Tla'amin elder and pioneer in ʔayʔaǰuθəm (ayajuthem) language revitalization Betty Wilson was recently honoured by Pope Francis. She was presented with a Benemerenti Medal by archbishop J. Michael Miller CSB at Sunday mass at Church of the Assumption this past August.
Father Patrick Tepoorten, the now former pastor of the Assumption parish in the qathet region, put forward the papal honour nomination for Wilson to receive the commemorative medal, for community service to church and community.
Many First Nations people around the world have disavowed church institutions due to past harms committed, including at residential schools, but many have stayed connected to the faith, including Wilson.
Although Wilson did not wish to speak about the medal out of humbleness, Tepoorten wanted to share his words with the Peak, about Wilson, and why he nominated her for the papal honour.
"She has loved the church from her earliest days, and has fond memories of the various elders, now deceased, who have run the Sacred Heart Church (Tla'amin territory)," said Tepoorten.
"Wilson is the First Nations coordinator for the Sacred Heart Church, Tla'amin Nation, but she does so much more than that; she reaches out to the community."
Over the years Wilson helped organize, along with many other parishioners, extensive renovations to the interior of Church of the Assumption on Glacier Street.
Wilson has tried to build bridges and support healing within the Tla'amin community through organizing (church) mass intentions, specifically for families who no longer practice [Catholicism] to honour their dead, according to Tepoorten.
Instead of turning away from the church, she has used it as a conduit to incorporate Tla'amin traditions, such as basket weaving and language, into church culture in the qathet region.
"Betty has participated in parish pastoral council meetings in my time here in Westview at Assumption parish for at least seven years," said Tepoorten. "She has been on the special committee to disperse the monies raised by parishes for healing of First Nations and reconciliation."
Wilson has also ensured the ayajuthem language is sung in church, especially during Christmas mass at Sacred Heart, and practices singing with Tla'amin and non-Tla'amin people in a choir.
"She is very conscious about happenings throughout the Archdiocese vis-à-vis First Nations issues," said Tepoorten. "She invited speakers such as deacon Rennie Nahanee [an elder from Squamish Nation] up to speak, and bishop Gary Gordon to do a healing seminar."
Wilson has spent her whole life building community through adversity, despite adversity. Although Tepoorten has now been appointed to Saint Pius X Parish in North Vancouver and has left qathet, he wanted to make sure Wilson received recognition for her years of important community work within the church and Tla'amin Nation.
To read about Wilson's work with language revitalization with her nephew Randy Timothy, go to prpeak.com/in-the-community/tlaamin-language-revitalization-imperative-to-community-7287051.
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