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As I Remember It: Teachings (Ɂəms tɑɁɑw) from the Life of a Sliammon Elder The Sliammon-language term for this label means “it is mine.” This book contains the teachings and history of the ɬaʔamɩn people as remembered and narrated by Elder Elsie Paul. The effort and care she takes in this work is important. She offers a counter-narrative to incorrect and inappropriate interpretations previously drawn by settlers. Please respect Elsie Paul’s right and responsibility to relate the history and teachings in her own words. She does so from her own perspective and does not attempt to speak for all ɬaʔamɩn people. Please attribute the stories shared in this book to Elsie Paul.

Some sections of this book are authored by other individuals and should be attributed to the appropriate person(s) as indicated. This label refers to a teaching that emerges throughout this book: “you learn from someone by example.” (The literal translation of tiʔiwš is “fast learner.”) The goal of this book is to share ɬaʔamɩn teachings and history widely with ɬaʔamɩn community members, students, and teachers at all levels, and with any other interested readers. This is Elsie’s goal in sharing ʔəms tɑʔɑw, and all of the authors hope the book serves an educational purpose. The authors ask readers to take care to use this information respectfully and in context.

Makeshift Church

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Contents of this path:
1. Baby Baskets Baby baskets made by Molly Timothy (Granny Molly) in the early 1950s. The basket on the left was made for Jeannie, born to Elsie Paul in 1954, and has since been used for all of Elsie’s children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. The blue design is made with natural and dyed cherry bark. The basket on the right was made for a daughter of Elsie’s Aunt Agnes, and the design is woven with dyed reed.
5. Boat to Westview When this photo was taken, it was quicker to get to town by boat than by foot, since people didn’t have cars yet. Peggy Harry is at the back of the group (with barrettes in her hair); Molly Timothy is on the right (with headband); Elsie Paul is in the centre (with flowers in her hair); Stella Timothy is centre right, beside Elsie; further right, holding a baby, is Agnes McGee, and in front of her is sosən Galligos. Smokey John is on the left (wearing a hat), and lɑsɑ is in front of him.
6. Bear Hunt
10. Walnut Lodge
20. Emmonds Beach
23. tiyskʷɑt (1)
24. tiyskʷɑt (2)
25. Sharon
27. Sharon Paul
31. Logging in Theodosia (2)
32. Hospital (3)
34. Wedding
36. Hospital (1)
37. Hospital (2)
38. Graduation (1)
41. Friends (2)
43. Fish Traps (2)
44. Fish Traps (1)
47. Elsie and Glen (1)
48. Elsie and Glen (2)
54. Baby Massage (3)
58. Buddies (1)
59. Author Group (4)
60. Author Group (5)
61. Author Group (6)
62. Author Group (7)
63. Author Group (1)
64. Author Group (8)
65. Sharing the Book (1)
66. Sharing the Book (2)
67. Sharing the Book (3)
68. Sharing the Book (4)
69. Sharing the Book (5)
70. Dads and Kids
76. Paul Family Photo
87. Theodosia, Logged
90. The Shield
96. The Boys
97. Masters
98. Author Group (2)
99. Author Group (3)
100. Dam Construction
101. Sliammon Soccer Team
102. Chief Tom’s Family
103. Berry Picking (2)
105. Procession from Our Lady of the Rosary Church
115. Traditional Prayer Songs
116. A Visit with Auntie Katherine
117. Going to Church (1)
122. Party Time
125. Bill, Rose, and čine
127. Bill, Rose, and čine
129. Sundays
130. Going to Town
134. Elsie Paul with King of the Sea
136. Kora's Strawberry Farm
138. The Dam
139. Merrill and Ring Lumber Company Logging Camp at Theodosia Inlet
140. Lodge Interior
141. Sing Lee Building
142. Clear-cut
143. tʼɩšosəm The ɬaʔamɩn village of tiyskʷɑt. Buildings, from left: Frank Williams house; Bob George’s house; Sliammon Sacred Heart Church, Sam August’s house; Sam August married Teresa (tɑlɛsɑt), mother to Albert August. Keh Kay Keh (Molly Williams’s house); Molly was from Sechelt. This eventually became Johnny George and Mary George’s house. Sam Adams house; Stanley Peters and Nellies house. Joe (Chilena) and Molly Galligos house: Far right is Gilbert Francis’s house, Chi-chia’s dad. He eventually tore this down and built a new house on the site. This is shown in a later picture from the same perspective. Dance hall is behind the church. Smokehouses in foreground. Smokehouses were typically located on the beach.
144. Frank’s Chum Salmon
145. ɬaʔamɩn Soccer Team
146. Kids on Steps ɬaʔamɩn children pictured on the steps of the old day school. Back row, from left: Johnny John (Katherine Dominick’s son), Charlie Peters (Williams), Willie Peters, Junior Point. Row two, from left: Barney Francis, Joe Harry, Moses Wilson, Louie Tom. Row three, from left: Janet Galligos, unknown, Evelyn Galligos, Nellie Peters. Front row, from left: Stella Olney, Maggie Vivier, unknown, Bertha August, Jeannie Paul.
147. Settlers’ Camp
148. Soccer
150. Siblings Elsie Paul with her siblings at her brother Barney’s house in the early ’80s. Standing, from left: Teddy Francis (Elsie’s brother), Leo Francis (Elsie’s brother), Lillian Francis (Elsie’s niece, Barney Francis’s daughter), Elsie Paul, Doreen Hopkins (Elsie’s sister), Charlene Francis (Elsie’s niece), Jason Francis (Elsie’s nephew), Greg Francis (inch, Elsie’s nephew). Seated, from left: Aunt Agnes McGee, Rita Francis (Elsie’s sister), Nancy Phillips (Elsie’s sister), Vangie Francis (Elsie’s niece), Elizabeth Blaney (Elsie’s sister), Lily Timothy (Elsie’s mother).
153. Molly and Annie
154. Repatriation
155. Elders
156. tʼᶿɛwqʼ (Elderberries)
158. Sechelt Residential School
160. Class of 1917
165. Portrait of Molly and lɑsɑ
166. Death but Not Sin
167. A Day in Town
168. Shinglemill
170. Cabin in 1954
174. Johnny Bob and Jimmy Peters
175. Clams Elsie Paul’s cousin David George (1948–53) with butter clams dug from in front of the reserve. At the time, shellfish were clean and plentiful, but clams are no longer safe to harvest from this site. The very large cross in the background is in the cemetery. hʌwhegus (advisers in the community), including Chief Tom Timothy and Bill Mitchell, were buried near the cross. The cross blew down at some point and was not replaced.
176. Paddle Carving
177. The Mill
179. Charlie Peters
182. Rodmay
184. Delivery Truck
185. Racing the King of the Sea
186. Canoe Building
187. Sliammon Sacred Heart Church
188. Building the King of the Sea
189. mɑksɛmɑ’s Cabin in toχʷnɑč (Okeover)
190. The Powell River Royal Canadian Mounted Police
191. After the Fire
192. Remains of the Fire
193. Makeshift Church
194. Katherine Dominick and Bill Brown
195. Health Centre
197. Resource Depletion: The Last Year of Herring
200. Boat Ramp at the Shinglemill
201. Patricia Theatre
202. Day School
203. Baskets in Progress
204. Baskets for Hawaii
208. Rodmay Hotel
209. Patricia Theatre, Interior
210. Children “Playing Indian” Powell River community members commemorated British Columbia’s centennial by dressing up in costumes that reflected their imagination of how “Indians” and “pioneers” looked in the nineteenth century. This was a common practice in settler communities in Canada and the United States. Settlers “played Indian” for reasons that ranged from political protest to entertainment. The act of “playing Indian” expressed a settler sense of entitlement to the places that they or their ancestors had colonized. The costumes did not demonstrate meaningful relationship or engagement with Indigenous peoples or practices. Today, we understand these occasions to be forms of cultural appropriation.
211. Bows and Arrows Powell River community members commemorated British Columbia’s centennial by dressing up in costumes that reflected their imagination of how “Indians” and “pioneers” looked in the nineteenth century. This was a common practice in settler communities in Canada and the United States. Settlers “played Indian” for reasons that ranged from political protest to entertainment. The act of “playing Indian” expressed a settler sense of entitlement to the places that they or their ancestors had colonized. The costumes did not demonstrate meaningful relationship or engagement with Indigenous peoples or practices. Today, we understand these occasions to be forms of cultural appropriation.
212. Society Lady “Indians” Powell River community members commemorated British Columbia’s centennial by dressing up in costumes that reflected their imagination of how “Indians” and “pioneers” looked in the nineteenth century. This was a common practice in settler communities in Canada and the United States. Settlers “played Indian” for reasons that ranged from political protest to entertainment. The act of “playing Indian” expressed a settler sense of entitlement to the places that they or their ancestors had colonized. The costumes did not demonstrate meaningful relationship or engagement with Indigenous peoples or practices. Today, we understand these occasions to be forms of cultural appropriation.
213. Golfing “Indian” Powell River community members commemorated British Columbia’s centennial by dressing up in costumes that reflected their imagination of how “Indians” and “pioneers” looked in the nineteenth century. This was a common practice in settler communities in Canada and the United States. Settlers “played Indian” for reasons that ranged from political protest to entertainment. The act of “playing Indian” expressed a settler sense of entitlement to the places that they or their ancestors had colonized. The costumes did not demonstrate meaningful relationship or engagement with Indigenous peoples or practices. Today, we understand these occasions to be forms of cultural appropriation.
214. Dedicated Work Partners
216. Homalco
217. Squirrel Cove
218. Lewis Channel
219. Stay Overnight
220. qʼɑʔqʼeyq’ɑy (Grace Harbour)
222. Bliss Landing
224. Okeover Beach
225. Aerial View of Squirrel Cove Community
226. Pictograph at Okeover
230. Wiping out the Herring
231. Chief tɑmɑ and the Timothy Children
232. Granny with the Kids
233. At the Beach
234. Wearing Slacks
235. Elsie, Agnes, and Children
236. Sliammon Day School In addition to attending the Sechelt Indian Residential School, Elsie Paul occasionally attended a day school in the Sliammon community in the winter months. The Sliammon day school teachers were Pat McGuinness and Mr. Gallagher. Back row: Unknown boy with hat, Katherine Blaney, Teacher Pat McGuinness, Rosaline Wilson, unknown girl, Marilyn Louie (tall in the very back behind unknown girl). Middle row: Ernie Galligos (shorter boy), Joe Paul, Agnes Paul, unknown girl. Front row (small children): Sarah Tom, Maggie Wilson, and Joe Francis (Elsie Paul’s half brother)
237. Willie and Stanley
238. Molly Williams and Olive
239. On the Town
240. Willie and Alec
241. Berry Pickers' Cabin
242. Going to Work
243. Berry Picking (1)
244. Family Portrait Elsie Paul’s great-great-grandparents and family. The photograph, which was painted over, includes the medicine man featured in the story “He Got His Spirit Back.” Standing, from left: Teresa Tom (tɑlɛsɑt), Chief Tom’s daughter; Cecilia (child), talɛsat’s daughter; Katherine Dominick, daughter of Bob George (tiyʔəpθot) and sister to Granny Molly; Louise Bob, Chief Tom’s daughter; Emily Bob, Chief Tom’s daughter; Bob George (tiyʔəpθot), Granny Molly’s father. Seated, from left: Felix (toqʷɑnən pɛlɩks), medicine man and Elsie’s step-great-great-grandfather; Ann, Elsie’s great-great-grandmother and Granny Molly’s grandmother; Jeannie Bob (čine), Granny Molly’s mother; little girl (name unknown). Seated in foreground: Charlie Bob, the man who lost his spirit.
245. The Children at Home
246. First Home
249. Elders and Cedar Roots
251. Elsie’s Great-Grandparents
254. ɬaʔamɩn Boys
255. Visiting with Annie and Norman Gallagher
256. Making Music
257. Language Work Linguist Honoré Watanabe stands behind ɬaʔamɩn Elders at the Elders Lodge. Elsie was caretaker and lived at the Elders Lodge for many years. From left: Marion Harry, Mary George, and Elsie Paul. Honoré worked extensively with these three women over more than two decades, living with Elsie during his time in Sliammon. Marion was Elsie’s “little sister” at residential school and worked with Honoré to transcribe and translate the selections in Sliammon language included in this publication.
258. Mother’s Day, 1980
260. Paul Family Car
261. lɑsɑ and Granny Molly
263. Joining Council
264. Katherine Dominick and Harmony Johnson
265. Three Generations
266. Retirement
267. Root Cleaning
268. Learning by Watching
269. Carving the Turkey