First Nations (9)
By Julius Booth On August 04, 2013 | 0 Comments
Check out our new "digital extension" of the upcoming book! Special pre-sales price until Oct 15!
Julius Booth is our Hello Cool World summer marketing intern. Every day, he bikes along the sea wall and is fed amazing lunches which make up for his lack of pay. He is heading to McGill in the fall for his first year of University.
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By Julius Booth On July 23, 2013 | 0 Comments
Julius Booth - HCW's summer intern - has been working on the Uts'am-Witness book project. Check out his video clip "The Witness Ceremony" below!
I’ve been asked as a summer intern at Hello Cool World to write a blog entry about the Uts’am Witness project. Here we go.
The Witness project began in 1997 back when video cameras were clunky and produced footage not fit for 1080p monitors. One of those cameras just happens to be in the editing room right now. I have been transferring hours of footage from tapes of the early Witness Ceremonies using the antique camera and a newly purchased cord that is specifically capable of plugging into the camera and a USB port.
The footage is very cool. I’ve known Kat and Nancy for a long time, seeing them much younger is an interesting experience. As a child from the 90’s there is a surprising lack of home videos in my family, so any footage from that time is a treat to see. The Witness weekends are cool to watch as well. There are songs, dancing and even drum-making lessons. The weekends remind me of a regular summer camp. I wouldn’t be surprised if they went canoeing and told ghost stories around a fire.
Before combing through the hours of footage that chronicle the Witness Project, I was editing my own little trailer/piece for the book. Despite being brand new to Final Cut Pro at the time, coupled with the computer troubles that have been haunting the Hello Cool World office for the last week, I think I did a mighty decent job. Unfortunately, the photos are a bit blurry because I had to screenshot them off a PDF of the Picturing Transformation book BUY IT NOW!!! My piece is about what a traditional witness ceremony is and how it was adapted for the Witness Project. You can watch the video here:
Look for my name in the book! JB
By Katherine Dodds On June 28, 2013 | 0 Comments
We are in the midst of doing the final edits, and it is so thrilling to see our book, 'Picturing Transformation, Nexw-áyantsut' come to life and to know that it will be going to print on Monday July 22!! The book features art works and photos by Nancy Bleck from the last 15 years, i.e. before, during and after the Uts'am Witness Project took place. As I review the essay we've been working on for years now, I've been reflecting on how much this project accomplished and how life-changing it was for so many.  On the very first Witness weekend in 1997, all those who made the journey to Sims Creek witnessed the Squamish Nation Assertion of Aboriginal Title document. In that first art show at the Roundhouse later that year, Nancy's 48-foot long banner piece had text from that document, and panorama images from the summer of Witness Ceremonies. the images above and below are details from that banner peice.
In our neck of the woods what had been known in 1997 as "Tree Farm License 38" and slated for complete clear-cutting, has been restored to its traditional name of Nexw-áyantsut, meaning 'Place of Transformation'. As part of the Squamish Nation Sacred Land Use Plan, it now is forever protected.
This book is a document and a testament to the journey that got us there together.
Katherine Dodds AKA "Kat" is the founder of Good Company Communications and HelloCoolWorld.com. Trained in renegade advertising & branding through her work with Adbusters in the '90s, Kat's early induction into the possibilities of the web-world was inspired by the term hypertext, which she immediately found comforting. She is dedicated to cause-related communication and to the development and use of tools that promote democratic processes.
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By Katherine Dodds On April 19, 2013 | 0 Comments
It's exciting times! Our book, Picturing Transformation, Nexw-ayantsut cover design is done, and the layout is about to begin (you can see a thumbnail of the cover on the masthead above
It's just a couple of clicks, costs no money, and will help them build their alternative distribution platform for social cause media, a propsal that will give us all more tools to do our work, including this book! We have less than a week to get as many boosts as possible so please click on the boost link, and if you have already boosted share on twitter and facebook. You can only boost once per email address, but you can tweet and like it daily to give them more points. We need everyone who supports us to support this project too! : )
Their platfom will support out outreach efforts to get the book to as many people as possible and will also help us keep this website up to date and engage with more of our supporters.
By Katherine Dodds On October 23, 2012 | 0 Comments
Strong Words from Chief Ian Campbell at yesterday's Defend our Coast Rally. Heartening to see so many people come together, and to see ceremony and protocol being "served' to the politicians!
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Being called to “witness” in the Coast Salish tradition is a sacred honour.
Bearing witness by a “hired” Speaker carries responsibilities and duty.
As a witness, they are to listen and watch the “work” that is going to take place.
They are to carry the message back to their home community.
If, in the future, or at any time in their life, there is a concern over what took place,
they, as witnesses,
have to recall what they have heard and seen with regard to the event.
—from the Squamish Nation Assertion of Aboriginal Title
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