14
Rosie Charlie1868 - 1943
Rosalia Gutterriez
Rosie Charlie was Lawrence Hope's grandmother. Rosalia began her life as the child of a Mexican packtrainer called Gutterriez, in Spuzzum about 1868, along with another sister named Maria.
Rosie's mother Susan Kalalse 1 eventually gave up on the absent packer, and married Chief James Paul Xixné 2 of Spuzzum, who adopted Rose and Maria as daughters after the marriage. Susan and Chief Paul gave them three more siblings; Mary (Mali), Marion (Annie), and Edward, as well as two older half brothers, one who became Chief Henry James, and one called David Peykawtkn, who died as a young man in North Bend.
Rosie was recorded in various documents by the names Rose Gutterriez, Rosalia, Rosie Paul, Rose Charlie, and Rosie Charlie. Though her marriage record lists her as Rose Gutterriez, her death record lists her father as Chief James Paul, who was her stepfather.
Rosie gave birth to Lena Charlie in 1902, by Charlie of North Bend. 3 In 1905 she had a daughter, Gladys, by Harry James of Lytton. 4 Lena eventually married Alfred Hope of Yale in 1917. We don't know what happened to Gladys.
Rose Gutterriez Paul married Chief Jimmy Charlie (1863-1943) of Yale. Their Catholic record shows that they were married in Spuzzum in (unknown date, perhaps 1918). They lived on the north side of Yale Creek where the Charlie's have always lived, by Mary Ann Creek, and in later years they moved with her daughter Lena, and Alfred Hope, to farm on Seabird Island; though they both retained their membership in the Yale Band.
Rosie has no less than seven beautiful baskets on display in the Yale Museum. Throughout her life Rosie passed on the fine Spuzzum basketry to her daughters, granddaughters and nieces. One large basket may be on display in the Vancouver Museum.
Rosie Charlie was admitted to Coqualeetza Indian Hospital in Sardis, and later died there of pulmonary tuberculosis on June 4th, 1943. She was buried in the Seabird Island Cemetery. Her husband Chief Jimmy also died in 1943, and was buried beside her.
Written by Irene Bjerky
1 See Susan Paul Bio
2 See James Paul Bio
3 Baptisms, St. Mary & St. Paul, Lytton, pp. 42-43
4 Baptisms, St. Mary & St. Paul, Lytton, pp. 64-65, #707
15
Basketry Teacup by Rosie Charlie1900
Yale B.C.
16
Lena Hope1975
Yale B.C.
17
Lena Hope1902 - 1985
"She traded baskets for used clothing."
For an in-depth look at Lena's life in her own words see pages 9 - 12 to look for her interview with Oliver Wells, for his book "The Chilliwacks and their Neighbours".
Lena was the mother of Lawrence Hope. She was born in Spuzzum in 1902 to Rosie Charlie, and was twice baptized, by both the Catholic and the Anglican Churches. The Catholic ledger records her father as Charlie of North Bend. The Anglican one records her as Lena kalilsha, of Rosalia of Spuzzum, in 1903. She was a student at All Hallows.
Her mother Rosie married Chief Jimmy Charlie of Yale, so Lena's maiden name of Charlie remained with her until she married Alfred Hope (b.1894) of Yale in 1917. The basket given in her name to the Yale Museum was made by Lena's grandmother Susan Paul. Rosie used it for many years, and gave it to her daughter Lena as a wedding present.
Land was offered to Fraser Canyon native people to encourage farming instead of fishing. Lena's parents accepted a piece of land at Seabird Island, just north of Agassiz. Lena and Alfred moved with them, and some of their children were born there.
Lena and Alfred Hope had 7 children; including Lawrence, who moved back to Yale and had his family of 12 children, one of who is the present chief of Yale, Chief Robert Hope. Alfred & Lena's other children were Richard, Beatrice, Helen (Auntie Boo-Boo), Frances, Seraphine, and Alfred (Uncle Sonny).
Lawrence remembers Americans coming to Seabird Island to trade used clothing for Lena's baskets. Most of these collectors were from Seattle and Bellingham, and none of these baskets have been recovered as yet.
Oliver Wells and Marion Smith both interviewed Lena. Marion took detailed descriptions and made drawings of Lena's directions on how to properly dry salmon.
Lena died in 1985, age 83, and is buried with Alfred, who died in 1966. Both were interred at Seabird Island; Alfred's gravestone reads Albert Hope.
Lena Hope's grandchildren remember her fish-drying rack at Emory Creek. Lena taught them the proper, ancient ways of drying salmon, and they have never forgotten her lessons.
Written by Irene Bjerky
18
Alfred Hope1940
British Columbia
19
Alfred Hope1894 - 1966
"Pepe" 1
Alfred Hope was Lawrence Hope's father. He was born in Yale on November 21st, 1894, to George and Louisa Hope. I have no birth record for him as yet, but his is listed in the 1901 British Columbia Census as being eight years old.
1901 British Columbia Census, Yale Band
1 - James Chief (Yale) 60
2 - George Hope - Head 34
Louisa - Wife 34
Ellen - Daughter 10
Alfred - Son 8
Mary - Daughter 6
Malissa - Daughter 2
Recently another Yale family mistakenly asserted that the Hopes were latecomers to the Yale Band, but don't ever believe it. The Hopes have been in Yale for more generations than history records, most likely for millennium.
We have a copy of a 1956 letter he wrote in reply to the Department of Indian Affairs about his house in Yale. He stated that the house had been given to him by his grandfather, Chief James, and that he was in turn giving it to his son, Lawrence Hope, who was going to be rejoining Yale Band after moving back from Seabird Island.
Alfred married Lena Charlie, and they had seven children. They moved from Yale to farm at Seabird Island, where some of their children were born. Alfred died of heart disease at Coqualeetza Indian Hospital in 1966, at the age of 72. He and Lena are buried at the Seabird Island Cemetery.
Written by Irene Bjerky
1 Pronounced Peh - peh
20
Lawrence Hope11 February 2003
Yale B.C.
21
Lawrence HopeBasket Collector
"Patriarch of the Hope Family"
Lawrence is the son of Lena and Alfred Hope, grandson of Rosie and Chief Jimmy Charlie, and great grandson of Susan and Chief James Paul.
His collection includes baskets made by his mother Lena, grandmothers Rosie and Susan, and by his Great Aunt, Annie Dodd.
Lawrence lives in Yale, B.C., and collects every basket he can find and afford, particularly Tait and N'Laka'pamux (Thompson), which is his ancestory. He owns over 50 baskets.
Lawrence Hope was born in the 1920's at Seabird Island, to Lena and Alfred Hope. His parents had moved there from Yale after they decided to try farming.
The BC Government and the Department of Indian Affairs wanted native people to quit fishing for a living and to try farming, so they set aside good farmland at Ohamil, Ruby Creek, and Seabird Island hoping to attract Fraser Canyon people. We are not sure what incentives they offered other than land; probably ploughs, seed, lumber and horses, but this is speculation on our part.
In any case, Lawrence's parents Lena and Alfred Hope, and his grandparents Rosie and Chief Jimmy Charlie, moved to homestead at Seabird Island. Despite the move, they retained their connections, band membership, property, and fishing rights to Yale.
Lawrence had six brothers and sisters; Richard (married Catherine Charlie from Yale); Beatrice (married Chief Vincent Harris); Helen (married Ivan Angus from Yale); Seraphine (aka Sarah, married Raymond Bobb from Spuzzum); Francis; and Alfred (Uncle Sonny Boy, married Sandra and died at 42).
He remembers walking to school in Agassiz, where he experienced forms of racism and segregation. This led him to want something better for his children. He also remembers his mother Lena making many baskets, which were traded to American collectors from Seattle and Bellingham for nothing more than used clothing. He is currently trying to find these baskets.
When World War II broke out, Lawrence enlisted and went to paratrooper training camp, but the war ended before he could be sent overseas. This is probably a very good thing for the continuation of the Hope family, as many soldiers never returned. However, he used his training and experience to teach his children discipline, posture, physical fitness, good speech, and pride in themselves.
Lawrence married Elsie Shaw, who was from Cheam. Elsie and Lawrence had twelve children; Andy, Theodore (Buzz); Jane, Larry, Beatrice (Didi), Chief Robert (Bob), Maureen (Moe), Evert, David, Fred, Perry, and Gary.
In 1956, Elsie and Lawrence decided to move back to Yale. There was no segregation in the school there, and Lawrence felt that there would be more opportunities for his children in Yale than in Seabird Island. His father Alfred gave him the family home that was willed to him by his grandfather Chief James.
Times were hard, and Lawrence taught his boys to fish, hunt and cut wood. The girls learned to cook and care for a large family. The family contribution to big meals and family gatherings continues on to this day; keeping up a tradition that has been a part of the Hope family ancestors for generations.
Lawrence continues to enjoy his family. He still fishes, speaks at gatherings, knows his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, relates his history, and keeps a collection of baskets made by his ancestors. He lives in the past, in the present, and looks forward to the future. He is happy that his family continues on with his traditions.
Written by Irene Bjerky
22
Amelia York (bottom left), Sarah York Pearson, Joe York, and Eric Oscar Pearson, in Spuzzum1915
Spuzzum, B.C.
23
Amelia York1852 or 55 - 1933
C'eyxkn
Amelia York was known for her fine basketwork, and was one of the Spuzzum ladies interviewed by James Teit between 1900 and 1910. He referred to her as Number 30, Mrs. York. "Mrs. York, age 50, had also made baskets ever since she was a very small girl. She and her parents lived at Spuzzum. She was still producing a number of baskets every year and had fashioned all kinds of shapes. She said that she had made almost every design known to the tribe,…" 1
Amelia C'eyxkn 2 was born in Spuzzum, and lived her whole life there. Her exact birth date is unknown, as no records were being kept at the time. Her death record states that she was 78, and her headstone states that she was 81, at the time of her death in 1933. 3 This puts her birth somewhere between 1852 and 1855.
Amelia's father was Telxkn, 4 who would have been chief if he had out-lived his father, 5 Chief James Kowpelst. 6 As it was, her brother Chief James Paul Xixné became the next chief. Her BCVS death record states that her father was Ques Laheimtickhin. 7 The informant was William Bobb, and it is unknown how well he knew her genealogy; so it is also unknown if this was an expanded name for Telxkn, or if William was mistaken.
Her mother was Sxwatpetkwn, also known as Old Mary 8.
Amelia apparently had four husbands, though the only Christian marriage recorded, by the Church of England, was to her last husband, Joe York.
There is some confusion as to the order of her husbands. For logical purposes, I will begin with Jean ‘Cataline' Caux, was reputed to be her first. 9 Caux was a packer, one of the most famous packtrainers in British Columbia, still known and celebrated today. Cataline, as he was best known, came to BC from France, and spent several years with Amelia before he had to move his packing business North ahead of the CPR.
Amelia and Cataline had two children; Rhoda Dominic (later Urquhart), 10 born about 1877; and William Benjamin (later York); born June 25th, 1878. 11
Amelia's second husband William Graham Sr., who later left to homestead in the Nicola Valley, was the father of Amelia's second son, William Graham Junior, known as Bill Graham. 12 There is a possibility that Graham was actually Amelia's first husband. This idea is raised by a listing of a 30-year-old Billy Yorke in the 1901 census, 13 birth date recorded as June 20th, 1870, racial origin as English, but colour as Red – half-breed. Of course, this Billy Yorke could also have been a nephew of Joe York, or even totally unrelated. It is impossible to tell without corroboration.
A man from the Skeena River, only known as Harris, was the father of Amelia's second daughter, Clara Dominic (later Clare) 14. Harris is said to have been a CPR telegrapher who was killed while at work in the Fraser Canyon.
Amelia's fourth husband, and the only one we have a marriage record for, was Paul Joseph York, more than a decade younger than his wife. They had at least two children, both girls; Sarah (later Pearson) and Elizabeth. There may have been another daughter as well; a child called Lucey was baptized along with Amelia's other children in 1888; 15 or, Lucey could have been a mispronunciation of Lizzie, short for Elizabeth.
Joe and Amelia's marriage record 16 of November 10th, 1892 is worth the read. It was common for aboriginal people to be baptized into both Anglican & Catholic churches under names chosen by the officiating priest or minister, and this record shows Joe under his Catholic name, Antoine, and his native name, Nultachen, age 26. It lists his parents in the same way; father Tom Zâquôsha (from Tikol?s), and mother Nellie Tatâtum.
Amelia is also shown with her native name C'eyxkn, written as Jâilkun, of full age. Her father is noted only as dead, and her mother is Shwotpatko of Spuzzum. Their marital condition is entered as ‘previously living together'. She was also baptized on the same day of her marriage. 17
One note about her name; Andrea Laforet commented that C'eyxkn is a name that actually has a male (xkn) ending; 18 (meaning ‘head' according to Teit). 19 Annie York gave me Amelia's name in the late 1980's, and made certain that I could pronounce it. 20 When I asked her what it meant, she told me it meant ‘back'. I was never really clear on what exactly ‘back' meant, but I have always assumed that it meant ‘strong back', as Annie told me that Amelia did some packing for the prospectors. 21 A.C. Milliken repeats this concept, "One year a disease struck his trains and many animals died, although Cataline managed to get the cargo through to their destinations. This necessitated hiring an Indian backpacker to fulfill the contract, but at a severe loss to himself." 22
Amelia used more than one name as well; in the 1888 baptisms of her children she is recorded as Cecilia Seleentat. One record which is still a mystery is the third child recorded, ‘Lucey, daughter of Meenstah & Cecilia Seleentat.' 23 It is not known who Meenstah was. Their daughter Elizabeth is not mentioned, which leads to speculation that he is referring to her as a mispronunciation of Lizzie, or that Elizabeth was born after 1888. Her older daughter Rhoda's baptism is recorded later, on July 21st, 1888, 24 most likely because she was away at All Hallows in April. Sarah's baptism took place on May 29th, 1893, 25 and her Confirmation on July 8th, 1906. 26
Some of Amelia's children and grandchildren became well known for several different skills and accomplishments. Her daughter Clara Clare 27 is remembered to this day for her continued participation in the Church of England's St. John the Divine Church, Yale; she taught Sunday School, and made repairs to the church textiles that she had helped make while a student at All Hallows.
Two grandchildren of Amelia and Cataline were Annie York 28 and Arthur Urquhart. 29 Annie was extremely well known in the ethnographic and archaeological community, particularly through the work of Andrea Laforet. She also worked with Jan-Marie Martell 30 and Richard Daly. 31
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. 32
Albert York's adopted son Victor became the chief of the Lower Nicola Band for a time, doing much good for his community; and ran as an NDP candidate in 2001.
I hope to join these ranks someday. Being given the opportunity of writing this reference catalogue is a good start.
Written by Irene Bjerky
1 Teit's Coiled Basketry of BC, pp 451-2
2 Che-aych-ken, the ch as German ach
3 See Amelia York headstone, Spuzzum Cemeteries
4 AL/AY, "Spuzzum"
5 Annie York
6 Refer to Chief Pelek Bio for statement justification
7 BCVS
8 COE Baptisms; Marriage Register; AL/AY
9 See Biography of Jean Caux
10 See Rhoda Urquhart Bio
11 BCVS
12 AL/AY, "Spuzzum"
13 1901 British Columbia Census, Spuzzum p. 1
14 See Clara Clare Bio
15 COE Baptisms, Lytton Indian District, #s 1161, 1162, 1163, April 11th, 1888
16 COE Marriage Register, Lytton & Yale Indian Mission
17 COE Baptismal Register, #1641
18 Personal communication, Andrea Laforet
19 "The Thompson Indians of BC", Teit, p. 291
20 Che-aych-ken, the ch as German ach
21 Personal communication, Annie York; also AL/AY "Spuzzum", p. 75
22 "Jean Caux, the Man They Called Cataline" by A.C. Milliken, "Frontier Days in BC", p.49
23 COE Baptisms, Lytton Indian District, #s 1161, 1162, 1163, April 11th, 1888
24 COE Baptisms, Lytton Indian District
25 COE Baptisms, Lytton Indian District
26 COE Confirmations, Spuzzum, #260
27 See Clara Clare Bio
28 Daughter of William Benjamin York
29 Son of Rhoda Urquhart
30 Documentary "A Bowl of Bones" by Jan-Marie Martell; Turtle Productions, Vancouver, BC
31 "They Write Their Dreams on the Rock Forever: Rock Writings in the Stein Valley of BC", Annie York, Richard Daly, & Chris Arnette; Talon Books 1993, Vancouver, BC
32 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
24
Clara and William Frank Clare Wedding Photo December 29, 190229 December 1902
Yale B.C.
25
Clara Clare1881 - 1974
"Nana"
"Kesutetkwu"
Clara Clare was a leader in her church community, and was one of the ladies who repaired the textiles belonging to her Church (St. John the Divine, Church of England, Yale, B.C.), which became worn over time and use. She attended All Hallows School for Indian Girls, between about 1889-1902, when she married. She is the author's great-grandmother.
Clara, known to all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren as "Nana", lived the European ideal of an aboriginal student who married and became, for all intents and purposes, completely Anglicized, yet privately she retained her native customs and skills. 1 She came from a background where she did not know her real father, and she had brothers and sisters who had different fathers. This is not the stereotypical picture of the promiscuous welfare mother portrayed in the media of today; but of a family in transition because of the times.2
Her mother Amelia had four husbands; two who moved on, one who died (Clara's father), and one whom she married and spent the rest of her life with. The only father Clara ever knew was Joe York, her mother's legal (and last) husband.
Clara Dominic was born in Spuzzum, a member of the N'Laka'pamux Nation, known more commonly as the Thompson tribe. 3 Her mother was Amelia York, who was such a fine basket maker that James Teit recorded her in his book of the basket makers of BC, as Informant #30. Oral communications from Annie York to Andrea Laforet relate the information that Clara's father was a man named Harris (unknown first name); a telegrapher for the CPR, and a half-breed native man from the Skeena River area; who was killed on the job during railroad construction about 1884. No record of him has yet been found.
According to family oral tradition, and in her own words, 4 Clara was descended from the Spuzzum chief who greeted Simon Fraser in 1808 as he passed through on his exploration of the Fraser River. Clara Clare and Annie York both recounted the same story, Clara once and Annie many times; that their ancestor Pelek was the chief of Spuzzum who shot an arrow over the bow of Fraser's canoe as he approached Spuzzum. Chief Pelek is mentioned 5 in SF's journals as the man who took him across the river to view the 'tombs of a curious construction'. 6 The tombs are long gone, but still live in the memories of the people.
Nana always kept up the custom of hiking up to Frozen Lake, a traditional destination for our family, located above Yale; picking blueberries and huckleberries along the way; and her grand-daughter Clare Chrane also remembers many mushroom-picking trips on the mountain.
Clara Chrane remembers Nana sitting down to rest on a trip to Frozen Lake, and telling her the story of how Chief Pelek shot the bow across the bow. She had the distinct impression that Nana was discouraged from discussing her aboriginal heritage at home, but felt comfortable about it while up in the mountains.
Lawrence Hope has a story about Clara Clare on the trail to Frozen Lake. They ran across each other near the end of the day; and she told him to be sure to camp on the side of the pathway, not right on it; but did not elaborate as to the reason for this.
Lawrence and his party discounted Mrs. Clare's advice, and did camp on the trail. It was a restless night for the whole crew, as the path was busy with the comings and goings of the spirits of previous travelers. They learned their lesson in a hurry.
Many other families of Spuzzum and Yale made the trip to Frozen Lake. Irene Bjerky first went in 1967, at the age of seven, when Nana was too old to go. Her mother Clare Chrane was the guide. In later years they made the trip with Elsie Charlie, another daughter of Yale and Spuzzum.
About 1889, when Clara was eight years old, she walked with the Anglican nuns from Spuzzum to the All Hallows Mission School for Indian Girls in Yale. At All Hallows, Clara learned the womanly arts of homemaking; sewing, baking, cooking, gardening, laundry, needlework, basketmaking, and the benefits of early rising. She received several school award medals for these skills.
She also learned the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic; native girls were taught enough to get by, but did not receive the education given to the Caucasian girls that attended the Canadian School, who would go on to University. Aboriginal girls were given an education that would allow them to live in the new colonial-based society; they were expected to be able to keep house and raise children to the British ideal. Clara did well in all respects. Her specialty at the school was bread baking, and she did this, likely right up until her marriage day.
She stayed at All Hallows until her marriage late in 1902 to William Frank Clare, an Englishman with Irish roots from Devonshire who worked as a section-man for the Canadian Pacific Railway. Their wedding was enthusiastically proclaimed in the 1903 All Hallows Digest, and the little magazine mentions her in several instances after that, during visits, either by her to the school with her children, and also of other 'school daughters' staying with her or stopping in for shelter from a storm.
Clara continued to be very involved with the Anglican Church after her marriage. She taught Sunday School for many years, and her register is kept in the museum. She did most of the needlework repairs on the much-used church textiles in the St. John the Divine Church. Over the years Nana did a vast amount of needlework, and her patchwork quilts were very special to all of her grandchildren.
Clara and Frank Clare raised five children, one who died in her early thirties and four who lived to see their grandchildren, who knew Grandma Clara as 'Nana'. Several of their descendants still live in the Yale area.
Clare and Frank's children were: Catherine, Leonard, Sidney, Elizabeth May, and Dorothy.
Catherine died as a young wife to her husband (?) Mansell, after having a daughter Elizabeth (Auntie Betty).
Leonard had two wives, one of whom was Jeanette McLinden of Yale, daughter of Emma McLinden Castle. Another wife was Ruth Kirkpatrick, who was the mother of Jimmy Clare. Jimmy married Cecile from Sooke, BC, who has Hawaiian and BC native ancestry.
Clara's second son Sidney married Beth and had three children; Sydney, Neil, and Lee Clare. Upon the death of Sid, Beth participated in the formation of the Yale & District Historical Society, and contributed to the formation of the Historic Yale Museum. Before her death, she donated many of the family's artifacts to the Museum, including the older baskets.
The rest of the Clare basket collection was distributed between Beth's three children.
Frank Clare died in 1948, and Clara lived on to enjoy her grandchildren until 1974, when she peacefully passed away in the Chilliwack Hospital at the age of 92.
Written by Irene Bjerky
1- Personal Communication with Clare Chrane, March 1, 2003
2- See Amelia York Bio
3- BCVS;
4- See Appendix CC, personal communications, and AY, personal communications, to Clare Chrane; also, reference by WD Sage, 1963
5- Mentioned not by name, just as the chief,…
6- Simon Fraser Journals, pp.97-98
7- Clare Collection; 2003.3.106.1 - 14
26
Verna Bjerky Memorial Basket1900
Yale B.C.
27
Annie York on Broadback Mountain in Spuzzum1980
Spuzzum, B.C.
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