“Stanley gifted it to me and it’s time to go home now so his grandchildren’s grandchildren can have it,” Roy Alexander told the group of old friends over a special Aug. 20 lunch at Brown’s Socialhouse in Tofino.
Qaamina, Sam’s eldest son, accepted the chaputs (canoe) on behalf of his family in Ahousaht.
“It’s heading to Maaqtusiis,” says Qaamina. “Stanley went to Ahousaht Residential School. He was always one to give and he always wanted his grandkids to have better.”
Stanley Sam or T’sasiits (wise one) was a Nuu-chah-nulth speaker for the Tyee Ha'wiih and a lifelong fisherman. He was born on Feb. 29, 1928, in Moyaha (Herbert Inlet), Ahousaht hahoulthee (territory) to Paul Sam and Katie Lucas. His mom Katie had strong ties to Tla-o-qui-aht and Hesquiaht.
During his lifetime, Sam owned seven commercial vessels and raised his family of 12 children with his wife Catherine in Ahousaht. T’sasiits passed away on July 27, 2016.
“He had 13 generations of history in his mind,” said Qaamina.
Alexander, a fisheries management professional, was a volunteer director on the Nuu-chah-nulth License Committee in the ‘80s. He worked with Sam on the 2006 Ahousaht fishing case to confirm their commercial Aboriginal Fishing Rights. With his vast knowledge of Nuu-chah-nulth fishing history and trade, Sam was a main witness in the case.The Supreme Court of Canada confirmed these rights in 2009.
“I suggested a portion of the trial be held in Stan’s home village,” Alexander recalls.
“I supervised converting the old gymnasium to a courtroom that would meet Supreme Court standards. The NTC sound system was brought in for acoustics and the lawyers were very impressed with the venue. This trial in a remote village was the first in many years and T’sashiits testifying in his home village at the three-day trial was a highlight of his life,” he continued.
Sam began to carve a model chaputs complete with tiny cedar whalers for Alexander as a gesture of appreciation for their friendship and win for his people. The carving even had mini sea lion bladders for the whalers to throw over the side.
About a year after he began the carving, Sam surprised Alexander with wrapped cardboard box.
“I thought it was smoked fish when he gave it to me,” Alexander chuckled.
He says he treasured the “priceless” gift for years and displayed it on a mantel in his Parksville home until he heard Sam’s family had few of his early works.
Then it was decided, alongside his wife Karen, that Stan’s chaputs should go home to his family in Ahousaht.
