Cecil Paul - Stories from the Magic Canoe of Waxaid

Copyright 2019 by Cecil Paul (Waxaid) and Briony Penn

Preface copyright 2019 by Roy Henry Vickers

Foreword copyright 2019 by Louisa Smith

First Edition

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RMB | Rocky Mountain Books Ltd.

Cataloguing data available from Library and Archives Canada

ISBN 9781771602952 (hardcover)

ISBN 9781771602969 (electronic)

Original cover art by Roy Henry Vickers

We would like to also take this opportunity to acknowledge the traditional territories upon which we live and work. In Calgary, Alberta, we acknowledge the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta, which includes the Siksika, the Piikuni, the Kainai, the Tsuutina and the Stoney Nakoda First Nations, including Chiniki, Bearpaw, and Wesley First Nations. The City of Calgary is also home to Mtis Nation of Alberta, Region III. In Victoria, British Columbia, we acknowledge the traditional territories of the Lkwungen (Esquimalt, and Songhees), Malahat, Pacheedaht, Scianew, TSou-ke and SNE (Pauquachin, Tsartlip, Tsawout, Tseycum) peoples.

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Contents

, Roy Henry Vickers

, Louisa Smith

Adventure Canada trip, Kitlope, June 5, 1993. Left to right: James Robertson, Johnnie Wilson, Cecil Paul, Roy Henry Vickers.
ANDY MACKINNON

Preface

ROY HENRY VICKERS

Many years ago, I was honoured to travel with Cecil to Kitlope Lake. It was there I heard him tell me the story of Tismista, the stone hunter. Cecil spoke of stories as a warm wind blowing.

The Magic Canoe brings peace to ones soul. It is a warm wind moving our hearts. Waxaid takes us on a journey that regenerates and empowers us. Tismista, the stone hunter, looks down on the Magic Canoe and reminds us to listen to storytellers like Cecil Paul.

The white down floating in the air is from the Peace Dancer, the Hilikala, who dances the dance of peace spreading eagle down in the big house. The Magic Canoe has Cecils crest, Killer Whale, at the helm, and Eagle, Raven and Wolf paddling.

I created the original canoe design back in the 1980s, and it was originally titled Supernatural Visitors. It seems like this creation was always for my friend Cecil Paul.

This is a story for the family of man; we are all in the canoe together and our stories need to be shared with each other.

November 2018

Foreword

LOUISA SMITH

Nosta Im listening

Cecil Paul Sr. is not only my beloved big brother who stepped into our late fathers shoes at a very young age, but he is also a friend, a huge support, and most of all he is my spiritual guide. He has inspired me, and many others, in his recovery from that age-old, baffling malady, alcoholism. No other kind of bankruptcy is like this one. He has brushed himself off from this illness and has regained his inborn humbleness in two folds, by reclaiming his spiritual teachings through storytelling and reconnecting to his spiritual being, a birthright. His invisible umbilical cord is firmly attached to Mother Earth.

Storytelling is a way of life for our family. It is a means of teaching through entertainment, education and cultural preservation, as well as instilling moral values. Nuusa1 (storytelling) and nosta (Im listening, I hear you) go hand-in-hand during all forms of narratives. If we forget to say Nosta, the storyteller simply stops the story until the next evening, which instills in the listener the necessity of listening attentively to hear the intent/moral of the story. Nuyem (is just the way it is, it is the law).

More than once I was distracted, and our grandmother, the storyteller, simply stopped in midsentence. She didnt scold me, but my older siblings reinforced my need to listen-up in order to hear the full story. The voiced Ah-ha moment was an indicator that the listener now had the moral of the story imprinted in his or her mind. All other listeners were now inspired to have their Ah-ha moments, and the attention was heightened as a result.

The meaning within the stories is not always explicit, and the listeners are expected to make their own meaning of the stories. Stories function as a tool to pass on knowledge, promote self-awareness, correct inappropriate behaviours or thinking, and promote cooperation. Traditional principles are practised as a way of life.

Cecil, as a storyteller, was in awe when he was invited to California, where he was awarded an Environment Achievement Award and was asked to speak among all the learned scholars, environmentalists, lawyers, teachers and so on. After listening to Cecil speak on the interconnectedness of all living things on Mother Earth, the audience was left in awe of the depth of spiritual knowledge Cecil portrayed in his speech. A similar experience happened when Cecil was invited to the Indigenous House of Learning in Winnipeg to speak to upcoming environmental students. Again, he was among learned scholars who all spoke on the same topic. The students were asked to give a grade to each of the presenters, and to Cecils surprise, he got the highest grades, mostly As. It was difficult for Cecil to fathom this experience. He was mystified.

Cecils Magic Canoe was a vision that came to him while contemplating how to save our ancestors sacred land of Kitlope Lake from being logged. He saw many hands reaching down from the sky to his outstretched hands while sitting in a canoe on the lake. Sure enough, many hands, peoples hands came aboard his canoe to paddle in the same direction to save the Kitlope: loggers, environmentalists, the premier of BC, government officials, the Steelhead Society and many more all came aboard!

The canoe is magic and can hold anyone who wants to come on board. Cecils open invitation to Kitlope Lake is, You are welcome to experience the beauty and the sacredness of my beloved land. All I ask is that you leave it intact, as you found it.

Introduction

L gls Put your canoe ashore and rest

The Place of My Birth:
They call it the Kitlope

My name is Waxaid, given to me by my people. Wa is the river; Xaid is good good river. It is called Xesduwxw (Huschduwaschdu) for the blue, milky, glacial water. Our destination is what I would like to talk about, and a boat I call it my Magic Canoe. It is a magical canoe because there is room for everyone who wants to come into it to paddle together. The currents against it are very strong, but I believe we can reach that destination, and this is the reason for our survival.