Ainu Delegation Visit Alaska
Alaska, USA / Turtle Island After being invited by Inuit visitors to Japan in 1977 to tour North America, twenty-four members of the the Ainu Society for Self Advancement set out in late 1978. Tokuhei Narita served as spokesperson of the delegation. This journey is understood to be the first time that Ainu representatives visited North America for the purpose of engaging with other Indigenous peoples. The delegates’ first stop was in Alaska in August 1978.
Ainu Society for Self Advancement Delegation Leaves for North America
North America / Turtle Island After being invited by Inuit visitors to Japan in 1977 to tour North America, twenty-four members of the the Ainu Society for Self Advancement set out in late 1978. This is understood to be the first time that Ainu representatives visited North America for the purpose of engaging with other Indigenous peoples. Just as they had done in China, Ainu activists were keen to visit other parts of the world and find ideas and strategies that were useful for their own survival and flourishing. Some future delegations would specifically involve Ainu youth or women and had a focus on subjects of interest to them in particular. When they returned home, delegates would always host meetings to disseminate knowledge among the community.
Ainu Delegation Visit Bella Coola
Bella Coola, British Columbia, Canada / Turtle Island After being invited by Inuit visitors to Japan in 1977 to tour North America, twenty-four members of the the Ainu Society for Self Advancement set out in late 1978. This journey is understood to be the first time that Ainu representatives visited North America for the purpose of engaging with other Indigenous peoples. After visiting Vancouver and the Interior, the Ainu arrived in Bella Coola sometime in October, where they were hosted by the Nuxalk Nation. Both the Nuxalk and Ainu are seafaring peoples who rely heavily on fishing, and so Nuxalk fishers took their Ainu counterparts out on several fishing trips during their stay. The trip went so well that the Nuxalk Nation were sent a letter of thanks the Union of BC Indian Chiefs leader George Manuel (who had just hosted the Ainu himself in Chase), and plans were made for a reciprocal visit of Indigenous Canadians to Ainu territory in Japan in the following year. It is unclear whether this trip ever took place. Sources Noohalk News (October 1978). Recent Cultural Exchange with 4 arrows and Ainu people’s groups. No page numbers. Accessed through UBCIC archives. Nuxalk News (February, 1979). Cultural Center Activity Report. No page numbers. Accessed through UBCIC archives. Pederson, Bob. (February 23, 1979). Japan’s Ainu native people group visits Canadian Natives at Bella Coola, B.C. The New Canadian, n.p.
Ainu Delegation Visit Neskolith Nation
Chase, British Columbia, Canada / Turtle Island After being invited by Inuit visitors to Japan in 1977 to tour North America, twenty-four members of the the Ainu Society for Self Advancement set out in late 1978. This journey is understood 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”. Sources Lex’yem, August (1978). Native Indians from Japan. Pg. 35. Accessed through UBCIC archive. Indians Today (Neskainlith Newsletter), (October, 1978). Ainu, Indian People share experiences. No page numbers. Accessed through UBCIC archives.