Annie York

Annie York
Annie York
Annie Zixtkwu York
Elder of the Nlaka'pamux people of the Spuzzum First Nation
Personal details
Born	September 21, 1904; Spuzzum, British Columbia, Canada
Died	August 19, 1992; Spuzzum, British Columbia, Canada
Cause of death	Tuberculosis
Parent(s)	Lucy Palmer York and William Benjamin
Occupation	Author

Annie Zixtkwu York (September 21, 1904 - August 19, 1991)^[1] was a distinguished elder of the Nlaka'pamux people (also known as Thompson) of the Spuzzum First Nation of Spuzzum, in Fraser Canyon located in the lower region of British Columbia, Canada.^[2] York was raised by her Nlaka'pamux family where she came to be bilingual speaking English and Nlaka'pamuctsin.^[1]^[3] She dedicated herself to the Christian religion and the beliefs of the Nlaka'pamux people, Nle'kepmx.^[4] York's family members educated her about the history of Spuzzum as well as the origin of its name, Spuzzum chiefs, and the ethnobotany of the region.^[5] York was known to be a storyteller, always recording and sharing stories.^[3]^[4]

Annie York was a co-author of two published novels, Spuzzum: Fraser Canyon Histories 1808-1939^[1] and They Write Their Dreams on the Rock Forever: Rock Writings of the Stein River Valley of British Columbia.^[6] She was the subject of the movie, Bowl of Bone: Tale of The Syuwe.^[7]

Early life

York was born on September 21, 1904, in Spuzzum territory in British Columbia.^[1]^[4] She died August 19, 1991, due to tuberculosis in Spuzzum.^[1]^[4] York was the third of seven children born to William Benjamin and Lucy Palmer York.^[1] Her mother was of English and Nlaka'pamux descent while her father was a Nlaka'pamux man whose family all originated from Spuzzum territory.^[1] Though York's father was Nlaka'pamux, her mother's mixed heritage did not allow the family to live together in Spuzzum territory.^[1] Therefore, York's family moved to Fraser Canyon in British Columbia.^[3] In her time in Fraser Canyon, her family prohibited her to return to Spuzzum territory given the situation with her mother.^[1] York grew up living with her mother's Nlaka'pamux family as well as with Amelia York, her grandmother from her father's side.^[1]^[3] York came to be bilingual speaking both English and Nlaka'pamux language.^[1]

Personal life

York decided to return to Spuzzum territory and live with her aunt Rhoda Urquhart and her cousin Arthur Urquhart.^[3] Annie dedicated herself to the Christian religion and the Nlaka'pamux beliefs.^[1]^[4] Because she was bilingual, she prayed and sang in Nlaka'pamuctsin as well as translated it to English.^[5] Three songs she translated were "A Song of Seasons", "Simon Fraser's Song", and "The Song for Mount Baker".^[4] York was never married nor did she have any children.^[1] She spent the last of her years in Spuzzum with her cousin Arthur Urquhart, where they both took care of each other.^[3]

Education

York's time was largely spent with her family, listening to family members' stories.^[5] Through the stories told, she became educated about Spuzzum's history.^[5] York explained that Spuzzum received its name due to how flat the area is and the word spuzzum means flat.^[5] York was educated on Spuzzum chiefs and the impact that each chief had on their people.^[5] She explained that Chief Paul was known for educating his people about manners and religion through prayers,^[5] and Chief Peleck was known for teaching the people about religion by having hymns and prayers be translated to the Nlaka'pamux language.^[5] York also was educated in botany.^[5]^[8]^[9]^[10] Lastly, in the 1920s, she studied nursing in Merritt, British Columbia, but did not graduate.^[3]

Folklore

Annie York was known to be a storyteller who would share the tales about the lakes in British Columbia.^[3] York was also known to tape record her stories.^[4] One story she told was of a lake near Fraser Canyon, where the logs at the lake would mysteriously move to the center at night, and in the morning, the logs would be spread out again.^[11] About Lake Nicola, York recounted the tale of a young girl who saw an eel in the lake and it mysteriously paralyzed her.^[11]

Career

Annie York was a co-author of two published novels, Spuzzum: Fraser Canyon Histories 1808-1939^[1] and They Write Their Dreams on the Rock Forever: Rock Writings of the Stein River Valley of British Columbia.^[6] York assisted and showcased her personal history in the film Bowl of Bone: Tale of the Syuwe.^[7]

Spuzzum: Fraser Canyon Histories 1808-1939

The authors of Spuzzum: Fraser Canyon Histories 1808-1939 were Annie York and Andrea Laforet.^[1] The novel takes place in Fraser Canyon and occurs during colonization^[1] The novel emphasizes and preserves the history of the Nlaka'pamux people undergoing colonization.^[1] The history is captured through York's experience along with her knowledge of her family's experiences.^[1]

They Write Their Dreams on the Rock Forever: Rock Writings of the Stein River Valley of British Columbia

The authors of They Write Their Dreams on the Rock Forever: Rock Writings of the Stein River Valley of British Columbia are Annie York, Richard Daly, and Chris Arnett.^[6] The novel takes place in Stein River Valley in British Columbia.^[6] In the novel, Annie York showcases the writings on the rocks and explains the meaning of the writings, giving the reader insights into how people lived in Stein River Valley.^[6] This novel was published with the intent of spreading awareness on the importance of the writings on the rocks found in Stein River Valley.^[6]

Film

Bowl of Bone: Tale of the Syuwe directed by Jan-Marie Martell and produced by Annie York takes place in the late 1900s.^[7] The film brings the audience along Martell's journey in meeting York and in learning about the Syuwe under York's unique teaching style.^[7]

In media

Featured in journals

Annie York's knowledge about Spuzzum's history, lifestyle, and botany has led to her inclusion in several published works.^[3]

The Original "Free Trade": Exchange of Botanical Products and Associated Plant Knowledge in Northwestern North America by Nancy J. Turner and Dawn C. Loewen.^[8]
Thompson Ethnobotany: Knowledge and Usage of Plants by the Thompson Indians of British Columbia written by Nancy Turner, Laurence Thompson, M. Terry Thompson, and Annie York.^[9]
"That was Our Candy!": Sweet Foods in Indigenous Peoples' Traditional Diets in Northwestern North America written by Nancy J. Turner.^[10]