Vancouver Island Regional Report
The First Nations Health Council (FNHC) launched a “Health Partnership Workbook” in January 2011, and made the Workbook available online and as the focus of a series of First Nations regional caucus sessions across the province. The Health Partnership Workbook summarized the discussions about health governance held at more than 100 First Nations regional caucus meetings over the past three years and asked First Nations Chiefs, leaders and senior health professionals in BC to confirm this summary of feedback gathered and share new thoughts and perspectives. The results will inform further discussions, negotiations and relationship building towards the establishment of a new health governance arrangement of First Nations health services in BC.
The feedback provided by First Nations through the regional caucus sessions and the Health Partnership Workbook has been rolled into 5 summary documents – one for each region in BC. The initial regional reports were provided to each region for review, discussion and further amendment in April 2011 and this revised version of the initial draft report was provided again to each region in May 2011.
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Vancouver Island Health Council Members
The Vancouver Island Governance Caucus has determined three (3) members based on a formal consultative process, both as individual nations and collectively. They have also determined that the Caucus will be comprised of representatives from each nation of the Nuuchahnulth, Kwakiutl and Coast Salish, each nation determining their own process to decide on caucus representatives.
Lahalawuts’aat, Shana Manson
Lahalawuts’aat, Shana Manson, is a member of the Lyackson First Nation; a Coast Salish community whose traditional territory includes Valdez Island. She has served three terms as an elected Council member. Shana has a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Political Science (2001) and a Masters Degree in Indigenous Governance (2008), both from the University of Victoria.
She was treaty negotiator for the Hupacasath First Nation (2007-2009), where she was also responsible for nation building and constitutional development. As treaty negotiator she participated in the Common Table negotiations and served as technical support during the negotiations on governance and shared decision making. In addition, Shana was employed by the Hul’qumi’num Treaty Group (2001-2007) where she served as Communications Director and Senior Negotiations Support.
Shana has worked as a Consultant assisting First Nations with Nation Building, Policy Development and Constitution Drafting. As well, she is a Sessional instructor (as needed) for the First Nations Studies Department at Vancouver Island University (FN 103, FN 400, and FN 425).
Most recently Shana was elected by the First Nations Summit Chiefs to serve as Commissioner to the BC Treaty Commission. her first appointment to the First Nations Health Council was by the First Nations Summit (November 2009-May 2010). She was reappointed by election from the Coast Salish of the Vancouver Island Region in June 2010. Shana is married to Jerome Manson of Snuneymuxw and they have three children.
Cliff Atleo Sr.
I was born and raised in Ahousaht. I attended Residential School for nine years. I grew up as a fisherman and worked in this area for 20 years. I worked for the Native Brotherhood of BC for 11 years, from 1978-1989. I served as an organizer, negotiator and Executive Director for this organization. While with the Native Brotherhood, I served as a Canadian Commissioner on the Pacific Salmon Treaty. Since then, I have served as a Canadian Commissioner on the International Pacific Halibut Commission.
I moved on to consulting work in 1990 and eventually to Cheif Negotiator for my Nation of Ahousaht, during the Treaty making process, until 2005. In 1993, I was a negotiator for the Central Region Nations of the Nuu-chah-nulth, when they secured an Interim Measures Agreement covering Forest Resources management, in Clayoquot Sound.
I was elected to the position of President of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council in January 2009 to September 2009, when the term ended. I was re-elected in September of 2009, for a four year term, as President. The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council represents 14 First Nations.
In my role at the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, I represent them on the First Peoples Heritage, Language and Cultural Council; the First Nations Fisheries Council and the First Nations Health Council.
James Wilson
Mr. Wilson was born into the We Wai Kai Nation at Cape Mudge. His father, James Sr., was from the Ahkwamis Nation at Wakeman Sound (110 kms north of Cape Mudge) and his mother is from Cape Mudge. James has lived in Cape Mudge all of his life; only taking leave from the community to attend the University of Victoria where he earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree, with a Major in Political Science in 1979. James is married and has 3 children and 4 grand-children.
James is a Hereditary Clan Chief of the Thunderbird Clan of the Ahkwamis Nation. Early in James’ career he served two consecutive terms on the Cape Mudge Band Council in the mid 1980’s and was first elected onto the Kwakiutl District Council (KDC) Executive in 1985. He has been on the KDC Executive ever since and is currently in his fifth two-year term as the KDC Chairman of the Executive Board.
Mr. Wilson is currently the Band Governance Officer for the We Wai Kai Nation and is focussed on developing a taxation regime by-law, financial management code, a Nation Referendum Law, amending the Nation’s Citizenship Code and completing a comprehensive community plan.
Past experience includes serving as the Tribal Council Senior Negotiator for the Health Transfer with the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, and a political appointment to the Summit Chiefs Health Committee. James was also one of the co-founders of the Inter Tribal Health Authority where he served as Co-Chair and CEO for 8 years.
At the national level, Mr. Wilson participated on the National Health Transfer Evaluation Advisory Board, and also served on the Health Canada Regional “Resource Allocation Task Force” whose duties included amending the allocation of Health funds to First Nations policy.
Mr. Wilson was appointed the First Nations Health Council in November 2010. His hobbies include golf, golf, and golf.