Ainu Delegation Visit Neskolith Nation

In Fall 1978, 24 members of the Ainu Society for Self Advancement visited British Columbia and parts of the US. This was reported to be the first time that Ainu representatives visited North America for the purpose of engaging with other Indigenous peoples.

On September 8, the Ainu delegation were hosted in the Neskonlith Hall in Chase, BC, by representatives from the Secwépemc nations including the Neskonlith, Skwlax, and Sexqeltqin. After eating together, the Ainu visitors shared in a Secwépemc-language prayer, and then conducted a hunting ritual of their own. They exchanged gifts, ate ice cream, and Ainu leader Tokuhei Narita handed out cigarettes.

Talking through an interpreter, Tokuhei Narita and Neskonlith leader George Manuel discussed the challenges of poverty and language loss faced by the Ainu in Japan and the Secwépemc people in Canada. Manuel gave a speech explaining the gains made by Canadian Indigenous peoples over the last few decades, saying: “These facts were brought out to make you realise our common bond”.