Andy Paull

Andy Paull, (Andrew Paull, Xwechtáal, Xwupúkinem, Quitchtaal) (Born February 6, 1892 - July 28, 1959) was a Sḵwxwú7mesh leader, activist, coach, and lawyer.

Early life and family

Born to Dan Paull and Theresa Paull (nee Lacket-Joe) of a prominent family, and was known to have a particularly close relationship with his maternal grandmother. It was his grandmother that gave him the name "Xwechtáal" ("the Serpent Slayer"), passed down from a legendary ancestor.Patterson, E. Palmer. "Andrew Paull and Canadian Indian Resurgence" (University of Washington Ph.D. thesis), 1962.] His maternal grandfather was known as "Hundred Dollar Charlie," who reportedly gave the last potlatch on Burrard Inlet before it was banned by the Canadian government in 1885. Paull was raised in the village of St'a7mes, near Squamish, British Columbia, but later his family moved to the village of Eslha7an in North Vancouver, British Columbia where he began to attend St. Paul's Indian Residential School when it first opened in 1899. After six years at residential school, Paull spent two years learning from local Sḵwxwú7mesh chiefs. Paull's time at residential school was clearly important to him as he maintained a close relationship with a number of the oblates and nuns for his entire life. [Herbert Francis Dunlop, "Andy Paull: As I Knew Him and Understood His Times" (Vancouver: The Order of the O.M.I. of St. Paul's Province, 1989).] Nevertheless, he held his Sḵwxwú7mesh "education" to be at least equally important:

In 1907, he began on-the-job training with the law offices of Hugh St. Quentin Cayley, and spent four years there learning the practice of law. He never became a professional lawyer, as he would have to become "enfranchised" (and give up his Indian status) to join the bar association. He worked instead as a longshoreman, as as secretary to Chief Harry of Eslha7an

Activism

Paull eventually moved onto organizing in political struggles on behalf of his people, and indigenous peoples across the country. In 1927 he testified before a special joint committee in Ottawa as an executive and secretary of the Allied Tribes of British Columbia. But after the Canadian federal government made it illegal for indigenous peoples in the country to organize funds for land claims issues, the Allied Tribes of BC quickly dissolved. At home he organized bands, orchestras, athletic teams and labor groups. In 1942 he become the business manager for the Native Brotherhood of British Columbia, but in 1942 he split with the organization and formed the North American Indian Brotherhood, an organization that later become the Assembly of First Nations. He spoke against enfranchisement for Aboriginals saying, “You would be merely selling your birthright for the doubtful privilege of putting a cross on a ballot every four years.” A number of issues he fought for were Aboriginal rights and title, education, potlatching, and political organizing.

See also

* Sḵwxwú7mesh

Notes

Further reading

* "Andy Paull: As I Knew Him and Understood His Times" Dunlop, Herbert Francis. (Vancouver: The Order of the O.M.I. of St. Paul's Province, 1989).
* [http://www.abcbookworld.com/?state=view_author&author_id=7545] Retrieved November 21, 2007
* [http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0006151] Retrieved November 21, 2007