HGT Magazine #115 January/February 2022

Haida Gwaii Support
for Wet’suwet’en
Land Defenders
By Jamie McDonald
Wet’suwet’en land defenders are
fighting to protect their territory
from construction of Coastal
GasLink’s pipeline. In late 2021,
many Haida Gwaii citizens held
fundraising events in support of
land defenders:
• A fundraiser featuring The
Pseudos’ debut performance took
place in Daajing Giids Queen
Charlotte and raised $3,500. Jay
Myers, a founding member of
the band, filled up his truck with
donated items and travelled to
the Gidimt’en Checkpoint in early
December to drop off the funds and
donations, just a few days after the
RCMP conducted militarized raids
against Wet’suwet’en land defenders.
• A pop-up cafe and raffle, organized
by Julia Weder, raised $1,820.
• A group of youth in Masset
organized a bake sale at Gudangaay
Tlaats’gaa Naay Secondary School,
which raised $145.
• Tllgaay Kuuyada, the youth
social justice group, organized a
movie night and zoom session with
Wet'suwet'en land defenders, which
raised $85.
For more information on what’s
going on in Wet’suwet’en Territory
and how you can get involved, visit
yintahaccess.com.
Racket Sports
on Haida Gwaii
Through the
Eyes of a Senior
Text and Photo by Lin Armstrong
In 1965, two families at their summer cabin discovered they did not have
enough equipment to play any one of the three racket ball games regularly
used to wile away the hours. Having found ping pong paddles and a
whiffle ball, the tennis court was utilized, and a new game discovered. A
combination of ping pong, badminton and tennis, it was named Pickleball
(possibly after the family dog). The game usually lasts ten minutes, utilizes
two or four players, and ends at either eleven, fifteen, or twenty-one points.
The Day My Stroke Arrived
Pickleball is gaining popularity on Haida Gwaii! In Daajing Giids Queen
Charlotte you can play in the high school gym on Monday and Wednesday
nights from 6 to 8 pm. To participate
By Manzanita
you must prove
Snow
you are double
vaccinated and bring indoor runners. Access to the gym is through the
main doors, all of the equipment is provided free of charge by Haida Gwaii
Recreation,
The first
and
sign
because
of trouble
the gym
fell
is
out
such
of my
a large
mouth.
space,
My
there
speech
can
was
be
drunken,
games of
badminton,
it was
ping
such
pong
a slur.
and
I was
pickleball
sober at
going
the time
on
–
at
it
the
was
same
bedtime.
time.
I felt a slight
panic as I plopped on to my bed, grasped the phone and called both my
In Masset,
son and
racket
daughter
ball is played
with the
in
garbled
the high
news,
school
“I am
gym
not
on
normal.”
Tuesdays
They
from
were
7 to
9 pm.
almost
Pickleball
speechless.
is Fridays from 5 to 7 pm, and indoor soccer is Fridays from
7 to 9 pm. Access is through the door to the hallway next to the gym. Double
vaccination I slept proof in worried and indoor segments, runners and are awoke needed. to stagger to the bathroom.
A Pickleball
I made
court
a sloppy
is planned
cup of coffee
for the
and
Willows
fell into
Golf
thought,
Course
mystified.
in K’il Kun
It was
Sandspit.
a sunny morning and I looked out at my young flowers. The pansy
plants smiled at me from their planters. Soon a friend showed up and I
Playing
greeted
Pickleball
her with
is a great
my slurred
way to
speech.
exercise
She
and
works
learn
as
a game
a nurse
that
and
is
became
being
considered
ashen-faced.
for inclusion
I was
in
ordered
the Olympics!
into a chair.
If you
The
really
ambulance
get bitten
was
by
soon
the
on its
Pickleball
way.
bug
Things
you
were
could
in
visit
a swirl
the
as
Pickleball
items were
Capital
stuffed
of the
into
World
a bag without
in Naples,
my
Florida,
opinion.
where they
Tightly
boast
buckled
sixty courts.
down on the stretcher and not wearing any
To learn shoes, more I was about ready the to programs go in no offered time with by Haida my wallet, Gwaii spiritual Recreation book, and
Commission a six-foot-long you can staff visit that them I wouldn’t at hgrec.com leave or without. see their Why Facebook the staff? page. Who
knows?
The ambulance left hurriedly while I recited as best I could my name
and date of birth to the burly, uniformed attendant. The sun shone
brightly through the back windows as my home melted away behind me.
Who would care for my dog? My flowers had to soldier on without me.
My dog would have to go on somehow without a decent goodbye. What
was going to happen, and how would I cope? I prayed that I would be
back home soon. Home with friends, happy hour, flowers, and health
returned.
Editor’s Epilogue... After Manzanita suffered her stroke she shared with us
how she also faced a near death experience while she was in the hospital.
Told by a doctor that, “things were not looking good,” Manzanita said a
prayer and much to the amazement of her caregivers she awoke the next
morning much improved. She has since undergone physiotherapy, and the
most wonderful news is that at the time of writing this, she is back at home
getting about with the help of a walker and enjoying her little dog and her
posies. Manzanita sends out her heartfelt thanks to all those people in the
community who have been so very kind and helpful.
If you or anyone you know is showing signs of FAST: Face drooping, Arm
weakness or Speech difficulty, remember, it’s Time to call an ambulance. As
911 is not available on Haida Gwaii, call 1-800-461-9911.
Avid Pickleballers in Daajing Giids
Queen Charlotte
20 HG January / February 2022 21