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Annie York on Broadback Mountain in Spuzzum1980
Spuzzum, B.C.
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Annie York1904 - 1991
Zíxtkwu 1
N'Laka'pamux Elder
Annie Zíxtkwu York of Spuzzum was best known in anthropological circles for her contributions to the large body of language, folklore and herbal knowledge of the N'Laka'pamux people. She imparted much of her wisdom through interviews with professionals and students of anthropology, ethnology, botany and geology. She was one of the subjects of a documentary by Jan Marie Martell, titled "A Bowl of Bone".
The one person who spent more time and accomplished the most research with Annie is Dr. Andrea Laforet, who now holds a top position at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Hull/Ottawa. Over a period of 20 years Andrea has written extensively with and about Annie in her various theses, and in her book titled "Spuzzum: Fraser Canyon Histories 1808-1939", she shares the authorship with Annie.
Another book that gives Annie equal credit in the authors title for her contribution is Richard Daly and Chris Arnett's "They Write Their Dreams on the Rocks Forever: Rock Writings in the Stein River Valley of British Columbia." She was also very helpful to Nancy J. Turner in her joint studies of 'Traditional Foods of the Fraser Canyon', and "Thompson Ethnobotany: Knowledge and Use of Plants by the Thompson Indians of British Columbia", written by Turner, Laforet, and the Thompsons.
Annie Zíxtkwu York, born at Spuzzum in 1904, was the granddaughter of Amelia York and Jean 'Cataline' Caux. Her father was William Benjamin York, who married Lucy Palmer of Gladwin, a tiny place in the Fraser Canyon. Lucy and Billy York had seven children, the last of whom just passed away in January 2004, Annie's youngest sister Kathy York.
When Annie was young her father took a job at Pitt Meadows managing a farm, and also worked at construction and later on the Kettle Valley Railway. Annie did spend time in Spuzzum with her grandmother Amelia and her husband Joe York, attending Sunday school taught in N'Laka'pamuxcin by Chief James Paul, her father's uncle. Annie remembered her father making a canoe with Paul Youla.
She also spent a lot of her childhood with her aunt, Annie Selpinek James, who traveled to work in the hop fields and canneries in the Fraser Valley and western Washington State. She met a lot of aboriginal people during these times, and learned about different languages, which would help her greatly in later years.
Later in the 1920's William York moved his family to Merritt. Annie studied nursing for a while, but did not take a diploma, and she also studied the N'Laka'pamux language in conjunction with the nursing.
In 1932 she moved back to Spuzzum to live with her aunt Rhoda Urquhart and to nurse Rhoda's husband William, until his death. She lived with Rhoda and her son Arthur and remained there for the rest of her life. After Rhoda's death Annie and her cousin Arthur co-habited platonically, looking after each other into their old age. 2
There were times that she translated for people, and knew the high or chiefs language.
It was throughout the 1970's and '80s that Annie worked with Laforet, Turner, Martell, the Thompsons, Daly and Arnett during their research for the various projects. Her knowledge encompassed many subjects, and was a source for studies that continue to this day. Her familiarity with her culture was wide, covering such areas as language, aboriginal history, local genealogies, customs, legends, songs, basketry, food culture, and traditional herbs used as medicine. She was a teacher in a very broad sense of the word, and her invaluable wisdom will continue to benefit mankind for many years to come.
Annie died in 1991 at the age of 87. She is buried at the Hope Mountain View Cemetery, where Arthur was placed beside her in 1995.
To learn much more about Annie York, recommended reading is: "Spuzzum: Fraser Canyon Histories 1808-1939", Andrea Laforet & Annie York, UBC Press 1998
Written by Irene Bjerky
1- Pronounced Zet-go
2- Andrea Laforet & Annie York, "Spuzzum: Fraser Canyon Histories 1808-1939", UBC Press 1998
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Arthur Urquhart in Spuzzum1980
Spuzzum, B.C.
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Arthur UrquhartTelxkn
1911 - 1995
BC Policeman, N'Laka'pamux Elder
Arthur Urquhart was born on March 17th, 1911 shortly after a sad time in his mother's life. Rhoda Kimm's husband William James Kimm had recently passed away at BC's Provincial Hospital for the Insane after a two-year illness.
Rhoda gave birth to Arthur in Spuzzum, and times being as they were, did not actually marry Arthur's father until 1913, perhaps due to the grieving period, perhaps due to the availability of the priest, it is unknown. Because of the fact that Rhoda's previous husband was of Chinese descent, many people mistakenly thought that Arthur was also Chinese, though in truth he was born more than a year after Kimm died.
Arthur's actual father was William Urquhart , a section man on the Canadian Pacific Railway. William hailed from Scotland, and came to BC with his brother Allen.
Although an only child, Arthur grew up with many cousins in the small community of Spuzzum. He attended school and Sunday school, and learned the ways of his aboriginal mother and his Scottish father.
During World War II Arthur was deputized as a BC Policeman to guard the Japanese internment camp near Spuzzum. He also worked for the CPR as his father had done.
After his father fell ill in 1932, Arthur's cousin Annie York came to live with them to nurse William until his death in 1937. Arthur inherited his uncle Allen Urquhart's 1926 Packard, and used it to drive his mother into Hope for grocery shopping until she died in 1953. Annie had continued to live with them all of this time, and after Rhoda's death Arthur and Annie live platonically together in Arthur's family home until Annie died in 1991.
Throughout their lives together they had many visitors, some of whom came to learn from Annie, and from Arthur as well, about the culture of their people.
Arthur Urquhart's melodious voice was captured on audiotape in "Journey to the Country of Souls", a reading of Teit's work, adapted by Jan-Marie Martell. 1
Arthur passed away in 1995, four years after Annie, and is buried beside her in the Hope Mountain View Cemetery. He left his house and property to Annie's youngest sister, Kathy York, who had come to care for him during his dying days.
Written by Irene Bjerky
1- Reading by Arthur Urquhart; from the Memoirs of the AMNH, "The Thompson Indians of BC", J.A. Teit, Adapted and recorded by Jan-Marie Martell
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0982.42.01 Yale Museum Anastasia Chapman Berry Basket23 May 1982
Spuzzum, B.C.
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Granny Chapman Mother of either Charlie or Anastasia Chapman1886
Yale B.C.
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Anastasia Chapman and Annie1886
Yale B.C.
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Anastasia Chapman‘Serepinak'
1850 - 1930
Mother of Fine Basketmakers
Anastasia was born in White's Creek, about 1850. Her father was Sadance of China Bar, just south of Boston Bar. Her mother was born in Chapman's Bar, just above Spuzzum, where Alexandra Lodge is now. Her grave sits in a tiny cemetery beside the lodge, and can easily be visited.
Anastasia's whole life appears to have been spent in Chapman's. Her two husbands (both called Charlie Chapman) (#1 died in 1927) (#2-1857-1945) were from there, and she and one son Johnny are recorded as dying and being buried there.
Her first husband was a very good provider for his family. "Laforet/York, p. 84;" The Lytton agent, Harry Graham, successfully intervened on behalf of Charlie Chapman, saying that he had been born on the land, had cultivated it, and had made specific improvements. That Charlie Chapman was an accomplished fisherman, hunter, and trapper went unmentioned. "p. 80;" After Charlie's death Anastasia married again, and her second husband, who was from Spuzzum, was also called Charlie Chapman.
Anastasia had at least two children; Johnny Chapman and Annie. Annie married Patrick Charlie, and became the mother of two well-known basketmakers, Lena Johnnie and Elsie Charlie.
Anastasia died of influenza at the age of 80, and is buried at the Chapman Family Cemetery at Alexandra Lodge in Spuzzum.
Written by Irene Bjerky
Laforet/York, p. 33 "Elsie Charlie lived on her parents farm at Pepluskwu, and remembered her grandparents, Charlie and Anastasia Chapman."
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Charlie Chapman in front of Hudsons Bay Store1886
Yale B.C.
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The Chapman and Charlie Families1927
Spuzzum, B.C.
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Annie Chapman Charlie1883-1967
Annie was born in Spuzzum, the daughter of Anastasia and Charlie Chapman, and a fine basketmaker in her own right.
She married Patrick Charlie, the son of Mary Ann and Captain Charlie of Yale, and they had six children; Arthur, Lena (Johnnie), Susan, Emma (Dixon), Catherine, and Elsie.
Lena and Elsie continued on their mother's and both grandmothers' basketmaking skills, becoming well known to anthropologists and collectors. Sadly, Emma disappeared, and her family has always suspected her boyfriend of foul play in the matter.
Annie's basketry craft was well known for it's fine detail and unique design, and her daughters and granddaughter appreciated her skillful lessons.
Annie Charlie passed away in 1967, seven years after Patrick. Her husband had made his living working for the railroads, working on the construction of the CNR, and also as a labourer for the CPR.
Written by Irene Bjerky
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Anastasia Chapman Berry Basket23 May 1982
Spuzzum, B.C.
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Captain Charlie and Mary Ann Charlie1900
Yale B.C.
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Mary Ann Charlie and Captain Charlie1838 - 1921
'Liam Lamut' 'Old Annie'
"Basket Made by Mary Ann, who lived across from Mary Ann Creek"
Not a whole lot is known of the two Mary Anns, a mother and a daughter, except for the few facts recorded here and there, mainly on Mary Ann Junior's death record.
The record of Mary Ann Charlie Jr. (later Williams) lists her father as Captain Charlie, and her mother as Mary Ann Liam Lamut, both born in Yale. According to local and family knowledge, Clara and William Frank Clare bought their land from a woman named Mary Ann, and the stream flowing through that land has always been called Mary Ann Creek after her. They were referring to Mary Ann Senior.
Her husband Captain Charlie died of old age at Ruby Creek in 1923, at 92. Mary Ann predeceased him in 1921 at the age of 83, in Yale. They were also the parents of Patrick Charlie (m. Annie Chapman) and Chief Jimmy Charlie (m. Rosie Gutterriez Paul).
Charlie family members have always made their homes on the little reserve between Yale Creek and Mary Ann Creek, so the known details seem to fit local recollections. Indian Agent Frank Devlin wrote about Mary Ann in one of his letters; complaining about the quality of the work on one basket that she sent him for sale. He paid her, but said that he would not buy another from her.
However, one of her baskets is in the Historic Yale Museum, and her work is nice, as can be seen here; though if one looks closely the differences can be seen between this Tait basket and the ones produced by the N'Laka'pamux women of Spuzzum, her stitches are not as tiny.
Captain Charlie was likely not a recognized riverboat captain, though he undoubtedly had fine navigational skills on the water. This title for aboriginal people generally came from the church, which employed lay persons as captains and watchmen; their duties were to help the priests and ministers in shepherding their people in the ways of the church, and likely keeping the attendance up.
Mary Ann Charlie Jr. was born in Yale about 1875. She married Billy Williams of Ruby Creek, Luckcheetsin, Yale IR #9. Billy lived between 1859 and 1927. They had at least three children; Mary, Celestine, and Henry, all of whom died between the ages of 10 and 18.
Mary Ann Williams died of pneumonia in Ruby Creek in 1928, and is buried at the Indian Burying Ground there. The informant was listed as Miss Adeline Williams, possibly her daughter: at least we can hope so, that she had a child who outlived her.
Mary Ann's rectangular basket design is of two distinct diamond shapes; made of light cedar root with red, black and yellowish-white decoration using cherry bark and grass.
Written by Irene Bjerky
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