On September 14th, 2024, hundreds gathered at the Si’em Lelum Gym in Duncan, BC to honour the accomplishments of Chief Pahalicktun (Richard Thomas) of Lyackson First Nation.

After 30 years of service as Chief, Grand Chief Pahalicktun retired from his role in September of 2024. He appointed his niece, Chief Laxele’wuts’aat (Shana Thomas), as his successor. The Leeyq’sun Mustimuhw designated Chief Pahalicktun as a Grand Chief in recognition of his significant accomplishments.

Chief Laxele’wuts’aat hosted a retirement ceremony to honor Grand Chief Pahalicktun’s decades of leadership and impact. Grand Chief Steven Point served as the official witness.

Just a few of the hundreds of special guests in attendance were Councillors Jen Phillips, Troy Elliot, Terri Allen, and Fran Alphonse, Cowichan Tribes Chief Cindy Daniels, North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas, Grand Chief Steward Phillip, Elder Joe Charlie, and Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation for B.C. Murray Rankin.

The ceremony included a sacred mask dance, brushing with cedar, and the giving of many gifts. Members of Cowichan Tribes, for example, presented Grand Chief Pahalicktun with a beautiful, custom gray and black Cowichan sweater vest adorned with two Thunderbirds.

Grand Chief Pahalicktun accomplished much for Lyackson during his 30 years, but perhaps no accomplishment is more life-changing for the Leeyq’sun Mustimuhw than his final success: the return of 312 hectares of land on Vancouver Island to Lyackson and Cowichan Tribes.

Grand Chief Pahalicktun fought relentlessly to create a land base for Lyackson – which lacks habitable reserve lands and has been displaced since colonization – for his entire tenure. Just before he retired, Lyackson, Cowichan, and the Province reached an agreement and signed an Incremental Treaty Agreement officially transferring the land to Lyackson and Cowichan, creating a place where the Leeyq’sun Mustimuhw can gather, grow, and live together for many generations to come.

In his words, as quoted by the Cowichan Valley Citizen, “It is the first step in bringing the Leeyq’sun Mustimuhw back together in a village, which will strengthen our community, our culture and our economy for today and for future generations.”

Chief Laxele’wuts’aat, who assumed Chief Pahlicktun’s responsibilities in September, holds a Masters in Indigenous Governance and has worked as both an elected council member and treaty negotiator. Her knowledge and experience – including experience working directly alongside Grand Chief Pahalicktun – has primed her to continue his legacy of building a better future for the Leeyq’sun Mustimuhw.

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