This content was created by Anonymous.

This site requires Javascript to be turned on. Please enable Javascript and reload the page.

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. Material in this book may be culturally sensitive for a number of reasons. This label identifies such content by stating: “it is ours.”

ɬaʔamɩn teachings, laws, and practices that flow from them are subject to the ʔəms naʔ label because they are communally held and collectively stewarded by ɬaʔamɩn people for future generations. Much of this knowledge is captured in our legends, for example. The authors recognize that ɬaʔamɩn, Klahoose, and Homalco families have their own tellings of the legends.

Other parts of the book are labelled “ʔəms naʔ” because the ongoing nature of settler colonialism means that the histories discussed here are not part of a distant past. For close to a century, colonial laws and policies prevented community members from sharing teachings freely in their community without fear of punishment or retribution, imposing silences that remain even today. Thus this label also applies to chapters that discuss the genocidal practices that sought to interrupt the transmission of teachings and to sever ɬaʔamɩn sovereign rights to their territory.

Please treat information and photographs marked with this label with special care, especially if you plan to share them with others.

Paul Family Photo

This page has tags:

Contents of this tag:
Contents of this tag:
4. Family Portrait Painted photograph of Elsie Paul's great-great-grandparents and family. The photograph 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.
7. Wedding Day
8. Baby Massage (1)
9. Baby Massage (2)
10. Elsie and Glen (2)
11. Boys
12. Elsie and Glen (1)
13. Sharon
14. Bride and Groom
16. Preparing an Offering
17. Christmas (1)
18. Baby Massage (3)
19. Baby Papoose (2)
20. Katherine Dominick and Bill Brown
21. Baby Papoose (1)
24. Jeannie in the Crib
25. At the Beach
26. Elsie and Cathy (2)
27. Elsie and Cathy (1)
28. Willie and Jeannie
29. Granny with the Kids
30. On the Town
31. Wearing Slacks
32. Going to Church (1)
34. A Visit with Auntie Katherine
36. Soccer
37. Christmas with the Girls
38. Baby Marlane
41. Bear Hunt
42. Sliammon Soccer Team
43. The Boys
44. Pals
45. The Shield
46. My Girls
47. Important Medicine
48. Becoming Strong
49. Cleansing
50. Brem River Valley
51. Gifted People
52. Times of Transition
53. You Thank It
54. The Spirits Are Hungry
56. When It’s Your Time
57. Grieving
58. He Got His Spirit Back
59. Paul Family Photo
Contents of this tag:
21. Christmas Blankets
22. Elders and Cedar Roots
23. Elsie at Deep Bay
25. Cutting Fish
27. Wedding Day
28. Assessing the Catch
29. Mother’s Day, 1980
30. Christmas (1)
31. Elsie and Glen (2)
32. Elsie and Stella
33. Elsie and Glen (1)
34. Elders and Friends
36. Baby Glen
37. Having a Laugh
38. Graduation (1)
39. Elders' Gathering
40. First Home
41. 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.
42. Working Out
43. Preparing an Offering
44. Retirement
45. Prince William
46. Party at Elsie Paul’s House
47. mɑksɛmɑ’s Cabin in toχʷnɑč (Okeover)
48. Joining Council
49. Bride and Groom
50. Visiting with Annie and Norman Gallagher
51. The Children at Home
52. Elsie at Steveston in the Late 1940s
53. The Ladies
54. Friends (1)
55. Elsie at Home
56. 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.
57. Sliammon Village Waterfront
58. Collaborators
59. A Day in Town
60. Elsie and Teresa at the Cannery
61. 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.
62. Elsie and Cathy (2)
63. Elsie, Agnes, and Children
64. Elsie and Cathy (1)
65. Party Time
67. On the Town
68. Newlyweds
69. Wearing Slacks
70. Repatriation
71. Going to Church (1)
72. 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. Baby Marlane
81. Traditional Prayer Songs
86. Honorary Doctorate
87. Helping Ma
88. Going to Church (2)
89. Childhood Friends
90. Paul Family
92. Elsie Paul with King of the Sea
94. Important Medicine
95. The Shield
96. Friends (2)
97. Beautiful Baskets
98. Author Group (7)
99. Author Group (4)
100. Rowing with mɑksɛmɑ
101. Author Group (8)
102. Pals
103. Author Group (5)
104. Author Group (6)
106. Give It to Them
107. Sharing the Book (2)
108. Becoming Strong
109. Sharing the Book (5)
110. Territory
111. Life History of This Project
112. Sharing the Book (3)
113. Living with the Land
114. Cleansing
115. tʼᶿɛwqʼ (pronunciation)
116. Sharing the Book (4)
117. Gifted People
118. You Thank It
119. Community Activities
120. Watch Your Children
121. Contact Happened
122. Designated Area
123. Old-Timers and Hard Work
124. New Year’s Dance
125. Problems Handed down from History
126. The Young Girl and Eleven Puppies (Sliammon)
127. Grieving
128. We Were Already Here
129. My Dog Patsy
130. Recovery
131. Part of Our Survival
132. Author Group (3)
133. Times of Transition
134. Lonely and Homesick
135. tɑʔɑw
136. He Got His Spirit Back
137. Author Group (2)
138. Her Name Was Jane
139. Root Digging
140. The Young Girl and Eleven Puppies (English)
141. Thank the Creator
142. The Chinese Restaurant
143. When It’s Your Time
144. Homebrew
145. Police Patrol (2)
146. Collecting Branches
147. Police Patrol (1)
148. Author Group (1)
149. Paul Family Photo
150. New Baby
151. Preparing Fish and Community Drive-Through
152. Naming Ceremony
153. The Police Were Standing by the Bed
Contents of this tag:
Contents of this tag:
Contents of this tag:
Contents of this tag:
Contents of this tag: