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Xa:atlat – Connections to FamilyFrankThere was another story about the name?Xa:atlat. You know his uncle carries that in Sumas,?Xa:atlat. And we were down at Tulalip, and there was a speaker from East Saanich. He came over and he called me, "Frank!" He says, "I want the names of those, Indian names from your group." Then I started giving them, and then I had the?Xa:atlat. He said, "Xa:atlat?" And I said, "Yeah, that young man there,?Xa:atlat." So he called him, and then after a while, you know, when the work was all finished, he came over and talked to me. He said, "You really shocked me when you said 'Xa:atlat', because that name comes from our place," he says. "And some time I'll tell you a story about?Xa:atlat. You know, I don't have time tonight."So I was over there in East Saanich, in order to visit Victor Underwood Jr., and I was driving by, and his dad was out in the wood shed, you know, doing some work, and I stopped, and I said, "Hey, you were supposed to tell me that story about?Xa:atlat." "Oh yeah, okay, sit down!" he says. He said, "Xa:atlat, there was an old man named?Xa:atlat, and he comes from this Pat Bay, you know where Vern Jack lives-"Rikki-in Vancouver Island.Frank"He came from there, and one of his sons went to West Saanich, one went to Esquimalt, one went to La Conner, and we don't know where the other one went. Somebody told us he went to the Fraser Valley, but we lost track of him. So when you called out?Xa:atlat, that really, now we know where the fourth one is."RikkiWow!FrankKilgard. And there's a story about?Xa:atlat?and Kilgard. He was a warrior chief. And even Albert Louie, I mentioned him, you know, our old chief, he talks about?Xa:atlat?in his story. He said, "He's from Vancouver Island."?Jeff<Laughter> Yes!FrankThat's the first time I heard that, you know. But I talked to Ray, Ray Silver about it, trying to tell him the history I learned from Nylerd. "No, no, I didn't hear that," he says. He told me a different story.All<Laughter>RikkiWe get, we have good stories!FrankYeah! But Bert Louie said, "He's from Vancouver Island, yeah!"JeffHe's from Vancouver Island, yeah.Frank"He's our own relative, but he was from Vancouver Island," he says. But you know, it's interesting when you read a lot of those things, and you can put those place names and things, people-Rikki-if you have to, well, I say 'have to', but it's so wonderful when you know who you're related to.FrankYeah.RikkiAnd it's such a deficit in our society now, because our families are so spread apart. But, if you know who you are related to, then there's some comfort that you have, and there's a strength you get from that. And I think that's so important. So when I see the two?Siya:mchess?and?Siya:mchesssitting together, it's wonderful.?You know, my children are named, and I love that. I know that that's going to carry on, and that name will go to the next generation. My granddaughter was just here with me last week, and she is actually given a name from one of my aunties, rather than my mother, because my mother's names are all used from all, to all her daughters. She's 'butterfly' in our language, and it's wonderful, it's a beautiful thing.?FrankI named one of my daughters the, you know like, you have the male's name and you can add an ending, it means it's a woman or a sister.RikkiAh!FrankYou know, his brother's name is?Xwelixweltel, his sister's named?Xwelixweltelat.RikkiAh!Frank"lat" on the end.RikkiYeah.FrankAnd so, when one of my daughters went to the Big House, my wife wanted to give her a name. She says, "Why don't you share your name with her?" "Yeah, okay." And?Siyemcheslat.RikkiSiyemcheslat.FrankI didn't tell her, "You are named?Siyemcheslat." You're standing there in a blanket, and the speaker announces it, and "HaHHHHHHH!"All<Laughter>FrankYou could see her shocked, you know, it just shocked her, you know. I said, "You've got a good name to follow. You've got a real responsibility!"All<Laughter>?JeffYeah! Really!FrankThat's Ann, my daughter Ann,?Siyemcheslat. And my cousin from the States, like I said, her brother came over looking for that name, and she's?Siyemchesot.RikkiOh!FrankSiyemchesot. That's Marie Villanova.JeffOh!FrankAnd she gave it to Elsie's daughter, her?Halq'emeylem?girl, you know. Those are the only ones that, you know, Terry and I, and?Cheamchus, and?Cheamchusot, and, like my daughter,?Siyemcheslat. And Vincent, "It's just like the old lady from Cooper Island,?Siyemchestanot."JeffOh yeah! Yeah.Frank"Hey, it's the same name," he says. ................
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