Coast Mountain News Thursday, September 1, 2011
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$1.00 + HST Vol. 27 | No. 17 Thursday, September 1, 2011
Serving the Bella Coola Valley and the Chilcotin
Nuxalk singers and dancers perform the Simon Johnson Honour Song at a historic family reunion of descendants of Niixutsayc, Begat, and Joe Siwallace
Historic family reunion: Remembering Kimsquit and moving forward together BY CHRISTINA BOUCHER The Snow family hosted a historic family reunion on Saturday, August 27, celebrating the reunited family members of Niixutsayc (Annie Johnson), Begat (Johnny Quilt), and Joe Siwallace. “I am honoured to be with you all today and welcome you to our territory,” Chief Snuxyaltwa (Deric Snow) addressed the gathering. “I thank you for sharing this day with us, and for being here and honouring our traditions.” The fraternal twins Niixutsayc and Begat were separated as newborns in a tragedy brought on by British military activity in the village at Kimsquit in 1877. Niixutsayc went on to live and start a fam-
ily in the Bella Coola Valley, whereas Begat led his life in the Nemiah Valley. Both family trees grew strong over the years, yet neither group knew of the connection between their families until recently. “Begat, Niixutsayc, and Joe Siwallace were brothers and sister. This is what brings us here as a family, why the Creator has brought us here today,” declares Chief Snuxyaltwa. “Our people have done many things in our lives, and it’s all for a purpose.” The first gathering of the descendants of Niixutsayc and the descendants of Begat occurred in the Bella Coola Valley five years ago. This past weekend, the family members gathered for a second time to share stories of Niixutsayc,
Begat, their family history, and their culture. “Family is really important,” says Eila Quilt, descendant of Johnny Quilt. “Today – to reunite and get to know our family is amazing and overwhelming. I see a lot of potential here today. To see our children dancing, to see both cultures together and the pride in our youth, I am overwhelmed.” Descendants of Johnny Quilt are part of the Xeni Gwet’in First Nation Government, people of the Nemiah Valley. Marilyn Baptiste, descendant of Johnny Quilt, Chief of the Xeni Gwet’in, expresses what the reunion means to her: “It is really nice to hear everyone’s stories, and to learn about our similarities – to know who the families are, and where
we come from. We’re filling in the gaps in who our relations are.” In honouring the past, Archie Pootlass shares his research on the events at Kimsquit that led to the separation of the twins. British colonization along the coast of what is now known as British Columbia, Canada in the 1800s often included violence directed toward the First Nations people in the region. British gunboats routinely traversed the West Coast along Vancouver Island and north along the Central Coast, mandated to enforce colonial law and protect trade routes. In this shameful chapter in Canadian history, acts of genocide perpetrated against coastal First Nations people changed
many personal histories for these families that still resonate today. In 1877, the British Royal Navy deployed the HMS Rocket under the command of Captain Harris with orders to attack the Nuxalk people at Kimsquit village. This attack was designated as retaliation for an attack on a steamer, the George S. Wright, in Queen Charlotte Sound in 1873. Rumours uncovered by Captain Harris had implicated the people of Kimsquit in the murder of the crew, although the validity of these accusations was not proven. The crew of the Rocket took prisoners and proceeded to bombard the village, destroying the living quarters. Archie SEE REUNION ON PAGE 3