Joe Capilano (c. 1854–1910), also known as Capiano Joe, was a leader of the Squamish from 1895-1910, who called him ''Sa7plek'' (Sahp-luk). He fought for the recognition of native rights and lifestyle. He spent his youth fishing and hunting and was famous for fighting against the wildly invading Lekwiltok warriors from the Kwakwaka'wakw Territory. He went to work in the sawmill at Moodyville, a pioneer settlement in what is now the Lower Lonsdale area of the city of North Vancouver. In 1906 he, along with Cowichan Chief Charley Isipaymilt and Secwepemc Chief Basil David, traveled to

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the c ...

, then after that

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, to meet with

King of Canada The monarchy of Canada is Canada's form of government embodied by the Canadian sovereign and head of state. It is at the core of Canada's constitutional Canadian federalism, federal structure and Westminster system, Westminster-style Parliamentar ...

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second chil ...

to speak of the need to settle

land claims A land claim is defined as "the pursuit of recognized territorial ownership by a group or individual". The phrase is usually only used with respect to disputed or unresolved land claims. Some types of land claims include aboriginal land claims, A ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...

, also, the Chief asked for the ban against potlatches to be lifted. Joe Capilano died of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, ...

in 1910.

Legacy

A number of landmarks on

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. ...

's North Shore share his name, which in the original '' Skwxwu7mesh snichim'' is Giyeplénexw, approximately ''Kiapilanough'', where "Kiap" is the name of a hereditary chieftaincy and "-lanough" means "people of"; his formal title in that language is ''TE Kiapila'noq''. Among these, in addition to Capilano Indian Reserve No. 5 ( Xwemelch'stn, historically anglicized as ''Homulchesan''), are the

Capilano River The Capilano River flows from north to south through the Coast Mountains on Vancouver's North Shore between West Vancouver and North Vancouver (district municipality) and empties into Burrard Inlet, opposite Stanley Park. The river is one of three ...

Capilano Lake Capilano Lake is a manmade lake located in the District of North Vancouver and West Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. History The lake accounts for approximately 40% of Greater Vancouver's water supply. The southern part of the lake is w ...

, one of the sources of Vancouver's water supply, and Capilano Mountain, which lies at the head of the river's drainage basin. Capilano Road, a major arterial road, takes its name from its course along the east side of the river from the Capilano Reserve up to base of the airtram up to the

Grouse Mountain Grouse Mountain is one of the North Shore Mountains of the Pacific Ranges in the North Vancouver (district municipality), District Municipality of North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. With a maximum elevation of over 1,200m (4,100ft) at ...

ski resort. Capilano Road's intersection with Marine Drive immediately east of the northern ramps of the

Lions Gate Bridge The Lions Gate Bridge, opened in 1938 and officially known as the First Narrows Bridge, is a suspension bridge that crosses the first narrows of Burrard Inlet and connects the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, to the North Shore municipal ...

Capilano University Capilano University (CapU) is a teaching-focused public university based in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, located on the slopes of the North Shore Mountains, with programming that also serves the Sea-to-Sky Corridor and the Sunshin ...

, opened September 10, 1968 in North Vancouver is named after him, after being selected from submissions made by North Shore residents. The neighbourhood of North Vancouver around the upper end of Capilano Road is Capilano Highlands. "Legends of Vancouver", a collection of

Coast Salish The Coast Salish is a group of ethnically and linguistically related Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, living in the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. They speak one of the Coa ...

, particularly Squamish, stories by

Pauline Johnson Emily Pauline Johnson (10 March 1861 – 7 March 1913), also known by her Mohawk stage name ''Tekahionwake'' (pronounced ''dageh-eeon-wageh'', ), was a Canadian poet, author, and performer who was popular in the late 19th and early 20th centu ...

, a Canadian poet of

Mohawk Mohawk may refer to: Related to Native Americans * Mohawk people, an indigenous people of North America (Canada and New York) *Mohawk language, the language spoken by the Mohawk people * Mohawk hairstyle, from a hairstyle once thought to have been ...

origin, was based on Capilano's tales.

Footnotes

Bibliography

* Barman, Jean. ''Stanley Park's Secrets''. Harbour Publishing, 2005. . * * E. Johnson, Pauline. ''Legends of Vancouver''. IndyPublish.com (March 28, 2005). .

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Capilano, Joe 1850s births 1910 deaths 19th-century First Nations people 20th-century First Nations people Indigenous leaders in British Columbia Industrial Workers of the World members People from North Vancouver Squamish people (individuals)

Legacy

See also

Footnotes

Bibliography

External links