This letter was sent to the District of 撸奶社区mayor and council and copied to The Chief for publication.
Mayor and council,As regards the federal and provincial funding that 撸奶社区will receive to build the O'Siem Community Pavilion, it is my understanding that there are no plans yet as to how this structure will be built or what features it will offer ["撸奶社区gets $1 million boost," The Chief, March 20].
The District's website correctly states that "O'Siem" is a traditional greeting of respect in the Coast Salish culture. In keeping with the name and its meaning, it is only fair that the longhouse-style building should exhibit the values deeply held by our forefathers for thousands of years. The Coast Salish people exercised sound environmental stewardship over the land and all its resources, their traditional knowledge imparted how humans must live in balance with all ecosystems, and their teachings, handed down from elder to child, included holistic practices designed to sustain abundance and diversity. Twenty-first century 撸奶社区should honor these values, and offer due respect to this ancient culture by constructing a building that reflects the environmental priorities and the indivisible relationship between land, resources, and people recognized by the Coast Salish.
The O'Siem Community Pavilion will be a multi-purpose space, and one of its primary objectives should be to serve as an educational community tool. We should favor the construction of an environmentally friendly building, utilizing sustainable and reclaimed materials from local or regional sources, a focus which will prevent waste in the landfill and less new product circulation. Among other things, the structure could include composting toilets, solar panels, perhaps even a small wind turbine, and a rainwater capture system which would redirect the water into a garden filled with native plant species.
If we think of the O'Siem Pavilion as a community resource that could provide education to the public on sustainable solutions, the possibilities are endless. We should jump at the chance to build not only a safe space for community gatherings, but also an icon of the socially and environmentally responsible decisions that modern-day 撸奶社区is capable of making.
Ana Santos
Squamish
