This is a follow-up blog entry to the one posted on 8 March which detailed a meeting at the University of British Columbia (UBC) between the First Nations Teams of Surrey Public Library and Fraser Valley Regional Library. At that meeting I was told of an Aboriginal Family History Group which had begun meeting at Fraser Valley’s Mission Library.
The Ama Liisaos Family History Group is dedicated to preserving the unique heritage of the Aboriginal people of the Lillooet River Valley in south western B.C., a tribal group known as the Stl’atl’imx Nation.
Group facilitator Sharon Syrette (Mission Library)
The group received a provincial grant to embark on a “Family Tree Project”. After contacting Sharon Syrette the faciliatator I received an invitation to observe the group in action. Here Sharon is getting the group to identify individuals in family photographs, then to date the photograph & finally to share stories about the people, places and objects in the photograph. “Ama Liisaos” means “good angel” in their aboriginal language, and it’s their hope that people will join them as good angels in helping preserve their unique heritage.
When I explained how the resources of Cloverdale could assist them in their quest, they embraced me as a “good angel” and asked if I’d host hem on a visit of the Cloverdale Library.
Hosting Ama Liisaos FHG at Cloverdale
So back at Clovedale we gave them a guided tour and demonstrated the resources useful for compiling a family tree. Pictured is my colleague Laurie Cooke searching the BC Birth Death & Marriage Online Indexes, successfully locating the group’s Lillooet River ancestors. I then explained some of the challenges of First Nations research including how to locate records held by the Federal Govt who administered Aboriginal Affairs and created many of the records. The Reference Librarian at UBC First Nations Library was a great resource in my preparation for the workshop.
The group presented me with a parting gift. This book, entitled “Spirit in the Land” documents a unique aspect of their heritage – the construction of this Church. Built by the Stl’atl’imx people ostensibly for French Missionaries of the Catholic Church, it’s been recognised by the Canadian Govt. as a site of national significance – an engineering marvel crafted by people with no formal training in the building trade. In this book the elders tell the story of the building of the church to ensure this remarkable achievement is remembered by future generations.
The book is also the story of a people who lived here for 100’s of generations, their traditions and spiritual beliefs, especially their connection to the land, and how things changed when the Europeans came: the intervention of the Federal Govt. as self appointed guardians of indigenous people; the seizing of traditional lands; and the establishment of residential schools with little regard for indigenous beliefs and practices. In short, the same issues faced by our own indigenous people.
Ultimately, however, it’s a success story – of how the Stl’atl’imx people adapted to these changes and reclaimed their heritage. The church is an interesting symbol here. To the Stl’atl’imx people it brought the people together – in a paradoxical way – not only the building of it, but the annual visits by Catholic priests who conducted mass baptisms and weddings ensuring that the church became a meeting pt for the community. Today the Stl’atl’imx choose to come here to commemorate important life events – a tradition which has enhanced their own genealogical records.
