SNITCHED: : Learning From a Traditional Place

Abstract

Here is a story about a traditional Aboriginal place as told by Elder John Elliott Sr. The place is SNETOED, which means place of blue grouse. SNITCHED2 is on the traditional territories of the WDSANEC peoples who live on what is today called the Saanich Peninsula on southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The story represents teachings about rela­tionship that are integral to the WDSANEC culture. The article begins with traditional stories associated with SNJTDED (pronounced Sneet kwulth) before the first contact with Europeans. Five WDSANEC realities about relationship inherent in this story are thankfulness, kindness, helpfulness, respect, and transformation. These teachings come from a healthy and long-lasting relationship with place. The article then tells how SNITCHED was taken by the settlers from the WDSANEC people when they were at their weakest. Finally, the article uses the teachings from this traditional place and shows how these are useful today in reconciling relations be­tween the WDSANEC people, traditional places such as SNITOED, and others who currently live on or use these traditional territories.This is a story about a traditional place on southern Vancouver Island. The place is called SNITCHED in the SENCOTEN language. SNITCHED is an original village site of the WDSANEC people. In a sense, SNITCHED is a womb of WDSANEC people. The first WDSANEC man was put on the earth there by the creator XALS. This first man was named SLDEMEWDD, rain. He was put there on a rainy night to learn how to live in this place.