Saik'uz First Nation

A small totem outside the Saik'uz Potlatch House

Saik'uz First Nation (translated as "on the sand") or Stoney Creek is a Dakelh nation whose main community is located on a reserve 9km South-east of Vanderhoof, British Columbia along Kenny Dam road.

The Saik'uz First Nation has a number of amenities, including a band administration office where Chief and council make decisions on issues like housing, education and forestry. The multiplex community hall is a building for traditional native dancing and annual general meetings (which all members of the community must attend). It is also used for extra-curricular activities like volleyball, basketball, floor hockey and other social gatherings. Saik'uz First Nation is also home to local health station, located one block away from the band office, which provides the community with drug and alcohol counseling, parenting programs, and a community kitchen. The reserve also has a volunteer fire hall in case of emergencies, and a store (G&F market) which has a gas bar, and sells canned goods, pizza and fresh milk.

There are currently twenty-one elders living on reserve. One of the nation's most famous elders was the late Mary John, Sr. Her 1989 memoir "Stoney Creek Woman" won the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for Historical Writing, and she was also the recipient of the Order of Canada. The reserve also honours its veterans with a memorial park to commemorate their service in the two world wars and the Korean War.

There are three water pumps located in various parts of the reserve where community members found water before electricity. Today, water is stored in a water tower on the reserve.

The potlatch house

The Saik'uz potlatch house was built by the Stoney Creek Elders' Society in the years 1995-1996 on the shore of Nulki Lake. The potlatch house is a big log building which can hold 200-250 people, big enough for holding weddings, dances, meetings, and education courses. The Potlatch house is more than building, as it serves important cerimonial purposes including governance, economy, social status, and other spiritual practices. Upstairs are the main hall, a small kitchen, and two bathrooms. Downstairs are a larger kitchen and several offices.

Cabins along Nulki lake, near the Potlatch House

Aside from the house itself, surrounding facilities consist of eight cabins, a shower house, a boat launch, a smoke shack and a workshop.

There are six people hired year round to keep the camp ground and potlatch house running smoothly, including a manager, a bookkeeper, a cook, a cook's helper, and two campground maintenance men.

One of the sources of revenue for the potlatch house is Bingo which is held every Wednesday. The Bingo night was started in the late 1980s by two women from the Saik'uz reserve. Past jackpots have included a truck and cash prizes up to $20,000. Other sources of revenue are the campgrounds and the boat launch, which hold an annual fishing derby which usually happens on May Long Weekend in the spring. In 2006, the 16th annual derby offered the highest prize to date: $5000. Other prizes are donated by various business in Vanderhoof and surrounding areas.

Affiliation

Saik'uz is a member of the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council.

External Links

• (http://www.investnorthernbc.com/communities/saikuz/default.htm)

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