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2008.3.3.3.15 · Item · 26 May 1995
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

Photograph depicts large group posed on ceremonial steps in Agora courtyard at the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George, B.C. Most individuals in group wear regalia. Bridget Moran stands in the second row, fifth from right (wearing sunglasses). Photo taken on the day Moran received an Honourary Law Degree.

2008.3.3.3.39 · Item · 26 May 1995
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

Photograph depicts large group posed on ceremonial steps in Agora courtyard at the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George, B.C. Most individuals in group wear regalia. Bridget Moran stands in the second row, fifth from right (wearing sunglasses). Other individuals can be seen standing around group. Photo taken on the day Moran received an Honourary Law Degree.

History of Prince George
2008.3.1.210.4 · Item · [between 1958 and 1960]
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

Audio recording consists of individual taped interviews conducted by Bridget Moran with a number of early Fort George residents recalling the early years of white settlement in Prince George c.1910-c.1915. Interviews were conducted with the following individuals: Arnold Davis; J.A.F. Campbell; Alec Moffat; Claude Foot; George Henry; Nellie Law; John McInnis; Georgina [McInnis] Williams and Peter Wilson. These interviews were incorporated into the publication: Bridget Moran, Prince George Remembered…from Bridget Moran, Marsh Publishing, Prince George, 1996.

Audiocassette Summary
Scope and Content:Recording consists of individual taped interviews conducted by Bridget Moran in a number of locations with Arnold Davis; J.A.F. Campbell; Alec Moffat; Claude Foot; George Henry; Nellie Law; John McInnis; Georgina [McInnis] Williams; Peter Wilson

Subjects include:

  • Arnold Davis – former Sherriff in Prince George (born in 1882) arrived in Quesnel in 1909 and worked on the BX sternwheeler. Davis discusses his family roots from Ireland as a 6th generation Canadian. Recalls how his family arrived in South Fort George in 1917 and how his father worked on boats that went up and down Fraser River
  • Claude Foot recalls coming from New Zealand to Fort George [Prince George] in 1906 and how there were ‘very few white men’; his father was Irish, mother was English
  • Alex Moffat – describes how his parents provided a ‘stopping place’ for stage coaches in the Cariboo region
  • George Henry recalls working on the boats that plied the Fraser River between Prince George and Soda Creek, near Quesnel
  • Nellie Law – describes arriving from England in 1917 to Ashcroft and then Quesnel in 1917
  • Peter Wilson – Barrister and Solicitor; the prosecutor for Prince George since 1916 describes arriving by train from Edmonton and arriving on a scow in South Fort George
  • Mr. John McInnis – from Prince Edward Island, who sat twice in provincial legislature – in constituency of Grand Forks as socialist and later for constituency of Fort George recalls arriving in 1910 by rail to Kamloops and then by sleigh to South Fort George; describes the Indian Reserve at Fort George “[…don’t think there were a dozen white people…when I arrived […]”
  • J.A. ‘Doc’ Campbell recalls being part of a survey crew in Fort George in 1908
  • George Henry – also recalls cruising down the [Fraser] river by way of sternwheeler and losing men overboard
  • Peter Wilson recalls experiences as practicing lawyer; there was no assize court in the region until 1919; recalls some of his early cases [murder case]
  • Nellie Law describes working as a desk clerk at first The Alexandra Hotel and later The Prince George Hotel from 1918 to 1952
    Law describes the hotel patrons and how she met the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire in 1922. Recalls stoking furnace with logs in the hotel to keep it warm and working as a bouncer
  • Alex Moffat – recalls workers and hauling freight via the old Cariboo Road; existence of one policeman only (BC Provincial Police); and describes in detail a stopping place for horses / crew on the Cariboo Road and the pack trains.
  • Mr. Moffat – Describes the luxury experienced on the sternwheeler, The BX that “could carry seventy saloon passengers” and “staterooms were all equipped with push buttons, electric lights, hot and cold water, steam heat, and everything modern”
  • Claude Foot – Recounts a dance in Quesnel at the hotel barroom and describes ordering drinks at the Al Johnson Hotel that had a bar which boasted to be “ the biggest bar in Canada, if not the world” 100 ft + bar with “six or seven bartenders behind this long bar, and the customers would be lined up two or three deep […]”
  • J.A. [F.] [Campbell] – post-1910 changes with the use of scows on the Fraser River; describes the BC Provincial Police “in those days [they] just wore ordinary civilian clothes, but they were a tough bunch….[…]” and rowdiness in the bars in South Fort George
  • Campbell describes the first bank in Fort George was the Bank of British North America that was housed in a tent and he recalls needing money while playing poker - ‘about eleven o’clock that night, the vault was open, and the till was open, and if you wanted money you’d walk up to the bank till and put an IOU in and take money out and go on playing [poker]
  • Peter Wilson – comments about how lax the enforcement of law and order was in the early years including among the police themselves: “that the “Old Blind Nick [who] ran a bootlegging joint, went broke because he said he couldn’t afford to supply the police with any more liquor.”
  • Claude Foot – recalls a fire in Quesnel in 1916 that burned a large part of the business section and the firemen were as Nellie Law notes “ a bucket brigade of Chinamen, filling buckets from a water hole in the Fraser River that the horses drank in…”
  • John McInnis recalls political meetings and the election in 1916 when he was a candidate for the Fort George riding and being defeated by 7 votes; that the investigation of the election “was a whitewash”
  • Georgina McInnis, who was the first White Child born in the community – she tells of the meeting that decided her name – as Fort Georgina McInnis
  • Arnold Davis recalls his father working on boats that went up and down Fraser River and being on the boat with him and “watching the connecting rods go in and out and concentrate on pie…[served by the Chinese cook]” Davis also recalls The Yukoners who emigrated to PG after the Gold Rush
  • George Henry recalls with lament the coming of the railway as he lost his job plying the River - preferred voyages on the Fraser River – and refers to those who worked the River and himself as “river rats”
History of Prince George
2008.3.1.210.5 · Item · [between 1958 and 1960]
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

Reel-to-reel audio recording consists of individual taped interviews conducted by Bridget Moran with a number of early Fort George residents recalling the early years of white settlement in Prince George c.1910-c.1915. Interviews were conducted with the following individuals: reel to reel recording of individual taped interviews and interview introductions by Bridget Moran with the following interviewees: Arnold Davis [former Sherriff for Prince George]; J.A.F. Campbell [PG land surveyor]; Alec Moffat; Claude Foot; Captain George Henry [sternboat captain]; Nellie Law [desk clerk at Alexandra and Prince George Hotel from 1918- 1952], John McInnis [former MLA for Fort George]; Georgina [McInnis] Williams; and Peter Wilson, [former Barrister and Solicitor and former Prosecutor for the City since its incorporation in 1915.] These interviews were incorporated into the publication: Bridget Moran, Prince George Remembered…from Bridget Moran, Marsh Publishing, Prince George, 1996.

Summary

Notes: Recording consists of individual taped interviews conducted by Bridget Moran and commentary by Moran that introduces each audio segment. Recording is exact copy of the written transcript later produced as the publication, Prince George Remembered…From Bridget Moran, Prince George: Marsh Publishing, 1996. In the publication foreword, Moran notes that she recorded the interviews on reels, then re-copied them on cassette tapes, and for the book project based on the recordings she did the edits and provided the introductory remarks for each interviewee’s audio segment.

See also the audiocassette summary for 2008.3.1.210.4 “History of Prince George”. The reel to reel recording is incomplete as it includes recorded interviews only for 61 minutes, not the full 80 minutes referred to in the audiocassette summary for 2008.3.1.210.4. The reel to reel recording continues only to the end of Claude Foot’s description of the bar at South Fort George [see transcript, Prince George Remembered… From Bridget Moran, p.25]

00’ 05”-5’00” Arnold Davis– talks about his family’s roots from Ireland and England and arriving in South Fort George in 1917;

5’10”-10’11” Claude Foot – talks about his family’s roots in New Zealand and memories of arriving in Quesnel in 1906, “very few white men”

10’12”-11’08” Alex Moffat – describes stage coach transportation throughout the Cariboo region

11’24”-12’33” George Henry describes working on the boats that plied the Fraser River with the BC Express Co.

13’17”-14’14” Nellie Law describes arriving in Quesnel from England in 1914 and later arriving in Prince George on the Fraser River in 1917. Law was the desk clerk at Alexandra and Prince George Hotel from 1918-1952.

14’45”-15’09” Peter Wilson describes arriving by work train to Prince George from McBride c.1915. Wilson was the Prosecutor for the City since its incorporation in 1915.

15’48”-20’02” Mr. John McInnis recalls arriving from Prince Edward Island in 1910 in Fort George due to the land prospecting for the town site. Describes 10 day horse & sleigh trip from Ashcroft to Fort George and briefly describes Indian Reserve in Fort George and recalls there were few white women in the town at that time.

20’25”-22’05” J.A. Campbell describes survey crew work he did at Fort George in 1908

22’16”-25’36” Captain George Henry recalls cruising down the Fraser River with a gas-powered boat c.1910 and losing crew overboard in the Fraser Canyon

25’47”-33’20” Peter Wilson recalls experiences as practicing lawyer and due to lack of assize court in Fort George until 1919 travelling to Clinton for court cases. Also describes difficulty of boat traveling to Peace River country to hear court cases there.

33’29”-39’24” Nellie Law recalls working first as a maid and then as a desk clerk with the Alexandra Hotel in 1919 and later the Prince George Hotel in 1923 – describes hotel guests; visit of Duke & Duchess of Devonshire; manual work performed including bouncing; stoking furnace in winter for heating.

39’45”-53’48” Alex Moffat – describes old Cariboo Road highway freighting and stage coach line at Barkerville and the ‘stopping places’ [roadhouses] on the Cariboo Road highway which his parents operated. Also describes Cataline’s pack train. Describes luxurious conditions on the BX sternwheeler boats.

56’10”-59’06” Claude Foot recounts a dance in Quesnel; card games and gambling at Barkerville 59’40”-1:00’58” Claude Foot recalls South Fort George and the ‘longest bar at South Fort George End of recording

End of recording

2008.3.1.210.1 · Item · [ca. 1960]
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

Audio recording is of an interview by Bridget Moran with both Mr. George Henry and Mr. Arnold Davis to discuss their memories of the early town site development of South Fort George and Central Fort George c.1910-c.1917. Mr. Henry was born in 1882 and his family arrived in Quesnel in 1909. Mr. Henry’s interview is primarily about his work as a captain on the BX Sternwheeler up until the time of the railroad arriving in Prince George in 1914. Mr. Davis, who was a Sherriff in Prince George, recalls his childhood memories of Fort George and Central Fort George c.1917. Mr. Davis also discusses his family roots from Ireland, the family’s arrival in Fort George from Ashcroft in 1917 and memories of his father who worked on the sternwheelers on the Fraser River.

Audiocassette Summary

Scope and Content:
Interview with Mr. George Henry

Mr. Henry was born in 1882 in Northern California and his family came to the Cariboo in 1909. He recalls riding his bicycle from Ashcroft to Quesnel in 3 days to find work with the BC Express Company.

Mr. Henry recalls working on the BX and describes the sternwheeler trip from Quesnel to South Fort George; it was a 3 hour trip from Quesnel and included two mail stops ;
Henry recalls an accident onboard the sternwheeler going through the Fraser Canyon (see p.p.11-12 of
Prince George Remembered)

Mr. Henry describes his homestead at South Fort George

Mr. Henry describes the BX sternwheeler being aground at South Fort George c.1920

Mr. Henry recalls spending winters in South Fort George in his log cabin; that work was “plentiful” in 1910 and the population at “about 700”
Mr. Henry notes that the “Indian reserve was at the Hudson’s Bay company” and that the native population was at “about 50”

Mr. Henry recalls the early commercial businesses in South Fort George c.1910 including the Northern Hotel; the candy store and ice cream store and theatre.

Mr. Henry describes the start of the town site of Central Fort George as a “viable little town” which started once the Grand Trunk Railway arrived and recalls the change in population between South Fort George & Central Fort George.

Henry recalls how all the workers came and lived in tents in Central Fort George.

Mr. Henry was not happy about the arrival of the railway as it meant he lost his job on the sternwheeler – he recalls that “us old river rats were just lost” (see p.p.34 of Prince George Remembered)

Bridget then asks Mr. Arnold Davis to recall his memories of early South Fort George
But first asks him to describe his family’s roots (See p.p. 1-2 of Prince George Remembered)

Scope and Content:
Interview with Mr. Arnold Davis

Davis notes he is 6th generation Canadian; family came from Ireland and his grandfather’s brother Jeff Davis became the President of the Confederate States of America.
Davis refers to his mother’s family being on the Prairies at time of the trial of Louis Riel

Davis explains that his grandfather first homesteaded at Banff; then Kamloops; then Ashcroft and on to South Fort George in 1917.

Davis’ father worked for the BC Express Company and he recalls being on the sternwheeler as a child during same time that George Henry worked the boats. Recalls workers on the boat; eating pie on the boat baked by the Chinese cook; (See p. 33 of Prince George Remembered)

Davis recalls the town site of South Fort George. He notes it had a population by 1917 of only “about 300” and that the “boom was over”

Davis describes location of various businesses in South Fort George including the Rex Theatre, George St. Poole Room, McKay Bros. Grocery store, Drugstore, Bairds, Peters Butcher Shop.

Davis recalls that there were many “Yukoners” here at the time and recalls a tale about an old Yukoner

Mr. Davis recalls other people who worked on the BX with his father including Margaret “Granny” Seymour’s father;

Mr. Davis recalls riding up and down the river to Foley’s Cache on the sternwheeler as a child
Mr. Henry then speaks up and recalls trips on the sternwheeler with Arnold Davis on the boat as a child

Tape ends

2008.3.1.210 · File · 1958-1995
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

File consists of recorded audio interviews:

  • Interview: History of Prince George - Bridget Moran Interviews George Henry & Arnold Davis interview, PG Historical Society, ca. 1960
  • Interview: Granny Seymour Interview, Parts 1 & 2, May [1962?]
  • Interview: Granny Seymour Interview, Part 3, May [1962?]
  • Interview: History of Prince George, 1958-1959 and 1960
  • Interview: History of Prince George, 1960; various dates
  • Interview: CBC - 60th Anniversary Judge [Stewart] Called to Bar, [1982?]
  • Interview: Ken Rutherford (Tape 1), 1 April 1993
  • Interview: Ken Rutherford (Tape 2), 1 April 1993
  • Interview: Paul Ramsey Interview, December 1995
Homecoming
2008.3.1.094 · File · [19-]
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

File consists of the original handwritten draft of "Diary of Success Homecoming" by Bridgie Drugan (Moran) (7 pages); the original list of people Bridget spoke with at the homecoming; a copy of handwritten draft of "Diary of Success Homecoming" by Bridgie Drugan (Moran) (7 pages); a copy of list of people Bridget spoke with at the homecoming.

Honours and Awards
2008.3.3 · Series · 1989-1999
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

Series consists of photographs, event itineraries and programs, letters of congratulations, letters of recommendation, newspaper clippings, invitations and place name cards all pertaining to Bridget’s receipt of the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal, the B.C. Book Prize, and honourary doctorate degrees from both the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) and the University of Victoria (UVic).

2008.3.3.4 · File · 1989-1999
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

File consists of:

  • Airline tickets, Prince George to Victoria, return
  • Copy of B.C. Book Prizes Short List (April 5, 1989)
  • The Fifth Annual BC Book Prizes: Excerpts from the Shortlist
  • Notes made when Bridget found out she had won the L.G. Award
  • Press release and letters from Tillacum Library (a division of Arsenal Pulp Press) regarding the treatment of Mr. and Mrs. Fred who attended the L.G. Awards ceremony at Government House (1989)
  • Stickers for BC Book Prize
  • Letters from Naomi [Miller] (BC Historical Federation) to Bridget Moran
  • Invitation from Brian Gardiner, MP Prince George-Bulkley Valley to attend reception to honour Mary John and Bridget Moran for their receipt of the Governor General's Award for Community Service (April 1993)
  • Invitation from UNBC to attend the Spring Convocation (1995)
  • Copy of letter from Judith A. LaRocque, Secretary to the Governor General and Herald Chancellor to Bridget Moran re: Moran's receipt of the Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of Canadian Confederation (Nov. 27, 1992)
  • Letter of congratulations from the Regional District of Fraser - Fort George to Ms. Moran (March 10, 1993)
  • Folder containing: Place names for Vivian Lougheed and Guest, and Judy Kennedy and Guest; Itinerary for Arts Gallery of Honour award recipients; Newspaper clipping: "Gallery of Honour inductions made on Saturday"; Program for The Community Arts Council of Prince George & District Arts Gallery of Honour Inaugural Awards Evening (March 20, 1999); 2 colour photographs of Judy Kennedy (who accepted award on behalf of Bridget Moran) holding award trophy and a photo of the Arts Gallery of Honour awards trophy
  • Handwritten card from Judy to Bridget Moran re: her induction into Prince George Arts Gallery of Honour (March 20, 1999);
  • Speech given by Judy Kennedy in her acceptance of Bridget's award on her behalf
  • Speech given by Vivienne Lougheed in her introduction to Bridget Moran as recipient of the Arts Gallery of Honour
  • Telegram from Brian Gardiner, MP Prince George-Bulkley Valley informing Bridget Moran that she has received a Governor-General Medal for Community Service (Dec.1992)
  • Write up on Mary John's receipt of a UNBC honourary Doctorate of Laws
  • Colour laser copy of a photograph featured in The Citizen newspaper featuring Justa Monk and Mary John (July 27, 1996)
  • Photocopies of newspaper articles on Mary John receipt of The Order of Canada from The Citizen and The Free Press (1997).
2008.3.1.34.1 · Item · [ca. 1910]
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

Photograph depicts two buildings behind fence, sheds visible in background. Unidentified men can be seen walking in foreground. Small structures believed to be teepees can be seen behind fence.

2008.3.1.034 · File · 1986-1987
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

File consists of "A comparative list of general Indian and non-Indian Values" developed by Joann Sebastian Morris, revised 1987; "Making Indians in British Columbia" by Michael Kew, revised 1986; a photograph of "Fort George", courtesy of the Provincial Archives of British Columbia, Visual Records Division, Catalogue No. 96295; Negative No.: G-3097; Newspaper articles from The Prince George Citizen: "Indians behind bars: Figures are Shocking", "Commentary: Compensation Deal Attempt to Right Wrong"; British Columbia Heritage Series: Our Native Peoples: Dene (series 1, volume 9,) a Social Studies Bulletin published by the Department of Education, The Government of the Province of British Columbia, 1953.

Interviews with Justa Monk
2008.3.1.147 · File · 1992-1995
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

File consists of interview audio recordings conducted by Bridget Moran with Justa Monk. Access copies have been made of each taped interview onto Maxell UR 90 min. audiocassettes.

James MacCallum
2008.3.1.083 · File · [after 1981]
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

File consists of a seven page handwritten draft entitled "James MacCallum"; a letter from Ivan L. MacKay, Chief, School Administration and Negotiation Unit, Saskatchewan Education to Bridget Moran re: tenure of Mr. Allan McCallum as Deputy Minister of Education (Aug. 24, 1984); an obituary for James McCallum; 2 photographs and 2 negatives for: the grave marker for Allan McCallum and a view from grave marker of Allan McCallum.

2008.3.1.212.1 · Item · [before 1983]
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

Audio recording consists of an interview by Bridget Moran with James McCallum recalling his life, first in Scotland, then Montana and then as a wheat farmer in Success, Saskatchewan. McCallum (1891-1983) served on several community organizations including delegate of the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool (1938-1944) and director (1944-63). James McCallum died January 9, 1983 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan age 91.

Audiocassette Summary

  • McCallum family moved from rural Scotland to Montana and later Success, Saskatchewan. James McCallum born in Scotland – Nov 12, 1891
  • James’ family left Scotland c.1899 via the ship “Caledonia” and came to Montana
  • In 1904 his father decided to move the family
  • Recalls living in Montana
  • Recalls night at the Shaw farm in Montana with horse thieves the night his brother Allan was born
  • Discusses trek to Saskatchewan arriving first in Swift Current, Saskatchewan;
  • Homesteaded in Success [District], Saskatchewan
  • Family’s land was Government land
  • Moved from homestead to another farm
  • Recalls his schooling; public school in Scotland; private school in Canada
  • Talks about ranching
  • Discusses income of family
  • Describes types of farm machinery and combines; walking plow
  • Talks about boundaries for land – no fences etc.
  • Provides memories of families from the community
  • Recalls memories of his mother managing household on farm
  • Recalls work with threshing groups
  • Recalls beginning of the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool to ensure farmers received fair payment for sale of their wheat
  • Recalls attending meetings as delegate for the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool at the Canadian Federation of Agriculture; meetings held in various locales from Montreal to Vancouver

End of tape

2008.3.1.212.2 · Item · [before 1983]
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

Audio recording consists of an interview by Bridget Moran with James McCallum recalling his life, first in Scotland, then Montana and then as a wheat farmer in Success, Saskatchewan. McCallum (1891-1983) served on several community organizations including delegate of the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool (1938-1944) and director (1944-63). James McCallum died January 9, 1983 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan age 91.

Audiocassette Summary

  • Recalls Success neighbours; Frazer [sp?] a family immigrated from Russia
  • Recalls father dying at age 96
  • James and his wife Sadie moved into the elder McCallum family homestead in 1962
  • Recalls first date with wife in 1912 at dance; famous storm same night killed people in Regina
  • Recalls playing violin at dances with Jack Pickett
  • Bridget asks his memories of the Drugan family [Bridget’s; James recalls when his wife Sadie and Bridget’s mother became friends. Bridget used to stay with Sadie’s mother.
  • Recalls medical facilities in early years; recalls father having blood poisoning and being attended by [the elder] Dr. Graham

End of tape

2008.3.1.029 · File · 1990-1991
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

File consists of:

  • Nine copies of "Plus! Magazine" (Saturday, Jan. 5, 1991) featuring a three page article on Bridget Moran and Judgement at Stoney Creek. [Plus Magazine is published Saturdays in The Prince George Citizen.]
  • Two copies of a book review for Judgement at Stoney Creek from Books in Canada (Nov.1990)
  • Two copies of a book review titled "No justice - not even in death" by Suzanne Fournier for Judgement at Stoney Creek from The Province (Dec. 2, 1990)
  • Copies of correspondence from Paul Mackan to Bridget Moran, and transcription of May 28, 1991 episode of "The Other Shelf", CBC radio broadcast with Paul Mackan during which he commented on Judgement at Stoney Creek and Stoney Creek Woman
  • Five copies of correspondence from Andrew Peter, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs to Bridge Moran (Dec. 4, 1991)
  • Two copies of correspondence from Library Acquisitions Department at the Victoria University in the University of Toronto to Bridge Moran re: her donation of Stoney Creek Woman and Judgement at Stoney Creek (Oct. 31,1991)
  • Correspondence from Brian Lam, publisher Arsenal Pulp Press to Bridget Moran re: new cover design for Judgement at Stoney Creek.
Justa
2008.3.1.147.14 · Item · 1994
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

Item is a audio interview recorded by Bridget Moran with Justa Monk.

Audiocassette Summary

00’ 05” Justa is talking about cutting wood for heat at home. He talks about wrecking his father’s axe. He continues to tell amusing stories about his childhood, which include his siblings and his father.

04’ 45” Moran asks Justa about how many employees he had when he was band manager. Justa talks about his work as band manager. They continue to talk about sawmills in the area. Justa discusses land rights as a result of the sawmills in their territory. Justa talks about tree farm licenses and the disputes between the band and the government. He talks about agreements the band has with Northwood Pulp and Timber Ltd.

16’ 35” Moran asks Justa about the note Theresa left him about being either a father or a band manager. They talk about this briefly.

18’ 23” Moran asks Justa about stories in his diary, such as trying to quit smoking. They talk about Justa becoming band leader. They continue to talk about Justa’s duties as general manager for the band and the politics surrounding the position.

25’ 14” Moran asks Justa about developing a school board for Tachie that is run by First Nations people. He wants to develop a proper curriculum that embraces the old way of life to maintain their culture.

30’ 40” Moran asks Justa why he stepped down as general manager for the band. Justa talks about someone else wanting the position. He also talks about the restraints on him. He talks about becoming tribal chief. He was given the mandate to deal with Kemano II, land claims, and developing forms of self-government.

41’ 15” Moran asks about the spread of AIDS in Tachie. Justa says, like cancer, it has spread because of stupidity. His people were healthy until the modernization of their society.

42’ 22” They return to discussing the opening of sawmills in the Tachie area, as well as tree licenses.

49’ 00” Moran asks Justa how many bands have dropped out of land claims issues. Ten remain, he tells her. They continue to discuss the issue of land claims.

50’ 47” Moran asks about when the tribal chiefs came together to have a common goal with regard to land claims. They continue to discuss land base, the progress of land claims, and the amount of people in each area. Justa talks about private companies entering their land and building private roads to log the area. They continue to talk about the politics of the position.

1:00’ 13” Moran asks Justa about his tribal chief position. He tells her it is a ‘twenty-four hour machine’ and to develop working relationships between the bands and the government, particularly with land claims and poverty issues. Justa continues to talk about his position.

1:09’ 11” Moran asks Justa which position he feels has helped his people the most. He tells her being band manager and tribal chief because he feels he has the right vision for his people that he can implement through clear direction and demanding certainty from the government, particularly with land claims. He talks about wanting to save the future of the nations and saving the river from the Kemano II Project. They continue to discuss the history of the Kemano II Project.

1:17’ 38” End of tape.

Justa
2008.3.1.147.12 · Item · 1993, 1994
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

Item is a audio interview recorded by Bridget Moran with Justa Monk.

Audiocassette Summary

00’ 06” Justa is talking about the Kemano II Project and what he said in a meeting with the Ministers. He has asked them to stop the Project or they will face judicial review because they are basing the Project on a political basis, not a scientific basis. He says he feels he will win the case.

04’ 57” Moran tells Justa she is working on the chapter about when he kills his brother John. Moran asks Justa about what happened and he tells her all he remembers is when the cops arrested him. They continue to talk about what happened, though Justa’s memory is vague. Justa talks about his time in prison.

24’ 54” Moran asks Justa about when he moved to Fort St. James after he was released from prison. He moved to Dawson Creek after being picked arrested again.

27’ 58” Justa talks about moving back to Tachie, then going to work for BC Rail in 1970. At that time, he was hired as band manager.

28’ 50” They return to discussing the Kemano II Project.

32’ 20” Moran and Justa return to discussing the murder of his brother.

34’ 50” Moran and Justa talk about Brother Anderson, who worked at the residential school.

41’ 15” Moran talks to Justa about his brother Alec who passed away at a young age. The person who fell off a roof was a cousin.

42’ 30” Moran asks Justa about being left on Haldi Road when he was working at the rehabilitation camp. He talks about Haldi Camp and it was decent living conditions. There was no counselling offered.

47’ 57” Moran asks Justa if his troubles at that time were related to alcohol. He tells her that his fights were caused from drinking. He talks about his parents telling him they were worried about his drinking. He began to black out, but did not worry about it because he says he was young and did not pay attention.

49’ 55” After Justa left Dawson Creek, he returned to Tachie. Two weeks after he was home, Teddy was shot. They talk about the circumstances surrounding his death.

56’ 08” Moran asks Justa about his memories of Tachie when he started as a maintenance man in the 1970s. He says the roads were rough or hardly there. He talks about his job shovelling snow or pulling vehicles out of the mud. They talk about the Tachie community in the early 1970s. Justa talks about building the community up.

1: 08’00” Justa talks about his wedding to Theresa. Very few people attended the wedding. It took a long time for Justa’s family to recognize her as part of the family.

1: 12’ 54” Moran asks Justa about life in Tachie. Justa tells her things were done collectively, there was no division within in the community. He wishes the old way of life was still a part of the community. He talks about the love of ‘potlatch’ in the community. He talks about how the old way of life disappeared once the road was built.

1: 19’ 50” Moran asks Justa what he is working on. Justa says he is wrapping up the treaty process, budget proposals, and a couple other issues. He talks about Kemano II. He is serious about leaving his position because he has been neglecting his family. They continue to talk about the Kemano II Project.

1: 29’ 09” End of tape.

Justa
2008.3.1.147.13 · Item · 10 Feb. 1994
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

Item is a audio interview recorded by Bridget Moran with Justa Monk.

Audiocassette Summary

00’02” Justa is talking about the store in Tachie.

02’ 13” Moran asks Justa to clarify his different positions when working for the band, and when he served in those positions. He talks about the years he was band manager and tribal chief, and talks about these positions. He discusses the stress of the positions because of lack of funding.

16’ 29” Moran asks Justa about the different programs, such as water systems and education. Justa discusses getting the water system into Tachie. He discusses the details of trying to get the water system, particularly trying to get funding and getting the proper contractors. He talks about the stress of the position and how it affected his mind.

39’ 04” Justa talks about the differences between being a band manager and a tribal chief. He tells her there were no politics involved in being a band manager.

41’ 30” Moran asks Justa to draw her a map of Tachie and Sunnyside for the book, so she knows where everything can be found. Justa draws her a detailed map that includes the lake and the river.

52’ 34” Moran asks Justa about his week as a band manager and tribal chief, starting from Monday to Friday. He talks about his meetings involving contracts, social assistance, education, and other funding concerns. He reads from his diary to Moran.

1:02’ 55” Moran asks Justa about when Tachie received a telephone system. Justa talks about how he actually regrets getting a telephone and television system because of the loss of community.

1:08’ 55” Justa returns to talking about Kemano II.

1:14’ 59” Moran’s voice is muffled and incomprehensible.

1:16’ 35” Moran asks Justa for photographs for the book. Moran wants a subtitle for the book, so asks Justa for something in Carrier. Moran tells Justa that the CBC has asked why she is writing a book about him. They discuss the general details of the book.

1:26’ 17” End of tape.

Justa
2008.3.1.147.15 · Item · 1994
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

Item is a audio interview recorded by Bridget Moran with Justa Monk.

Audiocassette Summary

00’ 01” Justa is talking about the Kemano II Project, which he states is a political issue, not an environmental one. He says the Project is a public issue now, not just a First Nations issue.

06’ 52” Moran asks Justa about when he was elected to tribal chief. He talks about the nominations process.

09’ 52” End of tape.

Justa
2008.3.1.147.17 · Item · 1994
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

Item is a audio interview recorded by Bridget Moran with Justa Monk.

Audiocassette Summary

00’ 04” Moran is talking about book signings for Justa’s book.

00’ 27” Justa and Moran talk about board members for the Kemano II Project. They continue to talk about the Kemano II Project. Justa says the amount of pressure he is putting on the government, combined with public support, hopefully means Kemano II will be stopped. They continue to discuss the details and the politics surrounding the Project.

10’ 26” Moran asks Justa whether he was surprised or not when he lost the position of tribal chief at the last Assembly. He tells her he was not surprised. He talks about the first time he resigned from the position due to stress. He says the band knew he was tired, so did not want the position any longer. In a letter he wrote, he stated it was time for some new blood.

21’ 11” Moran asks Justa about his new position. He talks about being a contractor to Northwood Pulp and Timber where he liaisons between First Nations people and the company on employment concerns and tree sales. He talks about his position in more detail.

28’ 46” Moran asks Justa about how he feels about his life now. He tells her he feels good about what he has accomplished, but he needs a rest. He talks about his accomplishments throughout his career. He tells Moran he has no regrets about anything.

37’ 55” Moran asks Justa about his health issues and how he is feeling now.

38’ 57” End of tape.

Justa
2008.3.1.147.18 · Item · 11 Sept. 1995
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

Item is a audio interview recorded by Bridget Moran with Justa Monk.

Audiocassette Summary

00’ 10” Moran is asking Justa about how he is feeling because he had a major heart attack. He talks about recovering from his attack in a week.

02’ 15” Moran asks Justa about what he thinks about the Gustafson Lake situation. He says he predicted it because the government has not been serious enough in negotiations for land claims. He does not believe in militant reactions and wants peaceful negotiations.

04’ 54” Moran asks Justa about what helped him get out of the ‘trench’ he was in after murdering his brother. He was able to carry on partly because he was forgiven by his family and the elders. He says the elders were the people who convinced him to plan for his future. He took their advice seriously, hence why he took on leadership roles.

07’ 15” Justa talks about taking a group of students to meet Gino (?), a hockey player. He says he wants to make things better for the young people because of alcohol and drugs, so believed the trip helped the students he took on the trip.

13’ 34” End of tape.

Justa
2008.3.1.147.16 · Item · 1994
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

Item is a audio interview recorded by Bridget Moran with Justa Monk.

Audiocassette Summary

00’03” Moran asks Justa how the Department of Indian Affairs party went at Other Art Cafe.

01’20” Moran tells Justa she has a number of questions regarding his political career. They talk about the number of bands in the area.

05’ 11” Justa talks about the nomination process for becoming tribal chief at the annual Assembly. He talks about when he was nominated and how he believed that he was nominated based on his character. Moran asks about the culture surrounding the Assembly, including entertainment. Justa tells her he did not participate in any of the activities.

12’ 41” Justa talks about his mother loving potlatch.

14’ 35” Moran asks Justa about the personal qualities it takes to be tribal chief. He tells her he was nominated because the people knew and trusted him.

16’ 03” Moran asks Justa about the role he played in getting the Department of Indian Affairs shut down. He tells her about leading a mandate to close the Prince George office through lawyers and the support of his people.

25’ 18” Moran asks Justa about the development of a school board for the reservations. He wants the school curriculum to teach the language and the culture. He has negotiated with the federal and provincial governments to implement these plans.

29’ 13” Moran asks Justa about his role in land claims. Justa talks about negotiating with the government to get some of the land back to his people. He has played a big role, he says, because he knows the area, the language, and the people. He talks about the long, drawn out process of planning the land claims concerns. Justa has a mandate as tribal chief to address land claims. He says the important part of the process is educating the people, white and non-white.

45’ 49” Moran is talking about Alcan locating grave markers to compensate for the damage done from the original Kemano project.

47’ 47” Moran asks Justa the role he has played in the Kemano II Project. He tells her that he took a big role because he saw the way of life being destroyed, never mind the environmental damage. He says he hates the concept of the project. Justa talks at length about the politics surrounding the Kemano II Project.

1:07’ 55” Moran asks Justa about which politicians he has met in his time as tribal chief. She encourages him to drop names. He lists a number of provincial and federal politicians.

1:10’ 45” Moran asks Justa about the Oka situation and any role he played in helping to negotiate the situation. He talks about an emergency Assembly. He discusses supporting the situation and telling his own people that they should not protest with the people from Oka to maintain peaceful land claims negotiations. He says he had to keep things calm in his own territory while offering support.

1:13’ 30” Moran asks Justa about the referendum regarding self-government. They talk about which way they voted.

1:16’ 20” Moran asks Justa about the consecration of the graveyards that were flooded by Kemano. He talks about how emotional the ceremony was and how much it hurt to be treated like second-class citizens. One woman described it as being chased out like a pack of coyotes.

1:19’ 50” Moran asks Justa about running for tribal chief again because he has unfinished business with the Kemano II Project.

1:20’50” Moran talks about the chapters of the book with Justa. They discuss some of the stories Moran is writing within the book.

1:28’ 42” End of tape.

Justa – Tape 7
2008.3.1.147.09 · Item · 30 July 1993
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

Item is a audio interview recorded by Bridget Moran with Justa Monk.

Audiocassette Summary

00’ 10” Moran asks about when the roads were built to Tachie. Justa talks about the length of time it took to get to work from Tachie to Portage before the roads were built. After some people drowned, the pressure was put on the Department of Indian Affairs to build a road. Justa talks about his trips before the road was built.

07’ 42” Moran asks about why Tachie was not built around Stuart Lake but at the mouth of the creek. Justa gives a brief history of Tachie.

09’ 20” Moran asks Justa about the history of his father, particularly what his jobs were.

11’ 01” Moran asks Justa what Camp 24 is, where his mother and father stayed at times. It was a camp owned by the Roman Catholic Church where people could stay while they worked in the bush. Justa says the camp was more of a settlement. Moran and Justa continue to talk about the living conditions of Camp 24.

16’ 47” Moran asks Justa about his father’s mother. Justa never met his grandmother, even though his father continued to visit her. They continue to talk about the history of Justa’s parents.

20’ 10” Moran tells Justa she has heard there are no more gardens in Tachie today. Justa tells Moran that people no longer live off the land and that is why the gardens no longer exist. Justa says he feels lucky that he was able to experience life by living off the land. Moran asks about how home brew is made. Justa gives a list of the ingredients and how it needed to sit for twenty-four hours before being able to drink it.

25’ 00” Moran asks Justa about what his first memories of Fort St. James were. He talks about his childhood memories and his first experience in driving in a vehicle.

29’ 58” Moran asks Justa about how many families are in Portage. Fifteen to twenty are there, which Justa says is bigger than when he was growing up. There is a problem of over-crowding with about 300 people living there.

31’ 14” Justa talks about going into the cellar to collect stuff for his mother, such as jams. He talks about how his parents never ate any canned food, and always continued to live off the land. Justa continues to talk about the relationship between his parents and how happy they were together, how they rarely argued. When his mother passed away, his father passed away shortly after because he stopped taking care of himself.

36’ 44” Moran asks Justa about fishing. Justa talks about fishing from a reef in the fall. Justa would smoke the fish in a tent that other people had set up. He talks about living off the land, where nothing was wasted. In the winter, he would ice-fish.

41’ 00” Justa talks about how he enjoys going back to the old way of life and is looking forward to finishing his leadership position, so he can return to the old ways. He talks about rehabilitating his mind and body because he is burning out from his busy schedule.

43’ 06” Moran asks if she can talk to Justa’s sisters and a friend of his family. Justa tells her that his sisters are looking forward to speaking to her. They talk about the benefits of aging.

47’ 08” End of tape.

"Justa - Mayo's Edit"
2008.3.1.054 · File · 1991-1994
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

File consists of a handwritten letter from Mayo Moran to her mother Bridget re: the "Justa" draft (April 6, 1994), an annotated draft of "Justa," "Land Claims" pamphlet produced by the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council, and "Fort St. James Forest District Recreation Map" produced by the Province of British Columbia, Ministry of Forests (Dec. 1991).

Justa - Pulp Press editing
2008.3.1.060 · File · 1994
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

File consists of:

  • Linda's correspondence and non-encouragement re: Justa (Aug. 9, 1994)
  • Letter to Bridget Moran from Brian Lam, publisher Arsenal Pulp Press, Ltd. re: Justa edits (Aug. 11, 1994)
  • Letter to Bridget Moran from Brian Lam, publisher Arsenal Pulp Press, Ltd. re: Justa edits (Sept. 20, 1994)
  • Letter to Bridget Moran from Brian Lam, publisher Arsenal Pulp Press, Ltd. re: Justa edits (July 14, 1994)
  • Linda's correspondence re: Justa (Sept. 5, 1994)
  • Justa extra chapters and a note to Justa Monk regarding the reading of these chapters 16-21 from Bridget Moran.
"Justa - Roseanne's Edit"
2008.3.1.053 · File · [before 1994]
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

File consists of handwritten note from Roseanne Moran to her mother Bridget re: the "Justa" draft and an annotated draft of "Justa."

2008.3.1.147.11 · Item · 22 Nov. 1993
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

Item is a audio interview recorded by Bridget Moran with Justa Monk.

Audiocassette Summary

00’ 10” Moran is talking to Theresa, Justa’s wife. Moran asks her what Corpus Christi means. Theresa tells her it is a place where First Nations people from the area planted trees in a big circle. It was a prayer circle where the bishop would say mass.

05’ 10” Moran asks Theresa about Sports Day in Fort St. James, which was more like a rodeo.

06’ 17” Moran is now talking to Justa. Moran asks Justa about trips to Babine Lake that Jimmy previously mentioned. Justa does not remember the trips, but he imagines they were very cold.

09’ 17” Moran asks Justa about the store Jimmy used to run. Justa tells Moran the store was operating on the store credit, hence the downfall of the business. They continue to talk about opening a store in Tachie that is operated by someone with a strong business mind.

13’ 37” Moran asks Justa about a family member from Burns Lake that his sisters previously mentioned. Justa tells her that the family member is an aunt.

14’ 34” Moran asks Justa about the residential school. She enquires about his ability to play hockey. Justa never wore skates until he attended residential school.

16’ 03” Moran asks Justa about fishing with a safety pin. He tells her that one Indian can eat anything.

16’ 53” They return to talking about residential school and if Justa had ever returned. He went back when he was forty-five to visit the area.

18’ 34” Moran asks about the house his family used to live in. Justa is not sure about his brother’s story regarding the Hudson’s Bay Company. He is sure that the house they lived in was built byt heir family.

21’ 01” Moran asks about Justa’s brother who passed away when he was quite young. Justa says his mother told him his brother fell off the roof and broke his neck. They talk about Justa’s brother, Teddy, being killed.

24’ 04” Moran asks Justa about the community making their own snowshoes. Justa tells her what they made the snowshoes out of – deer hide, cow hide, moose hide. Justa talks about going out on the trap line with his father in his homemade snowshoes.

26’ 21” Moran asks Justa about his previous employment from 1957 on. He gives a chronological account of his employment history until 1967, when he went to jail. After 1969, he continued to work. He always worked. They continue to talk about his past employment.

39’ 32” Moran asks Justa about his social life between 1957 and 1967. He tells her that he had a good time. He started to drink at seventeen.

40’ 53” Moran asks about Justa’s brother Teddy and their relationship. Justa tells her they were close, like twin brothers.

41’ 52” They talk about his alcoholism and how it led to fighting. Justa continues to talk about his drinking days and how much trouble it caused him. He also talks about how his parents tried to discourage drinking between him and his brothers. His parents were not worried about his sisters because they settled down early.

48’ 52” Justa talks about how often he saw his family, particularly his parents, during that time period. He says he always felt close to his family, no matter what happened.

50’ 27” Moran asks Justa about how he earned a dollar a week leading children to the residential school. They talk about his arm being broken in the last year he attended residential school. He talks about playing hockey throughout his time at residential school.

54’ 11’ Moran asks Justa about how the Kemano II Project is going. Justa said in an interview the process should stop entirely because people are resigning on the government’s side. Justa tells her they are going to publicly protest the project.

59’ 16” End of tape.

Justa – Tape 2
2008.3.1.147.02 · Item · Jan. 1993
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

Item is a recorded audio interview with Justa Monk.

Audiocassette Summary

00’10” Bridget Moran interviews Justa Monk. They discuss the ancestry of his last name and its original spelling, Monck. Moran wants to know more about Monk’s genealogy. She tells Justa his family history will be a chapter in the book.

08’ 45” Justa discusses how his ancestors move around on the land for hunting purposes. Moran wants to know more about gardens.

10’ 19” The interview returns to Justa’s family history, particularly the arranged marriage between his mother and father.

12’ 33” Moran asks about Justa’s immediate family. Justa talks about his brothers and sisters.

16’ 54” Justa talks about alcoholism with his brothers and sisters, and with other families.

20’ 10” Moran returns to asking about Justa’s brothers and sisters. Justa talks about one of his brothers being shot and killed; mentions the name of the man who killed his brother. Justa talks about his nephew getting shot by the RCMP.

27’ 54” Moran asks Justa about the relationship between him and his siblings. He talks about being the one who is reliable; has strong leadership skills, even though he is the youngest child.

30’ 50” Moran asks about Justa’s mother. She loved going to potlatches, did a lot of sewing. She was a very quiet and religious person. Justa’s father was the same, very outspoken. Justa tells Moran he is close to all of his brothers and sisters after she asks which he is closest. When Justa was 5 years old, he spent a lot of time with his father, where he learned to hunt by the age of 7.

34’ 20” Moran asks about Justa’s housing when he was growing up. He tells her his family had a large house, but there were no bedrooms, so they had different corners where they would sleep. They had a large garden outside of their home.

39’ 20” Justa talks about how isolated Portage was, so they had to grow their own food.

40’ 41” Moran asks about churches. Justa tells her there was a church and a priest came into Portage once in a while.

41’ 10” Moran asks about what Justa remembers about Christmas. He remembers getting dressed up and going to church to sing hymns.

43’ 02” Moran asks Justa which of his brothers and sisters went to school. Justa says his sisters were not punished or abused. His brothers enjoyed school. His brothers and sisters were not allowed to speak their language, and this was their only disappointment. Justa talks about his experiences at school; he quit school and tried to get a job.

50’ 24” Moran asks about when Justa moved from Portage to Tachie.

52’ 34” Moran asks about Justa trying to get a job at such a young age. He got a job with his brothers at a sawmill in Fort St. James.

55’ 33” Justa says he was born in 1943. Moran asks about when he met Theresa, his wife. They began their common-law relationship in 1966.

57’ 13” Moran asks about how long Justa was in jail. He served 9 months and was released on parole.

1:02’ 53” Justa talks about being unemployed and broke. Theresa came to visit him at camp where she stayed for 6 or 7 months. He talks about getting married later on in their relationship. Moran asks about where Theresa is from. Theresa is from Tachie but he did not know her growing up. Moran asks about Theresa’s background.

1:08’27” Justa talks about his many girlfriends, partying, and being a womanizer. Theresa and him got ‘serious’ after she had their daughter.

1:11’ 24” Moran ends the interview. She tells Justa they will change the pace for the next interview by discussing land claims. Moran asks Justa about running for chief. He lost the first time he ran.

1:14’28” Moran asks Justa about Kemano. Back in 1948, Kemano I was created. The Indian Agent came to the reserves for signatures so the Kemano project could go ahead. Justa says the people did not have time to move their things when the flooding began. People were misled with regards to what the Kemano project was about. People on the reserves were moved to Grassy Plains – they were spread out, not the same community as they were. In 1982, First Nations people began to fight back against Kemano II. Justa was a district chief.

1:24’ 48” Justa discusses the need for an environmental assessment for the Kemano project. The case to the Supreme Court and are currently waiting for the decision. The provincial government claims there is no need for environmental assessment and are planning to go forward with the project. Justa discusses the commission and the Kemano case, in general.

1:30’ 07” End of tape.

Justa – Tape 3
2008.3.1.147.03 · Item · Jan. 1993
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

Item is a recorded audio interview with Justa Monk.

Audiocassette Summary

00’ 10” Continuation of Tape 2. Justa discusses the review of the Kemano project. He wants a public review where there is First Nations representation. He is frustrated by the lack of a working relationship and being recognized as a leader.

03’ 29” Their way of life is damaged from the flooding. Graveyards were flooded in the 1940s. Fishing grounds will never be the same. Kemano II will do the same damage to a narrower piece of land. Seven communities will be affected, particularly Stoney Creek, because there will be no more fishing grounds.

08’ 27” They are doing this for more electricity, not for the aluminum. BC Hydro made a deal with Alcan for a bigger reservoir. Moran asks Justa if BC Hydro is the ‘imp in the woodpile.’ Justa tells her there is a three-party agreement between Alcan, BC Hydro, and the provincial government. He tells her the project will not go ahead because he believes the Supreme Court will rule in their favour.

15’ 05” Moran mentions Mary John saying that everything the First Nations ‘ever got they had to fight for.’ They briefly discuss Oka. Justa returns to discussing the Kemano II project.

16’ 53” Moran asks Justa about the Aluminum Company of Canada.

17’ 49” They both talk about the Indian Agent that would not let First Nations people in his home. They both relay their disgust with a specific Indian Agent.

18’ 41” Moran asks Justa about the Carrier-Sekani land claims. He discusses having to revisit the boundary lines. Justa talks about an agreement he signed on September 21, 1992, where there would be proper representation for the First Nations people.

26’ 30” Justa discusses the ‘potlatch law’ which he describes as ‘love, share, and respect.’ He talks about how he often gets a good response from groups he teaches.

34’ 51” Moran tells Justa how she was contacted by the Stoney Creek Band regarding how they collected several stories that are unreadable. They have asked Moran to somehow transcribe them properly.

36’ 37” Moran asks Justa about the Kemano II decision from the Supreme Court. He talks about how he is disappointed in the decision, but said he expected it because the government has rarely ruled in favour of First Nations issues.

43’ 16” Justa tells Moran that he was written a letter to President Bill Clinton and Vice-President Al Gore extending an open invitation to see the damage the Kemano II project has done to the environment.

45’ 03” Moran asks Justa when he returned to Tachie to work. He discusses his work there. In 1969, he began work at BC Rail. He moved to Dawson Creek with Theresa and their family.

51’ 09” Moran asks Justa about returning to the village of Tachie, particularly with the trouble that had happened with his brother. He talks about how the elders believed that everything would work out and how many of his achievements relate to that philosophy.

54’ 37” Moran asks Justa about his maintenance work for BC Rail. He describes his position in detail.

59’ 44” Moran asks Justa about the great gardens his father had grown, but this has stopped because of the road. He talks about bringing in television to the community. He talks about when hydro came into the community in the early 1970s. He talks about the water and sewage system being implemented in the mid-1970s.

1:05’ 10” Justa talks about when he became band manager in 1973. He describes his position. Moran asks about the difference between band manager and chief. Justa describes the difference.

1:13’ 21” Moran asks about whether or not Justa had to deal with Indian Agents or the DIA during that time. He describes his band manager position further as being a marriage counsellor, policeman, secretary, a bouncer, and always trying to make peace within the community. He talks about the pressure of the position, and how it made his alcoholism worse, how he was on sleeping and nerve pills.

1:21’ 31” Moran asks about the population of Tachie. She asks about the location of Grand Rapids.

1:22’ 33” Justa talks about becoming chief in 1975, but also kept the band manager position. He discusses in detail about being both, particularly with social issues. He talks about how parties often ended up in some accident ie a little girl getting shot.

1:28’ 34” Moran asks about the isolation of the community. Justa discusses calling for a boat or a plane to evacuate someone in case of an emergency.

1:30’ 10” End of tape.

Justa – Tape 4
2008.3.1.147.04 · Item · Mar. 1993
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

Item is a recorded audio interview with Justa Monk.

Audiocassette Summary

00’ 10” Justa talks about getting together a memorandum of understanding regarding boundaries for fishing grounds. Justa has also been discussing land claims with the provincial government. He talks about setting up the future for the younger generation. He says a fair land claim settlement would be the granting of traditional grounds.

5’ 27” Moran asks about the Save The River campaign.

6’ 14” Moran inquires about the diaries Justa is supposed to bring her. Justa wants to talk about his childhood. He feels his youth was better than the youth of today because they are given everything.

11’ 06” Moran asks about Justa’s life in Portage and to describe a day he remembers from his time there before going to residential school. He talks about not being allowed out after dark and being respectful of other people’s property. He discusses being disciplined by talking about what was right and wrong.

15’ 15” Justa talks about his time in residential school and how he was not allowed to speak his native language. He was shocked by the corporal punishment. Moran and Justa discuss about putting this in the book or not. He talks about not having any privacy in the residential school.

21’ 55” They return to discussing the personal details of Justa’s life in Portage, such as eating porridge for breakfast. Moran and Justa discuss fishing and hunting, and the times of the year he would be away from home.

27’ 55” Moran asks Justa about a day at the residential school. He talks about how he refused to buy a Bible. He participated in sports in his second year. He talks about the food and having to take cod liver oil. He talks about being a hockey player. He talks about the time he broke his leg at the residential school.

37’ 51” Moran asks Justa about which of his sisters would be willing to talk to her. They begin to talk about Justa’s philandering and how he had a lot of fun during that time. He talks about cheating on Theresa, but they stayed together. They continue to talk about his sex life. He talks about his relationship with Theresa. He talks about his daughter, Sharon.

47’ 00” Moran wants to talk about the trauma of John, his brother who was murdered. He tells Moran that was the time he started to turn his life around. They talk about his time in jail.

48’ 18” Moran starts the interview with Theresa, Justa’s wife. Moran asks Theresa about her personal details. She talks about her family past. She got married to get away from her parents, who were her adoptive parents.

52’ 40” Moran asks Theresa about going to residential school and how her parents would not allow it because they wanted to teach other responsibilities. Theresa talks about how some of her responsibilities were hunting beavers.

59’ 30” Theresa starts talking about how she found out she was adopted. She discusses her real brothers and sisters and how several of them passed away from tuberculosis. She talks about how she is close to her adoptive mother. Theresa does not know why she was adopted out.

1:05” 57” Moran asks Theresa about residential school. Theresa says she could not speak English, so was punished for speaking her native language. She says there was no corporal punishment against her. She talks about getting tuberculosis and getting transferred to a hospital where she stayed for eighteen months. She learned how to speak English while at the hospital.

1: 14’ 57” Theresa talks about getting married at the age of 18 in 1948. Theresa gets tuberculosis again in 1956, so was placed in a sanatorium. She returns to talking about her former husband and how he treated her poorly. He was sent to jail for about two years for assaulting Theresa.

1: 26’ 50” Theresa talks about how difficult it was to obtain money for her and the children.

1: 27’ 54” Moran asks about how she met Justa. She says she always liked him and thought he looked cute. She began to go out with Justa in the 1960s. She moved to Dawson Creek to be with Justa when he was released from jail.

1:33’ 35” End of tape.

Justa – Tape 5
2008.3.1.147.06 · Item · 18 Aug. 1993
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

Item is a audio interview recorded by Bridget Moran with Justa Monk.

Audiocassette Summary

00’ 10” Moran asks Justa about living ‘three lives.’ Justa discusses the three phases of his life – childhood, getting in trouble, and being in a leadership role.

03’ 10” Moran asks Justa to discuss his older brother John. Justa talks about John and his personality and his relationships.

07’ 35” Justa discusses the trouble he got into with John. Justa does not remember what started the fight, because no one wanted to tell him what had happened. Justa does not remember killing his brother, but discusses how he wanted to commit suicide after finding out the truth. Justa also talks about his jail time.

24’ 14” Justa talks about his move to Dawson Creek to do upgrading. He still had the intention of Justa talks about adopting his niece.

26’ 03” They return to discussing Justa’s committing suicide. He felt guilty about taking his brother’s life. They also discuss his alcoholism.

35’ 25” Moran asks Justa about how he felt about being Indian or being treated as a second-class citizen. Justa says he is proud to be Indian.

38’ 35” Justa talks about being slapped as punishment for using his native language at school. He talks about kissing a girl and getting caught. He talks about his other punishments at residential school, and how he got tired of a specific teacher. He continues to discuss the school and assimilation into the ‘white world.’

53’ 35” Moran asks about the name he was named after, Justa Hansen, who was from Tachie. Justa talks about how Hansen was an important leader of the community.

55’ 52” Moran asks about ‘Indian’ food, such as deer, bear meat and salmon. He loves this type of food dried.

58’ 49” Moran asks Justa when he became tribal chief. He talks about the history of the position and how he became the tribal chief.

1: 03’ 30” Moran asks about Justa’s father’s potlatch. He talks about his parents’ death.

1: 07’ 17” End of tape.

Justa – Tape 6
2008.3.1.147.07 · Item · 11 July 1993
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

Item is a audio interview recorded by Bridget Moran with Justa Monk.

Audiocassette Summary

00’ 10” Moran asks Justa to identify reserves on a map. Moran tells Justa she wants to start the book with the history of reserves Justa lived in or around. Justa was born in Fort St. James. Moran asks what he wants to name the book.

05’ 10” Justa talks about how long it took to get from place to place when he was a child. He talks about what types of transportation was used in the different seasons. He also discusses how the way of life changed when the road was built between Fort St. James and the other reserves. Moran suggests the road was bittersweet because of the loss of community.

25’ 30” Justa is concerned about the loss of Indian culture to younger generations, so speaks his language often. He also worries about the dependency First Nations have on modern conveniences, so have forgotten how to live off the land.

33’ 56” Moran asks how Justa feels about ‘culture camps.’

38’ 25” Moran asks Justa which clans are in Tachie, where he names several.

40’ 05” Moran tells Justa she has been reading his diaries and how she feels he is being killed by meetings once he became band manager. Justa says the meetings are beneficial to teaching himself what he needs to know.

42’ 35” Justa talks about his nervous breakdown because of the amount of meetings he had to attend, which he averages at about one thousand a year.

43’ 36” Moran asks Justa what the central concerns were for Tachie. Justa tells her hydro, sewage, telephone and cable services, and schools. Justa talks about the schools, in particular.

49’ 46” Justa talks about the new band manager of Tachie.
50’ 09” Moran asks about the Kemano Project. Justa tells her there are lot of uncertainties, but he is not sure what they are at the moment. Justa thinks the government will go ahead with Kemano II regardless of what the public think.

57’ 27” Justa talks to Moran about the qualities of being a leader. His father told him he was too radical to be leader and had to respect other people’s opinions and nationalities to be successful. People are more supportive of his ideas now.

1: 00’ 50” End of tape.

2008.3.1.146 · File · [before 1994]
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

File consists of the proof copy of Justa: A First Nations Leader. This Arsenal Pulp Press proof copy was transferred to the Archives from the Geoffrey R. Weller Library. Along with this spiral bound proof copy came a postcard from Wendy at Arsenal Pulp Press addressed to Bob Harkins; the postcard reads as follows: "Bob Harkens[sic], I know you're talking to Bridget about medic (?). Here is a gallery of her new book. Let me know if you have any questions. Wendy" This proof copy, along with this postcard were included in this fonds as the proof was created by Bridget Moran and it was felt to have more merit if included in the Moran fonds, even though it was a copy presumably received by Bob Harkins.

2008.3.1.22.8 · Item · [ca. 1994]
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

Justa Monk and Bridget Moran stand in foreground. Unidentified individuals can be seen in bookstore in background. Bridget Moran published a book in 1994 entitled 'Justa: A First Nations Leader, Dakelhne Butsowhudilhzulh'un'.

Justa Monk audio recording
2008.3.1.147.01 · Item · 1 Sept. 1992
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

Item is a recorded audio interview with Justa Monk.

Audiocassette Summary
SIDE 1
00:04 Moran asks Justa when and where he was born. In Fort St. James, Nov. 20, 1942 in his father’s home. Moran asks about Justa’s mother’s family and her relationship to Eddie John. His mother had a big family, 2-3 sisters, and quite a few brothers. She was from Portage and his dad was from Babine Lake. Both ended up in Tachie after meeting in Fort St. James and marrying in 1924. Their marriage was arranged: a long time ago that is how marriages were made. His parents were born in 1900 and married in 1924. His mother was married before and had one child but this first husband died. The child’s last name was Maurice. After getting married, his parents moved to Portage to work on his father’s farm acreage outside the reserve. When Justa went to Lejac in ’54, he was accused of being non-status by Dept. of Indian Affairs and tried to kick him and his brother out of Lejac because this farm was off reserve. In 1954 the Monks moved back to Tachie after all his older brothers and sisters got married in Tachie.

4:35 His parents lived away from Tachie for about 30 years. They moved back to Tachie after working in Fort St. James, Douglas Lodge and Nakalak Lodge on Stewart Lake. Bridget wondered who owned the lodge back then? Justa says it was owned by Harry McConnachie. Justa’s father worked at this lodge as a guide.

5:03 Justa was the baby of a family of 11. Justa was born in 1942, when his mother was 42. His mother was born Feb. 18, 1900, his Dad May 15, 1900: so they were both about same age. They were married 67 years. His Mom died March 17, 1992. She was still sewing slippers at age 92. Bridget Moran talks about taping Granny Seymour as part of her social work when she was 111-112 years old, and how Granny had sewn Bridget a tablecloth.

6:30 Justa stayed at Lejac for 4 years. He couldn’t read, or write or speak English when he first started school. When he first arrived he had to surrender his home clothes and asked his brother, in his own language, why they were taking his clothes. A priest, Father Clanahan hit him on the ear and told him not to use that language here. He never forgot that day. He stayed from ’52 to ’57 and left in September 1957. They didn’t want to let him go because he was one of the best hockey players at Lejac. He took off into bush and went to his auntie’s place. They chased him for 2 weeks steady. He left because he was sick and tired of 2 things: working all the time on the farm and not learning anything in school; and second, praying 10-20 times a day. The schoolchildren changed clothes on Sundays, into Sunday clothes: a sweater and a pair of pants to go to church. He has nothing against religion, he is a practicing Catholic, but he was made to pray too often at Lejac. One thing he found with Lejac, was that they taught him what was right and wrong – they disciplined the children. Lejac did discipline people, but they didn’t totally punish them (with physical force). He worked at Lejac after he quit school with Adrian Johnnie. They would work there for 3 weeks then return home for 5 weeks. This job didn’t provide high wages but it was work and he had money.

10:18 When Justa left Lejac, he worked at a mill. He was 14 and underage, so his brothers signed for him so he could work. When he left Lejac in 1957, his father told him to go back but he didn’t want to. Justa had RCMP officers after him but with his brothers’ help he kept hiding. When his dad knew Justa wasn’t going to return to school he told him that if he was man enough to quit school, he was man enough to be on your own and start work. So his parents moved back up to North Arm to the lodge, and left Justa in the Fort. He was underage, and couldn’t get a job, until his brothers Teddy and John signed a consent form for him to work in a mill. He worked in the mill for 7 years from ’57 to ‘63. From ‘63 on, he worked with his dad at Nakalak Lodge for another 7 years. He worked a lot around white society and then into the Indian nations.

11:45 Justa talks about his trouble with the law. In 1967 his brother John came over and asked him to come and drink with him. His dad told him twice not to go but Justa didn’t listen. They were drinking rum together and the last thing he remembered was playing record player on the table. Later that night, the cops came and picked him up. He asked them why they were picking him up. The cops asked him if he knew what had happened. He said he didn’t know what they were talking about. They then told him he had stabbed his brother. He didn’t believe them. They had to get one of his sisters to come and explain it to him. That was in ’67, he was about 20 years old. He took it rough. He did time for 6 months or so in Prince George. He wanted to commit suicide but had a 24-hr guard placed on him. The prison also had his lawyer and priest to come and talk to him. When he was released, he went home and his family accepted him back but he still felt awkward and had every intention of killing himself.

14:07 He went back to jail. He was told to stay away from the hotel. His friend went into this hotel, but Justa stayed outside about 50-60 feet away. A cop came by and told him he wasn’t supposed to be near that place. He asked him what was ‘near’ and the cop said about 50ft. Justa told the cop that he wasn’t going in, but the cop told him he was violating his parole anyway. He didn’t argue with the cop. He went back with his lawyer in front of the judge. Because he didn’t go into the hotel, he didn’t get charged with violating his parole, but was told he had to leave Fort St. James so he moved up to Dawson Creek and went back to school.

14:47 He stayed 1½ years in Dawson Creek to do his upgrading. He didn’t know anyone there. At that time he got $34/month for incidentals like cigarettes: room and board must have been paid for separately. Nowadays kids get something like $2,000 for going to school. It ($34) wasn’t much in ‘67-‘69. In ‘69 he got a letter from his brother Teddy saying their parents wanted him home. Justa had a common-law wife at that time. She had moved up to Dawson Creek with her kids. She had kids from another relationship. Life wasn’t easy then. He couldn’t get any part-time work. He had no choice but to move home after the letter from his brother. His parents were getting old. It wasn’t an easy life he lived.

16:10 From ‘67 on it was awkward. He didn’t know how he coped. Sometimes he just wanted to be alone. After he moved back home, he got a cabin on Stewart Lake - one his dad used to own. His dad transferred it over to him. He’d stay up there and just think about things. He had a lot of good jobs offered when he was young. When he was guiding, he had a guy from California offer him a guiding job in California. This guy said he would send Justa home twice a year to see his family. He was single then but he rejected this offer. In ‘70 when worked at BC Rail, they wanted him to move to Williams Lake and Kamloops to be a crane operator. He rejected them too because he wanted to be with his parents.

17:26 On Jan. 2, 1971 the band hired him as maintenance man. In ‘72 when the chief and staff there quit, they asked him to be band manager. He said he didn’t have the knowledge. They came back to his house twice, on the third time Justa agreed to give it a try but gave them no guarantees that he would stay. He said he didn’t know how he’d be an office boy when he was more an outdoors person, but he gave it a try and since then he has never looked back. From there Justa went from band manager for 14-15 years, to chief and band manager at times. When his brother (?) resigned as chief, he stepped in as chief and band manager. That was the toughest year he ever had. He was on nerve pills and sleeping pills. Dr. Mooney said if he didn’t slow down he was going to die. On June 14, 1986 when he broke out in rash again from bad nerves, he asked the council to let him off for 6 months or so for a rest - they wouldn’t let him, so he quit. He stayed home July and August and had no intention of working anywhere. He was going to go to his cabin and draw UIC. But on August 16, Eddie called him and told him he had to be in Prince George by August 18 as the Carrier Sekani Membership Assembly passed a motion and wanted to hire him as their General Manager. His wife said it was up to him, but she also suggested that he should take a year off. But he decided it was his own people picking him and he didn’t want to refuse them. So they moved down to P.G. and he was General Manager from August 1986 to July 1988 when the Tachie band wanted him back up there. When he moved back up to Tachie he was given the position of Coordinator for Teasely Forest Products, the sawmill they were building on the reserve. They also looked at him as Vice-chief, which he worked at part time on a volunteer basis from 1988-89. In 1989 he became Vice-chief and in July 1990 he was elected Tribal Chief which again meant he had to move down to P.G. for 2.5 to 3 years without his family. He was living out of motels for about a year.

21:44 He married his wife in 1972. She had 6 or 7 children from the previous marriage. She was a widow. They were going together before that. In ‘67 she had his child. Her name before marriage was Theresa Austin. They only had 1 child together but they adopted 1 girl and 1 boy. The girl was Theresa’s grandchild after Theresa’s daughter was killed. They legally adopted her when she was a few weeks old. Then Justa’s niece had a boy in Kamloops and wanted to give the boy away. He wanted a boy badly so he took the child.

23:12 Justa speaks of one of his daughters who was, at the time of the interview, being assessed for placement into College Heights Secondary in Prince George. She was supposed to go into grade 10 but as there was a lot of difference between reserve school in Tachie and public school in Prince George, she had to go for testing.

23:53 As Chief, Justa had a three part mandate: to educate the public about land claims, to work on land claims, and to stop Kemano II. Public education on land claims was a priority and he spoke to many organizations. However, his main focus at that time was Kemano II as it was going to destroy their way of life. The previous chief had done nothing about it for two years. Justa hired lawyers and started going to court. His lawyers lost the first round at court, won the second, and lost the third and that’s where it stood at the time of the interview. Other administrative priorities included: education, drop outs within the CSTC area, housing, social problems (drugs and alcohol). There was not just one issue, but many.

26:23 He never thought he would be in politics. He thought originally that he wanted to be either an RCMP officer, or to join the army. He never thought he’d be a chief. He went to a recruiting office, one of his friends was accepted. His knee was weak from previous sports injuries so he was rejected as was another one of his friends.

27:54 Justa has been working since he was 14. He was 49 at the time of the interview – that’s 35 years of his life spent steadily at work - except for 1 year when he went to school in Dawson Creek. Justa said the last 22 years were where the excitement was. From ‘71 to the present he’d seen lots of changes. In some cases better, in others worse. He gives for example the guidelines of the Department [of Indian Affairs?]. When reading the guidelines regarding housing and education the system has gotten worse – it has gotten stricter. Construction is also too costly now – you can’t build economical housing anymore. Communication with the department, however, has improved. Housing and social problems on reserve are now worse – more drugs, alcohol and free money. Justa stresses that social assistance is going to damage his people if they don’t do anything about it. His way of thinking proposes an alternative funding arrangement so the band can change the way social assistance is distributed so that his people can’t get money for free. The council would be able to make their people do something for the community in exchange for this money. Fort Nak'azdli band is doing that. The administrator there has brought welfare recipients down from 90% to 10%.

32:02 Bridget mentions it is her birthday today (69). She then tells Justa that they will have to talk about what he thinks (re: how to write the book). Justa says he wants to recollect everything. Bridget also mentions the wealth of information in the many journals he has kept over the years.

33:02 His time at Lejac was exciting for him. He was a favourite pupil at Lejac, because of his sports agility.

33:24 Bridget asked him if he had had trouble with alcohol. He says yes, that was the reason he got into trouble. He would work 5 days a week, but on weekends he would party with his brothers and a few friends. His parents worried he wouldn’t make it due to his partying. He started drinking at Lejac with stolen mass wine. Eventually he came to a point in his life when he was Band Manger where he wasn’t taking his leadership seriously. He would bring a thermos filled with beer and 3 packs of cigarettes to the office just to get through the day. After one of the elders talked to him about his self destructive ways, he began to think about his life. That was in 1984-85. So he started slowing down. As well, once his adopted little boy had grown up enough to see him drinking, he had told him to quit, so then he really started slowing down. And lastly, after he became Tribal Chief he knew he had to change his ways so he could be a positive role model for the young people. Quitting drinking was tough though as there were times he just wanted to drink, like when young people in his band died.

36:41 Bridget said she’ll write an outline of his life for her publishers to see what they think and then they can decide from that. She had his phone number and promised not to give it out to anyone else as it is unlisted. He mentioned he was going to go out hunting but his wife was always home. Bridget said she probably won’t tackle this project until the New Year as she had a new book coming out: A Little Rebellion. They could then work out an arrangement: 50% – 50% on royalties and he would have final say on what would go into the book. She told him he has to be prepared to really tell everything.

38:12 Tape ends mid sentence.

SIDE 2

45:50 Interview with Justa; Mary John and Theresa Monk are there too

46:11 Bridget asks about Joe Hansen, Justa Hansen’s brother. Joe was at Camp 24 – a mill camp where people from Ft. St. James would go to work in the summer and live in the shacks. Justa spent a weekend at this camp taking care of Joe Hansen when he was very old and dying of TB. His mouth used to dry out so badly, Justa would use bear grease on the outside and inside of his mouth, and that’s when Joe told him that in the future when he gets married he was going to have kids and be a leader. He told Justa he helps people; and never to laugh at the poor, or crippled or blind, and that if anyone else was laughing to just walk away and not to laugh with them because they will suffer later on. This is what the elders advised him. Many issues the elders talked to him about are now happening and are guiding him in his leadership. Jim (?) Joseph told him the same thing on his death bed. He told him in the future he was going to be a leader for a long time after he dies. Justa was named after Justa Hansen who was his godfather, and Justa Hansen used to tell Justa how to help people and what to do out in the bush. His elders spent a lot of time with him and shared their knowledge and wisdom with him. Some of the predictions – people dying out of alcohol is now what he’s seeing. Back in 1970, late 60’s, he was told in the future he would see young people from here to Ft. St. James dying out from alcohol. He is seeing this now. One of the biggest opportunities he had in life was to hang around with his elders: beginning in 1971 when he started working for the band.

51:00 His used to hang out with his elders (he lists many) and cut wood for them and give it to them free. The elders were just like parents to him and he was welcome everywhere with his elders.

52:13 Bridget asks if Justa will become chief here. Justa says he doesn’t know and that the young people around here have different ideas and don’t know what true leadership is. He presumes he will become chief but he can’t predict anything. Theresa: young people don’t look at what is good and what is bad. Bridget: do you think there is any real challenge to your leadership? Justa: there are some young people, but they don’t have leadership experience. He is positive he is going to get in. He’s received phone calls from chiefs asking him to be chief to his people part-time and then to also be tribal council chief part-time. He says staff is very important in any leadership, good staff listen to grassroots people. Same with leadership, they must listen to the grassroots people. With a good set of staff you don’t worry about anything.

54:48 He wants to complete the Kemano II deal. He made a commitment. On that basis he’s confused as to where he wants to be, he has a week to finalize his position. He knows if he runs as tribal chief he will get in. Archie Patrick supports his leadership and thinks he was the only one to keep people together. He also thought Justa really should have been given time off when he had asked for it. Justa talks about the deaths in his family that had caused him to quit the tribal council when he did in May (‘92?) Justa believes with the right set of staff he could do it.

56:37 Bridget: She has heard from so many native people and elders that until there is healing for the residential school experience, the other social problems won’t be solved. Justa doesn’t believe this to be true. The social problems exist regardless. As of 1992 the younger generation has no discipline, no clear direction, it is hard to talk to them without them swearing back at you. He cannot blame Lejac – there was some good and some bad. You look around today at the guys in leadership and they were all from Lejac. The social problems, you measure it from the time we left Lejac the social problems weren’t there. There was no real alcohol problems- just a few of us, no suicide, not as many deaths as today. People have put it in their minds that Lejac is where the social problems started from. He wouldn’t use Lejac as an excuse. It isn’t just Lejac though, some residential schools may have been worse. He was there for 4 years and only got punished once for something he didn’t do.

1:00:06 The beginnings of solutions for social problems: substance abuse, violence, suicide start with elders, the parents and the youth themselves. If he becomes chief, there is going to be an elders council and a youth council and they are going to work together with the chief and councillors. That is the start. Together they will search for solutions. Elders to share what they went through. He has many elders that can do this - if he can get them out of bingo! He has the 5-6 youths too. He would take 2 youths who are into substance abuse, 2 from the school and 1 from an urban area and tell them to make a 1 year commitment to talk about social problems and listen to the elders and bring them to meetings and make them sit there and listen. They would then go back and share what they learned with their friends and other students.

1:04:08 Bridget: Speaks to and about Mary John’s work with her people in Stoney Creek to deal with alcoholism in her community. Mary dealt with it from family to family but got burnt out. Justa: that’s why you have to work with the councillors, you can’t just depend on the elders as it will burn them out. Mary: you have to work with the councillors. Mary and Justa talk about trouble in Stoney Creek with the Council, and how you have to listen to your elders. Eddie has also never used the elders. Change must come from elders - sharing of the past and the intention of the future. Chief and councillors must be right there too as they are the chosen leaders. Eddie John is current chief. Mary: Eddie just has title of chief but is never here. (not heard: ? is acting as chief) Justa: he’s not feeling well he just had cancer and is very tired still from the treatment.

1:07:56 The local school on reserve teaches Carrier culture – they teach language and potlatch. Justa was not sure if they were still doing it. When he was band manager they started it and they would ask him to come watch the little kids hold a little potlatch. He really enjoyed that. They’ve done a lot in regards to whole culture. He used to get money for elders to teach children how to do skins.

1:08:57 Justa receives a phone call and speaks Carrier. Bridget speaks to Theresa and Mary in background.

1:09:54 From 1967-69 Justa went back to school in Dawson Creek to upgrade but hasn’t been back since. He is more a self taught politician. He has learnt from reading. That’s why there is so much difference in leadership nowadays. You take a young person coming out of school or college and they think they come home to be chief and change the world overnight. He worked at the grassroots level first, he was maintenance man first, then band manager, then chief and then tribal chief. He started at the grassroots level and that is why his intention is to improve grassroots support. He doesn’t impose on his people, they have to tell him what they want. He may only advise on how things might work better in the future.

1:11:40 Because of his broad experiences, he is going to hold a workshop for new councillors on leadership and responsibility, how to listen and respond to things. He’s going to do this when he is chief or tribal chief again.

1:012:21 There are 15,000 people in Carrier Sekani, 22 occupied communities, and 14 bands.

1:13:08 He likes to work, he’s used to it. Ever since he was 14. He remembers when he ran away from the bus in September that was to take him back to school from Fort St. James. His dad told him if he was man enough to quit school he was man enough to work. That’s when he made up his mind to work.

1:14:09 Before Lejac he lived in Portage. He really enjoyed this life. They didn’t have anything fancy, even sweets were rare. Since 5, he remembers hanging around his dad who had a farm and would help him from 4 o’clock in the morning. He loved driving the horses to plow the garden. His dad taught him a lot about surviving in the bush and what not to touch and what to touch. His dad told him not to chop trees, if you need it, if it’s dry use it. His elders told him don’t touch anything you don’t need.

1:15:47 He was the youngest in the family. The next sibling to him was his brother Teddy who was about 2 years older. He got shot. He went on an island from Tachie to pick up his cheque from a guy who had a guiding outfit. This was just after Justa returned home from Dawson Creek after receiving a letter from Teddy asking him to come home to be with his aging parents. Teddy went out and didn’t come back, he was in his 20s.

1:17:42 Justa didn’t get to Lejac until he was 10 years old as his Dad didn’t want to send him. There was a guy - Lee Cochran, DIA – he and an RCMP member talked to his dad and told him Justa had to go. Most of his siblings went to school at Lejac for 1-2 years. Jimmy the eldest didn’t go to school at all. Bridget: By 7 most children were sent to school or had the church and cops after them. Mary: Maybe because Justa was a bit more isolated in his community he was left alone awhile longer. Justa was up in Portage and you could only get up by boat and if the water was rough you couldn’t get up at all.

1:19:08 Justa had a very good childhood. His mom and dad were both very gentle people. He was never hungry. He didn’t have fancy clothes like he’s got nowadays but he never went naked. He also had very good experience at Lejac compared to other people. He was the leader of the boys. He would lead them to class, or to the dinning room. That’s when his leadership started. The school principal and priest chose him to do that job and he got paid $1/week. Mary: also had a good experience at Lejac, although she was homesick and hungry. Justa was homesick during the first year as he didn’t know the language. He had to depend on his brother Teddy and other friends. After that he was fine. It didn’t bother him to go back. But in his fifth year, when he was going into grade 7, he was 14 and his brothers convinced him he didn’t have to go back so he didn’t.

1:21:40 He wonders If he did complete his school if he’d be another Indian lawyer running around. Justa always wanted to be in RCMP or join the army. In 1962 he went to Vancouver to enlist but wasn’t accepted because of a bad knee.

1:22:09 When he was working in P.G. Justa missed Tachie very much. So he would often get up early and work late – because if he was busy he was occupied and not so homesick for his family. He never appreciated living in a city much. For last 5 years, there had been talk about moving the CSTC tribal office to Stoney Creek or Vanderhoof but every time this was brought up there were some reasons why couldn’t move office: airport in PG and resource people in PG. Justa doesn’t agree and believes Vanderhoof to be the centre point for their people. City life doesn’t suit him. Bridget comments on how the house he shares with Archie in PG is very different than his home in Tachie.

1:24:48 Bridget: They will have to keep in touch. She asks him if he still wants a book written about him? She tells him to talk to Mary as a book changes your life a bit.

1:25:05 Mary: She says it does, but she likes to have more people getting these stories.
[Break in conversation due to stopping of tape recorder? Conversation resumes mid-sentence. Perhaps they are speaking of the watchmen?]

1:25:16 Justa: His auntie’s husband would check every house once and awhile. Sylvester Basil was an orphan who used to stay with Justa’s parents, but he always wanted to be mischievous and make home brew. His sisters didn’t like home brew and he didn’t like it, and they didn’t want to see their parents drink either... So these guys would chop up their tents. They never did answer them but used to be really scared of them. The church chief used to work together. Mary: Lazare is a Church chief now. Church chief’s look after the spiritual part of the people. Theresa: like a church leader. Justa – they talk in church about what is wrong and right and how to trust in the Lord.

1:27:02 Justa doesn’t drink at all now. He had too much in younger days. He had a couple of beers on the Easter Monday after his mom died. Before that it was 3 years ago. Prior to that he had been slowing down 5-6 years earlier maybe more. When he was chief and band manager and used to drink in the early 80s it got to him so badly he would bring a thermos of beer to the office. That was the only way he could keep us his energy. He came to realize it was harming him.

1:28:50 He used to receive many complaints as band manager. He kept daily diaries, where he would write down these complaints but identify the complainant. Bridget wanted him to dig them out. By winter Justa should know if he’s chief, tribal chief or nothing. He wants to share his abilities with all his people, not just this community. If he gets back in, he’s going to start a youth conference using the elders. Bridget: In society’s that have recovered it was the use of the elders that had done it.
1:30:40 Wendy Grant (Musqueum Band – Vice chief of BC) told him sad story up at Nakalak Lodge last summer, when they were talking about the future of how they were going to take over the DIA and self government. The story was about how her band and her community totally lost their culture…

1:31:11 End of tape mid sentence.

2008.3.1.199 · File · 24 Oct. 1995
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

File consists of a videocassette (VHS) recording of Justa Monk giving a talk to a UNBC Carrier Culture Course (First Nations Studies 163) on October 24, 1995.

Videocassette Summary

Context: Justa Monk speaks to students in the UNBC Carrier Culture Course (First Nations Studies 163)

Introduction: Justa Monk is seated at a table situated at the front of a lecture theatre (?) speaking in a lecture style that ended in a question-answer format with several students in the FNS 163 class. The videotaping does not commence from the beginning of the lecture as there is no introduction to Justa Monk by the instructor and there is no immediate indication as to who the instructor is.

Justa wrote his book because his elders requested him to, and his people requested him to share what he went through and what alcohol had done to him. So he thought about it. Throughout his leadership, many people talked with him about their alcohol problem and how they couldn’t get out of the trench they were in. He wrote the book to tell them that ‘yes’, they can get out of the trench and that ‘yes’, they can change. Other reasons why he wrote his book: when his people get into trouble, they often classify themselves as a ‘nobody’ – when they read his book, they see the trouble he went through: first, at young age, when he started drinking after he left residential school. Then as he grew, it got to point where he couldn’t control his drinking- where he was blacking out and didn’t remember why he was in jail. When he got drunk he was a fighter, even though he was small. He didn’t care. He would work everyday and fight every weekend. Growing up on reservation, there is no choice as to future and not much to do so many turn to booze. Every time a friend or relative had alcohol they would share it with their next closest friend or relative. In his family, his brother came over to the house to invite him to drink over-proof rum with him. He blacked out, killed his brother and spent time in jail. He was very suicidal. He didn’t want to live after what he did. His lawyer talked to him. Upon his release he thought he lost the respect and love of his family and his community. It surprised him that he was forgiven and that he had a future in his life. It was hard. It still bothers him after 29 years.

When he came back to his community the elders came to talk to him about his leadership qualities. He didn’t know what they were talking about. The elders told him that in past he made mistakes, but that he can iron out his mistakes and show his leadership and that’s what happened. He became band manager, then band manager and chief,and then chief and so forth. That is why he wrote that book.

‘Yes’, he listened to his elders, ‘yes’, he was a drunk, ‘yes' he made a mistake because of alcohol. He came out of his trench and became a leader. There is hope to change if there is a wish to change.

He also wrote his book because no one in his territory, except Mary John, had been able to share with non-Indians the way of life they lived - off the land. He grew up on an isolated reserve, and lived off the land. He didn’t understand English until he went to [Lejac] residential school. It’s really hard to make people understand today, what First Nations people were like in his day. In his family there were 11 of them. His father made something like 50 cents a day to support them all - it was really hard.

When Justa went to residential school, he didn’t know how to speak or understand English. His parents didn’t go to school at all. His Dad knew some English because he worked off reserve at a lodge. On his first day of residential school, he asked his brother why they were taking away his clothes. A priest smacked him and told him ‘he was not to use that language around here’. Residential school has done some harm, a lot of harm, to his people. On the other hand, he cannot totally criticize these schools as they disciplined some people – many people in leadership positions today grew up in residential school. Residential schools were told by the government to make assimilate the children and make a white person out of a brown person. He thinks they went about it the wrong way. That is where the frustrations of First Nations people come. You see and hear about abuse. His people are suffering from the consequences of the stupidity in the way they tried to make his people assimilate. Because of that, there is abuse going on amongst his people. Aside from that, he one of lucky ones to go home and retain language and culture: now he can live in 2 worlds – the world of the white man and the Indian world.

Culture-wise they were taught to respect. Mom was boss in house. If they didn’t do what mom said, dad would punish them but his parents wouldn’t lay a hand on the children. They taught children how to respect the land, and other people. They taught him how to use the land. Sophie Thomas, elder who does Indian medicine in Stoney Creek lives the belief that every time you take something from land you replace it with something. When Sophie takes things for Indian medicine she replaces it with tobacco.

He wonders if his people will ever have the opportunity again to hunt and fish anywhere they want. He doesn’t think so. When people started warring about the land there was a lot of bloodshed in the early 1900s before the Europeans came. His people worried that there were too many dead amongst the Indian people, and they had to do something about it. In 1921 they came up with the idea of potlatch as they needed peace amongst the people as there was too much bloodshed. To him ‘potlach’ means respect, love and sharing. If you’ve done something to wrong your neighbour instead of fighting, clans would call a potlatch right then and invite all. They would put the fighters in the centre and each were told no more fighting. This still goes on. There is also a potlatch for death of people. There are four clans in a potlatch: caribou, beaver, frog and bear (?)

A long time ago First Nations people fought for land but they had respect for land; that is why they had to protect the land and kill one another for it. If someone trespassed without permission, they could die. People talk about self-government today. The young generation of his people didn’t even know there was self-government amongst their own people, that they controlled their own people. They had no government programs, they were living off the land and controlling their own people. They used to have Watchmen, who looked after the community. The 1 and only person they had to answer to was the hereditary person, who overlooked the territory, their lands. So when someone did something they weren’t supposed to do, that person went in front of the hereditary person to receive a punishment. He was taught that boys weren’t even allowed to kiss a girl, without proving to her family that they were a good hunter and provider. If they did, they would be held up to all and embarrassed. They might be beaten if they still didn’t understand their punishment. They may also have been banished. No one would protect this person, not even their immediate family as everyone knew that the person did wrong and was receiving the correct punishment. His people had their own controls and justice system. Self-government - if you lived in late 1800s / early 1900s – was very different from how it is referred to nowadays. He wonders if leadership and his people really know what they are talking about when talking about self- government.

Land claims and the treaty process – he was told by his elders not to say land “claims” but rather the land “question”. Many people are scared about the land question. Different political parties say different things and people are getting really confused. The whole land question is referring to the fishing, hunting, burial, berry picking, fishing habitats: the grounds where his people used to make their living off the land – this is what the elders are talking about and want to protect. The clans are talking about traditional territories. Many people lived off the land until 1970, therefore their people are still living off the land. There are many traditional territories still out there.

He considers himself an inmate of Canada – a jail bird. When the Hudson’s Bay Co. first started, the government started to make reservations. They gave so many acres to First Nations people as ‘reserves’ and they put a number to each reserve. As they put people onto the reserves, they also ‘branded’ them with band numbers and put ‘guards’ over them – aka the “DIA”. His people had no input. They were given programs and free education etc and were now labeled by non-natives as bums who pay no tax and receive free programs – but they had no input.

You look at the Indian Act you can see that land doesn’t belong to his people. Even the reserve isn’t theirs. They don’t own anything, yet they are known as the First Nations, the First Peoples. They live in that little jailhouse. They receive their free programs and some are very beneficial to his people, but he wishes they had a say. Land claims are not dangerous. Justice must be cleared up. Once this is done there will be a big opportunity for their future children to have a better life. They must get this uncertainty out of the way. That’s what he’s trying to do. He believes they need a chance to have their say regarding things that are happening around them. To be able respect the culture they are from, and to recognize who they are they must clear the air. There is a lot of frustration out there, especially within the younger generation. He has been taught to have patience and respect. In the early ‘30s in Fort St. James, the dirty ‘30s, his dad taught him to share what provisions they had. People still thank Justa for that kindness of his parents. He believes starvation is coming due to dwindling resources and too many people. He says everyone must set aside their differences re: the land question and see what can be done to change it for the betterment of the children. If the government would deal with the land question openly and in fairness, it would be resolved. But they want to lie about things. You need to treat everyone fair. That is the way he sees the treaty process. He wants to get rid of the Indian Act and draft something that will be fair to everybody.

Kemano II (KII) is something no one follows up on anymore. In 1989 when he was general band manager, he went to court in Vancouver with many elders. The court threw them out. He fought KII so hard because he knew that when you kill the river (the Nechako), you kill all that is in it. When a river dies there is no more salmon. If the Nechako died, the Stewart River would die and then Stewart Lake would die too. And if the Nechako was gone the Fraser Rriver would be drained down. KII just looked at reversing the Nechako but it didn’t look at the affect it would have on other waterways. That’s why he fought so hard. Justa’s mandates a chief: 1) to get land claims on the table again; 2) to kill KII; 3) to get rid of the DIA office in PG; 4) to get education for their people. He fought KII not because they didn’t like Alcan – it was their way of life that was going down. There is not only salmon in the Nechako – there are many species which were feeding his people. He fought KII legally through funds from his people -
$1.3million. He is proud they made the decision not to go along with the project. This topic he touches upon briefly in his book.

[Note: It is very difficult to hear many of the students’ questions. Most questions as they are identified below are summaries of what was believed to have been said]

Q: How can he belong to 2 clans?
Justa: He belonged to mother’s frog clan when he was growing up. Then one day the caribou clan asked him to go out and invite people to their potlatch. During this potlatch he was asked to sit in middle between clans. The spokesperson for caribou clan said they were going to “buy” Justa Monk. One of the caribou elders said Justa’s father is a caribou and so they want him as a caribou and take him away from his mother’s frog clan. His dad was very happy about this, but his mother was upset. The beaver clan then planned a potlatch and asked him to invite people to their potlatch, and again he was asked to sit in the middle as they wanted to buy the other half of him. So he is also part of the beaver clan. He was bought out of respect due to his leadership qualities. He used to help his elders a lot ever since he was young and that is why his leadership was recognized.

Q: Where are your kids, and what clan are they?
Justa: They are at home. The kids belong to his wife’s clan – Caribou. He adopted 2 children: a daughter and a son.

Q: You want to look ahead, what do you want to bring with you?
Justa: You can’t turn back the clock and live off the land again. Some people don’t even understand their own language. To live off land, and do potlatch all the time – you can’t do it. These cultural events are disappearing. He wants to make his culture and the white culture work together in order to make it work for his young people. With technology the way it keeps going, his people have to get more education.
There is no chance for them to go back. With clear cutting, his people can’t even trap anymore. So it is better to set it up, so that Canadian and Indian culture can work together.

Q: How do you see the land question getting settled?
Justa: In traditional territories, there are only some places we can hunt for bear and dear. They hang out between willow and poplar trees. When logging we have to leave something for animals. If they don’t have shelter they won’t last long. In traditional territories, we need to leave those places alone so the animals can survive. We must all have a say in how the land can be used properly – it needs to be a join venture.

Q: If land claims are settled, people in the DIA would lose their jobs. Maybe this is why they are dragging their feet?
Justa: If land claims were settled, yes, 40-50,000 people might lose their jobs. The government would save a lot of money.

Q: How would you model your people’s government?
Justa: Don’t want to repeat something already done. For their money, they would chose the best way for them.

Q: re: logging [inaudible]
Justa: They are not going to clear cut. Selective logging has worked in past. The government is going to run into trouble by clear cutting. At Nakalak Lodge, if you look at both sides of hill in summer, you wouldn’t know it’s been logged because it was selective logged. You can’t even see skid roads. If it (destructive logging practice) keeps going the way it is now, there is going to be winds that are going to be damaging to us.

Q: re: spiritual practice as it relates to logging
Justa: There are certain areas in their territory where spiritual things happen and so these areas wouldn’t ever be touched. His elders would look at the territory and identify which areas are to be protected. You must involve grass roots people in the selection process. We don’t have medicine men and women they way the used to – they no longer exist.

Q: re: difference between statistics released by the government and those produced by Justa in his book. Justa: Don’t listen to what the government has to say. His people are not dummies, they just have nothing to do and are sitting around on reservation.

Q: Do you pay other people to build housing on reserve?
Justa: We build our own houses and have our own electricians. Once the land question is settled he thinks a lot of joint ventures can be developed that will get his people off welfare.

Q: When your traditional areas are under the administration of his own people, would there be restricted access to these areas by non Indian people?
Justa: He didn’t think so. We would need to develop how to use the land and how to share it. But there would have to be some controls over the land somehow so it wasn’t abused.

Q: There must still be a lot of hunting and trapping even if a person can’t live off land anymore
Justa: Yes, many people are still hunting and trapping.

Q: How do you think social problems for your people can be fixed?
Justa: On reservations or in the city we need to start teaching our children way of life their elders grew up with. Right now they have TV, drugs and alcohol and that is distracting them. His people have to make time for the children. He regrets bringing TV to reserve when he was band manager.

Q: Are there any female band leaders?
Justa: Yes. Like the BC Indian Chief – Wendy Grant, he nominated her. A long time ago no there were no female band leasers as the women were at home with their children. Men were more up front about leadership.

Q: It seems that the native community can heal itself. Non-native communities spend a lot of time trying to heal native community but from his readings he thinks native communities can heal itself.
Justa: Settling the land base is required. When he was band manager, he made 5 emergency trips- suicide related- in one day; so he believes healing and pride will come back when the land base is settled.

Q: In the Artic, people control hunting and fishing via co-ops.
Justa: His people control their own hunting by season. No one is trigger happy. No one shoots just to shoot.

Justa: He is currently working with Northwood to educate First Nations peoples and teach them about Northwood sawmills etc. He is also finding out trapping takes place so Northwood doesn’t log there.

[Extensive question/answer period ensues whereby logging and wood processing techniques, ventures and technology on reserve and off are discussed.]

Justa: He is now taking a rest from leadership as he had done it for 25 years. Now he is starting to understand the people around him as he was being brainwashed by government after having to deal with them for so many years.

The instructor thanks Justa and gathers up her class to take them to the First Nations Centre.

Tape ends.

2008.3.1.85.1 · Item · 23 January 1995
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

Photograph depicts Justa Monk standing to right of Premier Harcourt in unknown room. John Alexis can be seen between them in background. Handwritten annotation on recto of photograph: "Justa Monk / John Alexis Tachie Village / The Premier / Taken in Prince George, B.C. Jan 23/95 / 'The day Kemano 2 was killed'."

Justa Reviews
2008.3.1.067 · File · 1984, 1994-1995
Part of Bridget Moran fonds

File consists of:

  • "Past mistakes recorded in new book" (Vancouver Sun, May 8, 1995)
  • "Murder led to election as tribal leader: social worker recorded story" (Vancouver Courier, Dec. 28, 1984)
  • Transcript of "Harkins! Bob Harkins Comment" re: Justa publication (Monarch Broadcasting, Nov. 21, 1994)
  • "Fascinating life, times of Justa Monk" (The Prince George Citizen, Feb. 2, 1995)
  • "Justa: A Review" (Central Interior NDP News)
  • "Blanket coverage" (B.C. Bookworld, spring 1995)
  • "Manslaughter, then Justa for all" and "Blanket coverage" (B.C. Bookworld, spring 1995)
  • Fax from Laura Boyd, Northwood Pulp & Timber to Justa Monk (and Bridget Moran?) re: names and positions of executive staff at Northwood (Nov. 14, 1994).