by Tla’amin teachings, which show how the people
are bound to the lands and waters of this territory since time immemorial.
The health of ʔəms gijɛ is the health of the people. We rely on our lands, waters, and resources for our cultural identity, economic prosperity, traditional teachings, and our health and wellness. We need to ensure that all Tla’amin qaymɩxʷ and families have opportunities to rebuild, reconnect, and be in relationship with our lands and waters. This will support transmission of ʔəms taʔow and knowledge to future generations.
“Moving home was huge impact. My parents and my late husband are buried here. It’s important my children see and know where I grew up and how far we have come as a nation. My belly button’s buried here as well as my grandchildren’s so this is where home will always be to us.”
“The more time you spend on the land, the more you grow to know how the land works, its cycles.”
Doing planning and properly getting ready provides the foundation for the entire system, but colonial intrusion has eroded our connection to land, language, and culture as the core aspects of our identity. We need to rebuild those connections with every action we take in order to restore the core of who we are. We can see that every stitch in this basket is connected with the land, the culture, and the language.
“If you can take one thing out of your life that hurt you, when you become that parent you’re not going to do the same because you know how it felt. And better still if you can take two things out, then we’re going to become better as a people. You know, the seven generations? So, I think about that too.”
“As an adult, I visit more with family and get teachings from them. I learn things every day. Having a baby, and what to do with the umbilical cord. I had no idea! And now we know better, and our teachings are what we need to learn.”