Contacts re Stuwix

[David Lewis]

I think it is important to remember that we should not assume that
Indigenous people know nothing of their own history and language and that
academia holds all of the answers. This has been a historic problem with
all scientists who assume they are the experts over the native peoples they
are studying. Perhaps you did not mean it that way, but what is written
here can be interpreted to mean this very easily.  There are various
reasons why native people do not let the whole world know they already hold
the knowledge of their past and most of them center around the histories of
colonialism here. Please be careful in how you phrase your enthusiasm and
willingness to pass on what you know to Indigenous people. I'm sure that if
you said this to these people, they would not be as cooperative or thankful
of your information as you would like.
In Spirit
David

At 12:12 PM 01/17/2000 -0800, you wrote:
>I'm happy to report that the Union of BC Indian Chiefs has an extensive
>set of links and other resources in its website at
>http://www.ubcic.bc.ca/.  Off its links page I managed to find:
>
>http://vancouver.miningco.com/local/vancouver/msub21.htm
>
>which includes links to directories of band addresses and other
>resources.  The band addresses are actually at
>http://www.dickshovel.com/, which some of you may be familiar with as a
>major native political and cultural site-resource; if I recall correctly
>that was also the site that had a fascinating on-line history of
>railway/native/Metis politics in the 19th Century that's well worth the
>read.
>
>The main UBCIC links page is:
>
>http://www.ubcic.bc.ca/links.htm
>
>If anyone wants to write or fax directly to any of the following bands,
>"ATTN Language Dept." or something to that effect would make sure it
>gets to the right person.  I'm sure any local native historian would be
>glad to hear of an opportunity to solve the mystery of the Stuwix'
>origin and might already have a list of such unknown words already
>researched.  "Stuwix" is, I think, Nlaka'pamux although the book never
>quite says it that way; it may be Syilx (Okanagan); it's not clear from
>the book if it means "the strangers" or not.
>
>The Upper and Lower Similkameen Bands are Okanagan.  The Lower Nicola
>Band is Nlaka'pamux; I'm not sure if the Upper Nicola Band is
>Nlaka'pamux or Spaxomin, or both; there is no mention of a separate
>Douglas Lake community government, which is the core locality of the
>Spaxomin; they may have merged with the Nlaka'pamux (Sce'exmx)
>neighbours in Merritt a while ago (maybe Terry G knows).  Sounds as if
>the Stuwix were current through the upper Similkameen as well as up to
>Douglas Lake and maybe Tulameen; it'll be interesting to see the
>distribution of those placenames.
>
>I'll see if I can find out who the relevant specialist at Simon Fraser
>Univ. is.....
>
>Upper Similkameen Indian Band
>P.O. Box 310
>Keremeos, BC VOX I N0
>(250) 499-2221
>FAX 499-5117
>
>Upper Nicola Indian Band
>P.O. Bag 3700
>Merritt, BC VOK 2B0
>(250) 350-3342
>FAX 350-3311
>
>Lower Nicola Indian Band
>R.R. 1, Site 17, Comp. 18
>Merritt, BC VOK 2BO
>(250) 378-5157
>FAX 378-6188
>
>Lower Similkameen Band
>Admin.Office
>P.O. Box 100
>Keremeos BC V0X 1N0
>(250) 499-5528
>FAX 499-5335

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David Lewis                     541.684.9003
P.O. Box 3086           Cell 541.954.2466
Eugene, OR 97403

talapus at kalapuya.com, coyotez at darkwing.uoregon.edu,
         coyotez at oregon.uoregon.edu

                 http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~coyotez

ICQ# 45730935
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