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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.

Elsie at Deep Bay

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Contents of this tag:
Contents of this tag:
8. Elsie at Deep Bay
9. Wedding Day
10. 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.
11. Three Generations
12. Paul Family Car
13. Bride and Groom
14. Katherine Dominick and Harmony Johnson
15. Chief tɑmɑ and the Timothy Children
17. Party Time
20. 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).
23. Wedding
25. Beautiful Baskets
26. Rowing with mɑksɛmɑ
27. Give It to Them
28. Gifted People
30. New Year’s Dance
31. Our People Governed Themselves
32. Grieving
Contents of this tag:
1. Elsie at Deep Bay
2. Elsie and Stella
Contents of this tag:
21. Christmas Blankets
22. Elders and Cedar Roots
23. Cutting Fish
25. Elsie at Deep Bay
27. Wedding Day
28. Elsie and Glen (2)
29. Elsie and Glen (1)
30. Elsie and Stella
31. Christmas (1)
32. Elders and Friends
33. Mother’s Day, 1980
34. Assessing the Catch
35. Elders' Gathering
36. First Home
37. Having a Laugh
38. At the Elders Lodge Elsie Paul with ɬaʔamɩn Elders when she was running the Elders’ program. Front row, from left: Elsie Paul, Henry Bob, Katherine Blaney, Mary Harry, Rose Louie (behind Mary), Joe Paul Sr. (behind Rose), Willie Bob, Calvin Harry. Back row, from left: Louise Bob, Marie Hackett (behind), Nora Wilson, Annie Dominick, Dave Dominick, Agnes McGee, Rose Peddie, Peta Francis (Okee Dokee), Johnny George, Charlie Charlie, Peggy Harry.
39. Working Out
40. Retirement
41. Preparing an Offering
43. mɑksɛmɑ’s Cabin in toχʷnɑč (Okeover)
44. Prince William
45. Party at Elsie Paul’s House
46. Graduation (1)
47. Joining Council
48. Bride and Groom
49. Baby Glen
50. Visiting with Annie and Norman Gallagher
51. The Children at Home
52. Elsie at Steveston in the Late 1940s
53. Friends (1)
54. The Ladies
55. 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.
56. Sliammon Village Waterfront
57. Elsie at Home
58. A Day in Town
59. Collaborators
60. Elsie and Teresa at the Cannery
61. Elsie, Agnes, and Children
62. Elsie and Cathy (2)
63. 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 Sosen Galligos. Smokey John is on the left (wearing a hat), and lɑsɑ is in front of him.
64. Elsie and Cathy (1)
65. Party Time
66. On the Town
67. Newlyweds
68. Wearing Slacks
70. Repatriation
72. Going to Church (1)
73. Settlers’ Camp (1)
74. Dedicated Work Partners
76. 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).
77. A Visit with Auntie Katherine
79. Christmas with the Girls
80. Traditional Prayer Songs
81. Baby Marlane
85. Honorary Doctorate
87. Helping Ma
88. Going to Church (2)
89. Childhood Friends
91. Paul Family
92. Elsie Paul with King of the Sea
94. Important Medicine
95. Author Group (7)
96. Beautiful Baskets
97. Friends (2)
98. The Shield
99. Pals
100. Rowing with mɑksɛmɑ
101. Author Group (5)
102. Author Group (4)
103. Author Group (8)
104. Author Group (6)
106. Give It to Them
107. Sharing the Book (5)
108. Becoming Strong
109. Territory
110. Life History of This Project
111. Sharing the Book (2)
112. Living with the Land
113. tʼᶿɛwqʼ (pronunciation)
114. Sharing the Book (3)
115. Cleansing
116. Designated Area
117. Old-Timers and Hard Work
118. Gifted People
119. Sharing the Book (4)
120. You Thank It
121. Community Activities
122. Watch Your Children
123. Contact Happened
124. The Young Girl and Eleven Puppies (English)
125. Thank the Creator
126. The Chinese Restaurant
127. When It’s Your Time
128. Homebrew
129. Problems Handed down from History
130. The Young Girl and Eleven Puppies (Sliammon)
131. Author Group (3)
132. Grieving
133. We Were Already Here
134. Author Group (2)
135. My Dog Patsy
136. Root Digging
137. Recovery
138. Part of Our Survival
139. Times of Transition
140. Lonely and Homesick
141. tɑʔɑw
142. He Got His Spirit Back
143. New Year’s Dance
144. Her Name Was Jane
145. Police Patrol (1)
146. Collecting Branches
147. Police Patrol (2)
148. Author Group (1)
149. Paul Family Photo
150. New Baby
151. Naming Ceremony
152. The Police Were Standing by the Bed
153. Preparing Fish and Community Drive-Through
Contents of this tag:
3. Elsie at Deep Bay
4. Freddie and Marilyn Louie
5. Sechelt Indian Marching Band
6. At the Dance Hall
7. Elsie and Stella
8. Mother's Day, 1980
9. Working Out
10. Retirement
11. Health Centre
12. Party at Elsie Paul's House
13. Three Generations
14. First Home
15. Joining Council
16. Makeshift Church
17. lɑsɑ and Granny Molly
18. Elders' Gathering
19. At the Elders Lodge Elsie Paul with ɬaʔamɩn Elders when she was running the Elders' program. Front row, from left: Elsie Paul, Henry Bob, Katherine Blaney, Mary Harry, Rose Louie (behind Mary), Joe Paul Sr. (behind Rose), Willie Bob, Calvin Harry. Back row, from left: Louise Bob, Marie Hackett (behind), Nora Wilson, Annie Dominick, Dave Dominick, Agnes McGee, Rose Peddie, Peta Francis (Okee Dokee), Johnny George, Charlie Charlie, Peggy Harry.
20. Making Music
21. Rose and Alec Louie
22. The Children at Home
23. Graduation (1)
24. Moses and Agnes Wilson
25. Music with Friends
27. Building the King of the Sea
28. Hospital (2)
29. Canoe Building
30. Racing the King of the Sea
32. Portrait of Molly and lɑsɑ
34. Chief tɑmɑ and the Timothy Children
35. Day School
36. Elsie, Agnes, and Children
37. Molly Williams and Olive
39. 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 cemetary. 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.
41. Bill Galligos
43. Mending the Net
44. 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).
46. Elders
47. Fishing Preparations
48. Molly and Annie
49. Paddle Carving
50. Open-Air Learning
51. tɑmɑ
52. Pullers
53. Lodge Interior
54. Walnut Lodge
55. Hospital (1)
56. Hospital (3)
59. Cod Fishing
60. Elsie Paul with King of the Sea
61. Music
62. Going to Town
63. Sundays
64. Community Activities
65. Old-Timers and Hard Work
66. Give It to Them
67. Thank the Creator
68. Our People Governed Themselves

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My Dog Patsy
“That’s my dog. I look after my dog!”
Patsy was my little dog. I got Patsy as just a puppy, and I was so fond of her. And it was time to go up to Rivers Inlet. And I was quite young then – gosh, I don’t know how old I was – maybe I was about seven or eight. And I had to sneak her on the steamboat under my shirt, ’cause she was just a puppy. I was so afraid they weren’t going to let me take her, if anyone saw me taking her into the boat, steamboat. So I managed to get her – snuck her aboard.
This elderly lady didn’t care for my puppy: “Gets into everything! Leave it outside!”
Oh, I didn’t want to leave her outside! So it started to pour rain, and I was so worried about my puppy. So I got out the door, and I went and sat right up against the building and I was holding my puppy. I think I must have been crying, real sad, holding on to my dog. She came out, and she looked, and she said, “Okay, get in here. You can bring her in, but make sure you hold on to her. She gets into everything.” [chuckles]
So me and my puppy are called back into the house and sitting there, I’m all soaking wet, so is my dog. [laughs] So while we’re there, the puppy got bigger, and of course it grew. We were there for about four weeks, five weeks. And we came back home, and they let me take her onto the steamboat. Managed to get her on.
And we got back here in the community, and they used to kill the dogs here. The police would come and shoot the dogs when there got to be too many dogs in the community. So they were coming anyway to shoot all the dogs. And I couldn’t convince anyone that, you know, “That’s my dog. I look after my dog!” I had to go tie the dog myself to a post. And so the police wouldn’t chase the dogs all over, we all had to have our dogs tied to a post down towards the beach. And the police would come and just shoot them off, pick them off – shoot them. Oh, I was so upset about my Patsy. I loved that dog! And I don’t know who took care of the remains. Probably the parents or the grandparents took care of the remains. I don’t know what happened after that. But they came and shot my dog.
The things we had to endure. Yeah. Yeah, it’s a wonder I’m still sane, if I am – I don’t know. [laughs] Traumatized for life!