The Tsilhqot’in National Government anticipates vaccines, which will be delivered by the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA), will be available to the remaining Tsilhqot’in communities in the upcoming weeks. In a Jan. 12 Facebook video by Anaham Sage Health Clinic, Tl’etinqox Chief Joe Alphonse said close to 30 people in his community have been tested for the novel coronavirus. All test results have come back negative as of Jan. 12. He asks his community to continue to pray and to fight to keep COVID-19 at bay by doing everything they can, including no visiting, wearing a facemask and washing their hands, as well as reminding family members of those requirements.
“With the pandemic … there’s not been a lot of hope. There’s been a lot of fear.” A small ceremony was held at the base of the totem pole, approximately 100 kilometres west of Williams Lake, Tuesday, Jan. 12 at Tl’etinqox (Anaham) First Nation. Carved by Nuxalk Nation master carver Skip Saunders, the exquisite totem featuring the transformation of a human to raven at the top beneath other animals such as a beaver, red-tailed hawk, killer whale, bear and frog was completed in the fall of 2017. “There are not a lot of things our people can be positive about right now and that pole is something that can provide that for them, so this provides hope to our members that we unveiled,” Alphonse said.