How much longer shall the injustice(s) continue?

I am a member of the Ahwahoo Tribe of the Laichkwiltach Nation who resides in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory which I know to be the land of the Kwanlin Dun.  I respectfully submit that I am not from here.  I am from what is now called Campbell River, British Columbia.  The Ahwahoo tribe is not recognized today as a legitimate group of people with that group having an identity within the Laichkwiltach Nation.  Our ancestors lived in what is now the Campbell River area before what is now known as Indian Reserve #11 existed.  Members of the Ahwahoo tribe have many times attempted to bring this discrepancy to the attention of those in power be they native or non-native.  The Ahwahoo tribe remains unrecognized regardless of those efforts.  How many people are we talking about?  With the estimated 7 billionth person estimated to having been born sometime as I write this, the number may appear insignificant to some of those of you that read this blog entry.  350 to 420 people may be identified as a Ahwahoo is they so chose to be enumerated as a member of this tribe.

Those of you reading this blog may be wondering why this is so important to me.  This is my family and our history that I am writing about.  It is a matter of identification.  The lack of recognition in the case of my tribe appears to be a form of genocide.  Some may think that is far fetched but, please read on.  The Ahwahoo tribe were and are a noble people.  Thanks to things like the Indian Act and those that were put in place to supervise the activities that were or were not permitted within the Indian Act.  As much as Prime Minister Stephen Harper may choose not believe that colonization occurred, that is exactly what the Indian Act was designed to do!  Colonize the indigenous peoples so that their lands and resources can be taken from them in ways they do not understand.  Assimilate these people into the general population and wipe out the native question entirely!  As much as the Canadian Government apologized for such activity having taken place 13 years ago much has still been left undone.

The Laichkwiltach Nation was made up of five tribes at one time.  To my understanding four remain.  According to the Vancouver Island 1881 Census those tribes were, as named at that time, the Ah wah oo tribe, the Kwe ah kah tribe, the Waw lit sum tribe, the We wai a kai tribe and the We wai ai kum tribe. These tribes of the Laichkwiltach Nation are not individual First Nations as people would have you believe today.  There is and was no such thing as the Weiwaikum First Nation, Kwiakah First Nation and Weiwaikai First Nation.  Furthermore I do not believe that the people of the Ahwahoo tribe gave up or surrendered their identity at any time!  Prove to me that this in fact the case.  If such proof is not immediately forthcoming that immediate reinstate the Ahwahoo tribe of the Laichkwiltach Nation so that we may be recognized as the hereditary people of what is now called Campbell River, British Columbia.

My Great-great Grandfather Captain John Kwaksista or Kwawkseestahla was enumerated in the Vancouver Island 1881 Census along with all who were in his house.  Be it also known and recognized by all that look at and read the above linked web page shows Kwawkseestahla's family was listed as "Family Number: 1".  Why is this important?  Kwawkseestahla was not "a lesser chief" as many would have us believe today.  It substantiates the claim(s) made by the hereditary Chief of the Ahwahoo tribe, my uncle, Captain George Quocksister, and his siblings have been making for years.

The man that thoroughly recorded the population within Kwawkewlth Agency in 1881 was Indian Agent George Blenkinsop.  From what I have read of what is now historical information recorded by this Indian Agent tells me one thing about Mr. George Blenkinsop.  He was painstakingly thorough and dedicated to what he was doing!  How do I know that?  Over time from I understand his first wife and eight of his nine children died while he lived in Alert Bay, British Columbia.  That kind of tragedy would destroy the average man.  This man knew adversity and sacrifice!  He never left.  He stayed on there, remarried and from what I've read, lived out his life there.  Apparently he fluently knew the dialects of the people within the Kwawkewlth Agency which means his enumeration of all the people within his agency would have been accurately recorded.  Indian Agent George Blenkinsop enumerated 42 members of the Ahwahoo tribe in 1881.

Moving forward to present day, as of September 2011, the current populations of the Campbell River Indian Band, Cape Mudge Indian Band and Kwiakah Tribe can be viewed by clicking on the links provided.  The Ahwahoo are sadly mixed in with the Weiwaikum tribe (Not First Nation) and possibly with the Weiwaikai tribe of Cape Mudge unlike all 20 (According to the data I read as of September 2011) of the members of the Kwiakah tribe.  Again, 350 to 420 people may be identified as a Ahwahoo is they so chose to be enumerated as a member of the Ahwahoo tribe.  You've read what I've written before where I inaccurately wrote that the number of the Kwiakak tribe was 29.  It was 19 and according to the data from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada it the Kwiakah may have gained a soul.  If the Laich-Kwil-Tach Treaty Society tribes can recognize the tiny Kwiakah tribe, how about the more than up to twenty times larger Ahwahoo tribe?

From what I have learned from my living ancestors who knew their grandparents, my great-grand parents and never heard any of them once say that the Ahwahoo tribe extinguished it's rights then why are we treated as such?  Show me the written proof of such!  I'll believe it if I can see it.  But, I tend to believe my living ancestors claim that no such thing as the Ahwahoo tribe giving up it's identity ever legally occurred!

Another issue that may arise from further review of the way the Ahwahoo tribe has been treated by others is discrimination against members in whole or in part of the Ahwahoo tribe on the prohibited ground of race.  June 20, 2011 was a significant day for indigenous peoples in Canada living on reserves in terms of being able to finally address human rights complaints.  The Canadian Human Rights Commission may be interested in hearing the Ahwahoo tribe`s case.  The fact that the Indian Act is, or at least was, a horrendously discriminatory all by itself as a sad example set before us all.  Yet, this poor piece of legislation lives on and affects anyone who is indigenous to any part of all the territory that is now Canada.

Discriminatory practices and behaviours were sadly well modelled ever since the Indian Act was enforced upon native peoples here in what is now called Canada.  In the process of such activity could the Ahwahoo tribe been intentionally overlooked?  Indian Agents had absolute power.  Could that power have been abused?  Yes!  At any time and in many cases and situations across Canada it was.  Could this also be what happened to the Ahwahoo tribe of the Laichkwiltach Nation?  I believe this is a question that no one knows the full answer to today.  This information was carried to the grave by our Ahwahoo elders.

Again, if I'm wrong.  Prove it!  Show me that the Ahwahoo tribe no longer legally exists because one of the hereditary chiefs at sometime in history chose to make his mark or sign his signature giving up the rightful identity of the Ahwahoo of what is now called Campbell River, British Columbia.  Yes, I am repeating myself.  I refuse to be silent about this issue until such time as this occurs.  If no such document exists and nobody's come forward to this point to show that it does, then the other three remaining tribes of the Laichkwiltach Nation need to immediately recognize the Ahwahoo tribe and it's people for who we are!

What I have learned about Kwawkseestahla and his three sons, so far.

In 1998, Candy-Lea Chickite provided me with a GEDCOM file about my family which is a small file that contains genealogical information.  This GEDCOM file contained data about my ancestors back 5 generations to Captain John Kwaksista or Kwawkseestahla who is my great-great grandfather.  I enjoy doing things via computer.  Computers and the Internet were definitely made to help people do family research.  I thought that was kind of cool being about to look at my ancestral information.  From that  year on I have become an amateur genealogist.  My family tree has grown since then with the data that I have collected about the families that I have descended from.  I have not taken any courses or completed any curriculum that would qualify or certify as a professional genealogist.  I am not interested in doing genealogical work outside those that are my family members.

I have learned that in order for anyone to take my genealogy data seriously I have to have source information or material that I can use to prove that my ancestors are who I believe they are.  I must properly record ALL of my family data.  I don't just put information about the family members that I like.  I put in all the information that I can.  I don't have any family members that I don't like, by the way.  Finding information about my father's family prior to 1899 has been challenging.  In order for my genealogy work to have an credibility I have to be able to back up my family claim(s) with proof.  I can't just show a family tree chart and say "See!  Bob was Captain John Kwaksista's son."  Where are the sources for such a claim?  Where is the proof?  Vital facts are required.  Historical information should be available to prove what is being presented.  This requires work.  Go figure.

I met with a number of family members in Campbell River in May and told them how I came to know who our ancestors were through genealogy.  I do not live in Campbell River and have not heard a lot of the stories that my family knows about our ancestors.  Some may think that is a hollow knowledge of my ancestry.  Knowing the vital statistics of my ancestors helped me better search for information about who they were and the times that they lived in.  During my genealogical search and quest to determine who my ancestors were and are I have discovered some interesting and some disturbing things along the way.

Census information is valuable but, it's difficult to say whether my ancestors participated in the during census taking with all out integrity.  I tend to think that my ancestors viewed the census as an annoying Canadian government process that did not benefit them much.  The census information I've found has been interesting but, I don't know how accurate some of the data is.  The same thing goes for vital statistic data.  Many of my ancestors did not officially register their family births and deaths with the government of British Columbia.  Candy-Lea Chickite told my family in May 2011 that many births and deaths within the family were not "properly" registered with the government of British Columbia until 1940.

People working for the Canadian government did not know how to spell my great-great father's name and family name as I mentioned in an blog post I wrote in 2010 about my great grandfather, George Quocksistala, son of Captain John Kwaksista.  This was revisionist history in the making!  The Canadian government's history of colonizing native peoples through the Indian Act is well documented through out the Indian Act's 135 year history.  There are at lease 16 ways that I have seen my family's name spelled.  The name "Quocksister" was chosen for my grandparents John and Susan and their children.  My Aunt Edna Tremeer says that the name Quocksister was given to my ancestors in 1940 by none other than the Canadian government.

It is relatively well known that Laichkwiltach people had and were given numerous names.  Talk about a painful challenge!  Some of my ancestors may have changed names in the past like people buy, sell and trade cars today.  I'm still learning about the whole naming thing but, from what I know thus far, use of names or changing of names can be factor as to why people just seem to disappear.  My favourite example is a child that I can find no other supporting data for who appears to be a son that my great-grandfather George Kwocksistala (Sigh!  One of the many ways his last name was spelled.) and his wife Mary had.  This boy's name was recorded as "Georgie"  on Line 21 of the page that was recorded in the 1911 Census.  According to the 1911 Census recorded in Line 21 Georgie lived in Campbell River, was Male, Son (Of George [Line 19] and Mary [Line 20]), Marital status was Single (S), Month of Birth was blank (Probably unkown), Year of Birth 1901, Age 10, Year of immigration - Blank, Year of Naturalization - Blank, Racial or tribal origin - Indian, Nationality - Canadian, Religion - Methodist, Chief occupation or trade - helper, Employment other than chief occupation or trade, if any - 4 -8 -01, Employer - No, Employee - Yes, Working on own (Something) - No, Work hours per week - 70 {Poor kid!} Months at School in 1910 - 6, Can read - Yes, Can write - Yes, Language normally spoken - Indian and English.  There are some lines on the Census page that I skipped because I couldn't decipher what was being asked for and recorded.  Where did Georgie go?  I have searched for him and haven't found anything about him since the 1911 Census.  Did his name change?  Part of the unexplained.  A mystery to be solved in the future.

There are those that think Kwawkseestalha, or Captain John Kwaksista, of the Ahwahoo tribe of the Laichkwiltach Nation is their ancestor and forefather as well.  Even with the problems that I have mentioned earlier in this blog I can say with fair certainty that this is not true in the case of those people.  I will fully explain why shortly.  I also find it interesting that there are those who are Captain John Kwaksista's descendants and refuse to admit it.  This is true and sad for those people.  Suck it up people!

The fact that Kwawkseestalha, Captain John Kwaksista, or less flatteringly in some instances called Captain John Quacksister, had three sons is documented by Fred Nunns, a settler who came to the Campbell River area and also Indian Agent Pidcock.  My father, his brothers and sisters also knew these things based on information that George Quocksistala's widow, their grandmother Mary, told them.  I do not have Frank Nunns diary so I can't personally reference it.  I can reference what Indian Agent Pidcock wrote.  Indian Agent Pidcock's written observation of my ancestors was interestingly referenced in a prominent court case that those from Campbell River and Cape Mudge know well.  Kwawkseestalha and Mah kwawk had three sons named Tsah kai use (Jack), Tsah kahlth (Tom) and Kwin kwaw lis (George).  This information is from the 1881 Canada Census which supports my living ancestors claim.  The living ancestors I speak of are my father and two remaining uncles and aunt.  Captain John Kwaksista does not appear to have had a son by the name of Bob.  I have kept an open mind about this.  From what I know about genealogy and historical information about my family in general, I recognize that I could be incorrect in this presentation of what I believe to be the facts.  If I am incorrect.  Prove it!

Don't get me wrong!  Bob Kwakistala did exist as can be seen in the 1911 Canada Census.  At the time of the 1911 Census he was 40 years old.  This may or may not be correct.  The 1911 Census says his wife's name was Jennie.  That may or may not be correct.  Bob Kwockseslala appeared to have passed away in Alert Bay in 1918 from what I found at BC Vital Statistics which stated that he was 50 years old at the time of his passing.  I discovered that his oldest son William Robert Quockester served with the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force in World War 1 and that he indicated that he was born in Naniamo on his Attestation Paper.  I believe this man, William, changed his last name to Roberts to become William Roberts sometime during or after World War 1.  Am I wrong?  I might be but, I haven't seen anyone else's explanation or proof, with references, that proves that William's father, Bob, was my great-great grandfather's son.  Bob may be of the Ahwahoo tribe and he could well be related to Captain John Kwaksista but, from what I have found, Bob does not appear to be a son of Kwawkseestalha.  Prove me wrong!

The 1881 Canada Census also listed tribal affiliation!  Tribal affiliation information has not been recorded since 1881.  The Ahwahoo tribe of the Laichkwiltach Nation existed in 1881 and still exists today.  For those that say the Ahwahoo never existed and that my family illegally squats on land that belongs to others are entirely incorrect.  Historical information available shows that the Ahwahoo existed and live in what is now called Campbell River, British Columbia.

I am Ahwahoo!  As I've said before, my cousins and I know who we are.  This knowledge can not be stolen from my family.  Our ancestral history is documented and we know from whom we have come.  It is unfortunate that there are those that can't say the same.

The Indian Act of Canada and it's affects on the Kwawkseestahla, Kwaksista, Kwaksistala, Kwakseestahla, Quocksister Family.

Last year I wrote about federal government revisionism and it's affects upon my family.  A man with the name of Michael (Meandering Michael) commented on the blog post I wrote.  Please go to the bottom of the blog post to see what Michael wrote.  What made me sit up and take notice was the parallel between Michael's short family story and mine.  Is it too late for Michael's family?  I recall reading Michael's comment to my blog post feeling a sense of urgency with regards to ensuring that what happened to his family doesn't happen to mine.

The Indian Act of Canada and the attitudes surrounding the poorly worded and significantly discriminatory document have been a chain around the necks of all the native peoples of Canada for way too long.  If you are unaware of what I'm writing about or want to brush up on this document please read about it here.  The Indian Act has been modified to suit the federal government's needs time and time again.  The native peoples of Canada had nothing to do with the develop or enactment of the Indian Act but, we've all suffered because of it!  Colonization of the native peoples of Canada was and still is wrong.  Yet, here we sit, with the Indian Act of Canada.

The Canadian government's revisionism continues to this day.  Just as the Indian Act has been and is revised so has the behaviour(s) of the federal government department that is charged with overseeing the government's view.  That being the recently changed name of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.   Revisionist policy is even undertaken by First Nations governments if you can believe it.  Some significant wrongs are being addressed but, the time taken to right past wrongs is, sadly, ridiculously slow!  The good news is native human rights have finally caught up with other Canadians human rights.  I believe this has finally put my family on even footing with those we have grievances against and we'll be able to address outstanding issues without fear of further discrimination or recrimination.

How does this affect my family?  I'll answer this question shortly.

Hello to the Kwiakah tribe of the Laichkwiltach Nation!  I choose to use the Kwiakah tibe of the Laichkwiltach Nation as an example because they are the smallest tribe.  Please understand that I do not have a problem with the Kwiakah tribe or it's members.  I don't have a problem with where the Kwiakah tribe live.  They live on land that belonged to my family and as far as I am concerned still does belong to my family, the Kwawkseestahla, Kwaksista, Kwaksistala, Kwakseestahla, Quocksister family.  Again, I don't have a problem with that.  There are 29 Kwiakah tribe members and they are represented and respected as members of the Laichkwiltach Nation.  Go Kwiakah!  All 29 of you be strong and live long.

My family members and I are people of the Ahwahoo tribe of the Laichkwiltach Nation.  There are over 250 Ahwahoo tribe members.  My cousin, Ritchie Quocksister, believes that we are more than 300 members.  I'm hoping that Ritchie's estimate is the accurate one.  The Ahwahoo tribe is not properly represented or recognized as the nobles that we were and still are!  We are not recognized as being legitimate members of the Laichkwiltach Nation even though our ancestors were the leaders of the Laichkwiltach Nation.  Can you believe it?  29 people of the Kwaikah tribe are fully represented and nearly or over 300 people of the Ahwahoo tribe are not.  Go figure.

Today, the concerns of the Ahwahoo tribe go unaddressed or under addressed for various reasons.  People call my family squatters on the very land that was our ancestors even though all sorts of people, native and non-native alike, from Victoria to Port Hardy will tell you the land belongs to the Kwawkseestahla, Kwaksista, Kwaksistala, Kwakseestahla, Quocksister family.  Members of my family have been poorly treated in the past because of the lack of human rights protection(s) that all other Canadians and landed immigrants have enjoyed for a long time.  Thankfully that has changed.  The problem is the amount of misinformation is staggering!  I could go on all day.  Instead I'll provide an example of what I'm talking about.

I can prove that my family is the hereditary native family that lived in the Campbell River area the longest.  My cousin, Carol Bear, reminded me of this.  It's simple and yet now we're being told that we have to prove we're the hereditary family of Campbell River.  No one else can prove what my family can very easily.  Go to the burial ground located on the Campbell River Indian Band Reserve #11.  There you'll find the head stone for my great great grandfather.  Need I say more?  Few, if any others, have a family member located in the burial ground with the date my great great grandfather has on his headstone.  Yet, we are the squatters?  Really?  Our genealogy is in place.  We know different.  My family stands the test of time and again, we can prove it.

Indian Agents of the past have done nothing but harm to the names of my family and to the character and reputations of the forefathers of the Kwawkseestahla, Kwaksista, Kwaksistala, Kwakseestahla, Quocksister family names.  The Ahwahoo tribe of the Laichkwiltach Nation under the leadership of Captain George Quocksister seek recognition and restoration of title to the Ahwahoo tribe and it's descendants.

Gilakasla.

Has Laichkwiltach Nation history been revised?

I choose to start this blog post by telling you that I have not lived on either of the reserves of my people and therefore did not receive the benefit or disadvantage that living in community has to offer.  As a child I was made to feel unwelcome because of my pedigree.  I stayed away as a young adult because of that.  The things I have learned of my family and my people has been done at a distance from Campbell River.  This is not necessarily a bad thing.  What I have picked in the process of continual learning and life experiences is that native people's across Canada were not and, still are not, treated in a similar way.  I have the benefit of looking from the outside in.

I have been asking myself the title question of this post for many years.  The question: "Has Laichkwiltach Nation history been revised?"  I believe the changes that have been made to my family's last name are an example of revising history.  My greatgrandfather's name was changed to the extent that I don't know what the exact spelling of his last name was.  Changes to my family's last name will ripple through time.  This create's a genealogist's nightmare!  Fortunately for my family someone knew where to find documents and ask the right questions.  Having an accurate family history and family tree in place makes a big difference.  My family members have been very fortunate in that regard.  Information that would have been lost has been recorded so that generations that follow will know from whom they have descended.  Very valuable stuff for a lot of reasons.  Land claims being one of them.

Members of my family will tell you, "Yes!"  The Laichkwiltach Nation's history has been revised time and again.  When I was a child I was told my family was Kwiakutl.  (Don't worry.  I couldn't pronounce it either.)  Through the process of research and family knowledge it was determined that this was not correct.  There are others in my family that are more knowledgeable on this issue than I.  My point here is that the Laichkwiltach Nation could well have disappeared in name without anyone being the wiser without the knowledge of my family's roots and the nation to which we belong.   The stroke of an Indian Agent's pen could well have remain unchallenged and well, thankfully, that is not the case.

Why would someone want to change the name and value of another person?  Why would the history of a people be altered?  The answer to both questions is the same: To take what the original occupants have and minimize potential claim to what was taken.  This kind of exploitation has been going on for so long that it sadly is considered the norm.  I have come.  I see what I want.  I will build upon what I have taken.  It's mine without agreement or negotiation with the original owner.  What about the people whose land it was before you showed up?

As strange as that may sound this is part of my family's story.