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Young performer inspires others

Preservation of marine and coastal wildlife leads to crusade
Young performer inspires others

A perfect blend of youth, music and environmental activism comes in the form of Ta’Kaiya Blaney, a 10-year-old singer, actor and anti-oil-tanker crusader from North Vancouver.

Ta’Kaiya is from the Tla’Amin (Sliammon) First Nation and her name means “special water.” Along with singing, songwriting, and acting, she is concerned about the environment, especially the preservation of marine and coastal wildlife.

Recently, Ta’Kaiya made the news when she was blocked from entering the corporate offices of Enbridge Inc., a large oil and gas pipeline Canadian company, while trying to deliver a copy of her song and a letter to officials there.

Her song, titled “Shallow Waters,” is in response to a proposal by Enbridge to build a twin pipeline to carry bitumen from the oil sands of Alberta to Kitimat on the coast of British Columbia, where supertankers will carry it to Asian markets.

Ta’Kaiya released the song with a music video and plea to members of parliament and businesses that she doesn’t want to see TV images of an oil spill in BC like she saw after last year’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Greenpeace supported her efforts with politicians.

“Ta’Kaiya is a young girl who represents the voice of the next generation,” said Stephanie Goodwin, BC director of Greenpeace. “This voice calling for protection of culture, food and environment is loud and clear. The question is: will Ottawa listen?”

With an eye to empower and energize nine-to-16 year olds to take stewardship over their own environments, organizers of the Comox Valley Earth Day event came up with a summit idea to bring together local youth who are interested—and perhaps already active—in environmental and social justice causes.

Ta’Kaiya has been invited to perform and talk at the festival and will co-facilitate a question and answer session with Zac Whyte, of Vancouver Island, who describes himself as a “pure idealist who mixes irrational bits of realism to build community.” He is a speaker and activist on healing the planet.

Comox Valley Earth Day Family Festival takes place from 10 am to 4 pm on April 23 at Simms Park in Courtenay. For complete details, interested readers can visit the event website.

Powell River Earth Day celebrations take place at Lund Gazebo, from 11 am to 5 pm, Saturday, April 23.