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Interview of Chief Ian Campbell
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Feb 27 2012
Chief Ian Geordie (middle name from the movie “Wee Geordie”) Campbell (b. 1973 in North Vancouver, BC) of the Squamish Nation is the youngest of two children (older sister). His mother (of the Baker family, from the Englishman John Baker) has three siblings and his father, Wayne, has six. Ian’s surname “Campbell” is from Jimmy Campbell, a Scottish emigrant who married a Katzie woman (Fort Langley area) in the mid 1800s. Jimmy’s daughter, Jenny Campbell, was a member of the Cowichan nation. Ian can trace his lineage seven generations back to Jimmy Campbell. Jimmy’s exact place of birth is unknown, but it is assumed that he emigrated for work purposes (it is also unknown as to whether he was a Gaelic speaker). He later left Jenny’s mother and moved to New York, perhaps for his other “white” wife. His daughter, Jenny, grew up near Pitt Lake; her upbringing is indicative of life before Reserves and the mass depopulation (through smallpox, tuberculosis and influenza epidemics), trauma, grief, decimation of villages, mass burials, decline of traditional economies, alienation from land, and overall marginalization that accompanied the forced resettlement.
Different familial branches are very important for ceremonial rights, resources, economies, and ancestral names. While Ian is a member of the Squamish Nation, he can trace his ancestry on the Campbell side back through his Musqueam (Ian’s father is half Musqueam), Cowichan and to his Katzie ancestors; there are 500 to 700 Campbells on this side of the family. There have been three Campbell clan gatherings within Ian’s lifetime; unfortunately, the logistics prove difficult, thus preventing more regular events. The “Campbell” surname has both opened and closed doors for Ian; it either elicits “big hugs or more negative reactions.” Ian shares a Scottish affinity because of the Campbell surname. In 1997, he travelled to Scotland with Ovide Mercredi as the Canadian youth representative for the Assembly of First Nations. Ian also met the late chief John Macleod. Ian is very proud of his lineage and at times he is proud to be Canadian; however, he emphasizes the work that still needs to be done on improving relations between Canada and its First Nations peoples. Although improving, Canada still needs to be held accountable for its continual legislative oppression and paternalism. Ian speaks of oil, gas, and mining as examples of the official Canadian preference for profit over respect and relationships to the land; Ian is involved in issues and protest surrounding the proposed Kinder Morgan pipeline.
Ian Campbell is the youngest of sixteen hereditary chiefs. His maternal (Baker) grandfather mentored him; he can speak the Squamish language proficiently and knows a great deal about the history and traditions of the Squamish peoples. In 1923, many different Squamish tribes amalgamated into one nation and, in 1981 an elected council replaced the former hereditary system; Ian is both a hereditary Chief and an elected Councillor. The mentoring system of future Chiefs is similar to the Scottish clan fostering system. As well, the traditions of welcoming ceremonies and canoe songs are similar to the traditional purposes of Scottish piping. Since 1993 there has been a huge resurgence of canoe culture within the Squamish Nation; Ian believes that the continual cultivation of traditions, language, and culture is very important. He is involved in spiritual work and cleansing ceremonies (i.e. 2012 Justice Forum) and enjoys singing and hiking (connecting with the land is very important to Ian).
Ian was very involved in the 2010 Winter Olympics as one of the First Nations co-hosts. By negotiating with the Bid Corporation and working together with the Lillooet, Musqueam, and Tseil-Waututh Nations, Ian and the Squamish Nation were able to ensure many benefits for Aboriginal Canadians. In addition to other forms of public outreach, Ian worked on the Opening Ceremonies, organizing 350 Aboriginal youth to perform, and was behind the bilingual signage on the Sea-to-Sky highway. Ian emphasizes the importance of the Olympics as a catalyst for improving Canadian-Aboriginal relations and as a venue to showcase Aboriginal culture; furthermore, Ian stresses the fact that the four nations were co-hosts of the Olympics and not merely in the background. Chief Ian Campbell was also recently named one of “BC’s Best and Brightest Up-and-Comers” (1997/1998). After serving on the Vancouver Community College (VCC) Board of Governors, John Cruickshank, the former president, recommended Ian Campbell for the award.
Speaking of the Aboriginal Achievement Awards, Ian Campbell says that it has had a very positive influence on the Native community. He has been on the host committee twice and thinks that it is a mechanism for youth success and for the continuity of Aboriginal traditions and culture. Ian believes that is crucial that Squamish youth connect to their traditional culture, especially as the traditional Squamish language is in decline (currently 12/3700 are fluent speakers). Youth currently comprise sixty percent of the Squamish tribe and there are plans for a language immersion programme. Ian Campbell’s generation was the first out of residential school; he believes in adaptation and not assimilation.
When asked about the First Nations Commercial and Industrial Act (2005), Ian says that it is part of breaking free from the Indian Act and “moving away from this dysfunctional relationship.” FNCIDA has been successful for those tribes able to implement it; Ian credits the work of Harold Calla and Chief Robert Louie in this process. As a tool for financial transparency and accountability, the First Nations Statistical Management Act is also crucial to allowing more land autonomy and breaking free from federal, provincial, and municipal paternalism. In order to abolish to Indian Act, Ian believes that jurisdiction needs to change and that the Aboriginal economy needs to be able to operate/increase independent of federal transfer dollars.
Ian’s favourite relatives include one of his first cousins and his grandfather, both of whom have been great mentors to him. Ian was married for ten years to an Ojibway woman; their children were brought up Squamish, but maintain strong connections to Ontario and to their mother’s family. When asked about traditional Native beliefs and traditional European religions (i.e. Christianity), Ian says that many older Squamish people are Christian while most of the younger ones are following traditional beliefs. There is great interdenominational reconciliation occurring, especially in relation to the former outlawing of longhouse gatherings, cultural practices, and other forms of physical and legal oppression. Ian states that it is his connection to the land and to the natural world that keeps him going in his role as a Chief, a job in which he encounters constant conflict.