The kid and the pipeline


Photo by Wayne Leidenfrost, The Vancouver Sun
Ta’Kaiya Blaney

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun by Nancy Carson
Level 2

Her name is Ta’Kaiya Blaney.
She is 11 years old and in Grade 5.
Ta’Kaiya lives in North Vancouver.
Del, her Dad, and her mother, Anne live with her.
Anne is a teacher. She teaches Ta’Kaiya at home.

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Interest in nature
Ta’Kaiya is a member of the Sliammon First Nation.
Her name means “Special Water”.
She got her deep love of nature from her culture.
Ta’Kaiya likes studying about the oceans and sea life.
So, she did a school project on otters.
She learned that oil spills kill otters.
Oil can destroy their habitat.

The pipeline
Ta’Kaiya learned about a pipeline planned for northern B.C.
Canada is trying to decide about the pipeline.
The pipes would carry oil from Alberta to Kitimat, B.C.
The girl was shocked.  She does not like the idea.
She wrote to David Suzuki.

A song about water
Ta’Kaiya wrote a song called “Shallow Waters”.
Her parents and singing teacher helped her.
Ta’Kaiya loves music.
At four years old she sang at a pow wow.
The song tells about an oil spill.
It tells what could happen to life in the ocean.
Before the song was finished, there was a big oil spill
in the Gulf of Mexico.
More than 100,000 people saw
her sing “Shallow Waters” on YouTube.

Poster child
Ta’Kaiya speaks all over the world now.
Her face is everywhere.  She’s a poster child.
Her story was on TV and in the papers.
Ta’Kaiya believes water connects all living things.