Bill Wilson (born in 1944) is a hereditary chief, politician, and lawyer. He carries the Kwak’wala name Hemas Kla-Lee-Lee-Kla. Hemas means “the Chief who is always there to help” and Kla-Lee-Lee-Kla means “the first rank among the eagles.” He is a descendant of the Musgamgw Tsawataineuk and

Laich-kwil-tach Laich-kwil-tach (also spelled Ligwilda'xw), is the Anglicization of the Kwak'wala autonomy by the "Southern Kwakiutl" people of Quadra Island and Campbell River in British Columbia, Canada. There are today two main groups (of perhaps five origi ...

peoples, which are part of the Kwakwaka'wakw, also known as the Kwak’wala-speaking peoples.

Personal life

Wilson was born in 1944 in

Comox, British Columbia Comox () is a town on the southern coast of the Comox Peninsula in the Strait of Georgia on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Thousands of years ago, the warm dry summers, mild winters, fertile soil, and abundant sea life ...

. Wilson is the son of Puugladee (also known as Ethel or Effery), the eldest child of a hereditary chief and a hamatsa, a position of very high stature in Kwagiulth culture. Wilson’s father, Charlie Wilson, was the eldest of six and supported his siblings while growing up. Both of Wilson’s parents have passed away. His father died at age 62 from diabetes complications. Wilson is a descendant of the Musgamagw Tsawataineuk and Laich-kwil-tach peoples, which are part of the Kwakwakaʼwakw, also known as the Kwak’wala-speaking peoples. The Kwawkgewlth people are a warrior tribe. They traditionally live from northern

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are o ...

along the inside passage, the Broughton Archipelago and the mainland inlets, but are traditionally people of the sea. Wilson was married to Sandra Wilson, a teacher. They later divorced. They have two daughters,

Jody Wilson-Raybould Jody Wilson-Raybould (born March 23, 1971), also known by her initials JWR and by her Kwak’wala name Puglaas, is a Canadian lawyer and former politician who served as the member of Parliament (MP) for the British Columbia (BC) riding of Van ...

, former Member of Cabinet in the

Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 2 ...

government, and Kory Wilson, an Executive Director at British Columbia Institute of Technology. Wilson is currently married to his second wife, Bev Sellars, a Chief of the Xat’sull (

Soda Creek Soda Creek is a rural subdivision 38 km north of Williams Lake in British Columbia, Canada. Located on the east bank of the Fraser River, Soda Creek was originally the home of the Xat'sull First Nation. Soda Creek Indian Reserve No. 1 is ...

) First Nations. Wilson has five grand-daughters.

Education

Wilson studied at the

University of Victoria The University of Victoria (UVic or Victoria) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. The university traces its roots to Victoria College, the first post-secondary instit ...

where he was awarded his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1970. He then studied at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Faculty of Law where he received his law degree in 1973. In his year of admissions at UBC, he received the second highest

Law School Admission Test The Law School Admission Test (LSAT; ) is a standardized test administered by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) for prospective law school candidates. It is designed to assess reading comprehension as well as logical and verbal reas ...

score in British Columbia. He was the second Indigenous person to graduate from UBC’s law school. Wilson’s first cousin,

Alfred Scow Alfred John Scow (born April 10, 1927, in Alert Bay, British Columbia, died Feb 26, 2013)

, was the first Indigenous person to graduate from UBC’s law school in 1961. Scow also went on to become the first Indigenous lawyer in British Columbia and the first Indigenous judge appointed to the BC Provincial Court where he presided from 1971 to 1992. Scow also won numerous awards, including the UBC Great Trekker Award, a UBC Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree, the Order of BC, and the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

Political career

Wilson served as director of the

Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) is a First Nations political organization founded in 1969 in response to Jean Chrétien's White Paper proposal to assimilate Status Indians and disband the Department of Indian Affairs. Sin ...

from 1970 to 1973. In his third year of law school, Wilson was the director of Aboriginal title and land claims for the BC Association of Non-Status Indians. This organization was later renamed the United Native Nation where Wilson presided as founding president from 1976-1981. From 1982-83, Wilson was the vice-president of the Native Council of Canada, known now as the

Congress of Aboriginal Peoples The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP) (formerly the Native Council of Canada and briefly the Indigenous Peoples Assembly of Canada), founded in 1971, is a national Canadian aboriginal organization, that represents Aboriginal peoples ( Non-Sta ...

, and was its spokesmen at the 1983

First Ministers Conference In Canada, a First Ministers' conference is a meeting of the provincial and territorial premiers and the Prime Minister. These events are held at the call of the prime minister. They are usually held in Ottawa. Though known as "First Minister ...

. In March of 1983, Wilson, and other Indigenous leaders, met with Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau to successfully negotiate and draft the first and only amendment to Canada’s new Constitution in 1982. This amendment is Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. Section 35 enshrined Indigenous title to traditional lands and treaty rights and established equality of Indigenous women. During these negotiations, on Canadian national television, Wilson famously informed Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau that Wilson's two daughters hoped to become lawyers and then Prime Minister. In 1988, Wilson helped found the BC First Nations Congress, whose aim was to help coordinate land claims negotiations and settlements, and was elected its chairman. In 1990, the organization changed its name to the

First Nations Summit The First Nations Summit is a First Nations political organization in British Columbia founded in 1992 after the formation of the British Columbia Treaty Commission and the British Columbia Treaty Process. It represents the interests of First Nat ...

and met with Prime Minister Brian Mulroney to discuss land claims issues. In 1992, Wilson, Mulroney and BC Premier Mike Harcourt signed an agreement that created the BC Treaty Commission. Presently, Wilson is the coordinator of the Musgamagw Tribal Council of the Kwagiulth nation. He is a hamatsa, thus granted the name Hemas Kla-Lee-Lee-Kla, a recognition of his worthiness and his achievements that have led to his right to be a Hamatsa and a Chief of his tribe.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Bill 1944 births Living people 20th-century First Nations people 21st-century First Nations people Indigenous leaders in British Columbia Kwakwaka'wakw people People from Comox, British Columbia Peter A. Allard School of Law alumni University of Victoria alumni First Nations Summit Task Group members