File 2008.3.1.202 - Mary John – Metlakatla, May 1994

• Moving images

1 videocassette (1 hr., 20 min.) : chrome dioxide, original, SP, col.

File consists of a videocassette (VHS) recording of Mary John at Metlakatla in May 1994, originally filmed on a handheld camcorder on Video 8 cassette. Bridget noted in a later 1994 interview with Bob Harkins that this road trip was conducted for them to attend the basic education class at Metlakatla; this recording has also been reformatted on DVD.

Videocassette Summary

Context: Video-recording conducted by Bridget Moran with Mary John on their road trip to Metlakatla to visit the Elders Group there.

Highlights Include:
0’:05” Bridget Moran records on videotape Mary John in New Hazelton at the road side

1’00” Bridget Moran records on videotape Mary John in front of the totem poles in K’san ‘Old Hazelton’ and note they are heading by car to Prince Rupert

2’00”At Metlakatla Mary is shown eating fried dried seaweed in a hall in Metlakatla with a group of people

7’:35” Mary discusses working in the hospital and financially having a hard time as her husband was out of a job due to change in logging practices. He had a difficult time being at home and Mary sometimes had to walk to work to Vanderhoof, a distance 9+ miles from Stoney Creek. Talks about a time of having to walk to work on the ice and put bales of hay in her boots to walk on the ice

10’:35” Talks about the difficulties of working in the white world

11’:15” Talks about the time that her son made his First Communion; priest offered to buy lunch for all the children; Mary remembers having him ask if she and her son could come into the restaurant as normally they were not allowed to go to the restaurants

14’30” Sandra explains how they had decided to invite Mary to Metlakatla; she had read the Stoney Creek Woman book and wondered if Mary was still alive; she called the Band office in Vanderhoof and was connected with Mary’s niece who asks if she would come to Metlakatla. And then decided to invite Bridget as well.

18’37” Mary talks about the origin of certain Carrier place names for the various lakes in the Stoney Creek area and notes that many white people could not pronounce the names and so they became an anglicized version of native name. Explains the origin of the Bednesti Lake name

21’:55” Mary John explains about how liquor first coming into the territory and talks about how some of the men went on the train to join the war. She sings and drums a song called ‘Passenger Song’ and then explains the song

25’:43” Mary performs the ‘Four Winds’ song

26’:37” Mary talks about how the dancing had died out at Stoney Creek and c.1960 it was recommended that the dancing come back with a pageant to celebrate the 100th anniversary of missionaries arriving in their territory. The celebration was recorded on film. Talks about how dancing has been revived and now is taught to the children

30’30” Talks about the costumes made for the dancing. Talks about a moose hide she made for Eddie John

31’30” Bridget notes that Mary is now making a vest for Justa Monk who Bridget notes she has written a book about;

32:45” Bridget refers to the opening of UNBC and the coming of the Queen to open the University and how some native people in Prince George were against her opening UNBC

34’:40” Talks about the role of the Indian Agent historically

35’00” Talks about the role of policing in the native community and how to improve it

36’53” Bridget is recording Mary John outdoors at Lejac where they are looking at ruins of the old buildings. Mary points out the old Post Office building; Mary then shows the ruins of the old school and talks about segregation of the boys and girls at the school; she shows the play room of the old school; visits a cemetery and shows where Father Coccola is buried; then shows the buildings at Lejac old school buildings

Video temporarily stops

42’45” Shows Mary John back at her house in Stoney Creek

42’50” Bridget asks what is the most common question asked by people – of what do you want for your people – Mary states ‘hang on to culture and get an education”

43’40” Mary states that conditions have improved slightly [compared to 1976 at the time of Coreen Thomas’ inquest] but not to the level that she would like to see – as there are still alcohol, drug and unemployment problems

44’32” Mary notes that the preservation of the language has been ‘really good’ that the Elders are teaching other adults about their culture so that they can teach children; she notes that many Elders can speak Carrier really well – compared to the group noting at Metlakatla that not as many can speak their language.
46’00” Mary states there are many students at the [Yinka Dene] Language Institute; about 15-20 students

47’:24” Mary notes that ‘Potlatches are very important to our culture’ and that the Elders managed to save it

48’01” Mary refers to their road trip back from Metlakatla and their stop at Lejac. She talks about Lejac and how it is now destroyed – it would be better to preserve it and show what had happened there – Bridget compares it to the concentration camps in Germany and the preservation of those buildings to show the horrors of what went on there

49’13” Mary says she doesn’t dwell on the memories of LeJac – she had been there 72 years ago

50’00” Mary talks about the start up of the Potlatch House and the set up of a learning centre and the need to have it create work for the young people – Bridget notes that the potlatch house is now the centre of village activity

52’15” Bridget and Mary John reminisce about ’our’ book – and Bridget notes it was a ‘labour of love’ Mary notes that the book has made a difference – to treat First Nations people more like people – to show [others] [the impact] of racism

54’00” Bridget asks Mary to show the button blanket that Mary was given in Metlakatla and Bridget refers to the button blanket she was given as well. [The blanket is designed as a traditional Northwest Coast Button Blank; on the back of the blanket it is embroidered with beadwork in a circular pattern with the inscription ‘Keep the Circle Strong’ Bridget notes that the Elders there had a wonderful dinner for us as well.

54’58” Bridget videotapes Mary outside by the lake and she shows the outside of the log house which is the Potlatch House at Stoney Creek. She then shows the interior of the building which has photos of Elders on the wall.

Videotape ends