"First Nations have experience in living on this continent for thousands of years without use of fossil fuels. It is now appropriate that First Nations demonstrate how to live without fossil fuels once again." -Chief Gordon Planes With all the furor surrounding the oil sands and the prospect of Canada becoming "the Saudi Arabia of the north", there isn't much dialogue being directed at alternative energy systems such as sunlight, wind, geothermal and biomass.

It’s true that we have to stay focused on the task at hand; especially given the wide spectrum of risks that come with exploiting the tar sands. But at the same time, we have to keep a firm eye on the future, in the very least, for our own cultural, social, spiritual, economic, psychological and physical well-being as distinct peoples.

The T’Sou-ke Nation on Vancouver Island is going a long way to do just that. As you’ll see in this video from 2009, the T’Sou-ke have a established solar energy project termed “Sum-SHA-Thut”, the Sencoten word for “sunshine”.

FULL ARTICLE Leading By Example: T’Souke Nation Solar Community.