Jean Baptiste Lolo (1798, Bow River, Alberta – 15 May 1868, Thompson's River Post, British Columbia) also known as St. Paul or Chief St. Paul, or Chief Lolo, was an employee and interpreter with the
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), originally the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England Trading Into Hudson’s Bay, is a Canadian holding company of department stores, and the oldest corporation in North America. It was the owner of the ...
in pre-Confederation
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
, Canada. Son of Chief Michael Okanese 'Little Bone' Cardinal. First serving in the region at
Fort Fraser in the
New Caledonia fur district, he acquired the nickname there of
St. Paul
Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...
because of his affection for that saint. He was the right-hand man of
John Tod and followed him to
Fort Kamloops
Kamloops ( ) is a city in south-central British Columbia, Canada, at the confluence of the North and South Thompson Rivers, which join to become the Thompson River in Kamloops, and east of Kamloops Lake. The city is the administrative centre fo ...
, where Tod was
Chief Trader
Chief may refer to:
Title or rank
Military and law enforcement
* Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force
* Chief of police, the head of a police department
* Chief of the boat ...
from 1841 to 1843, and remained in that region for the rest of his life. He acquired such great respect among the local
Secwepemc (Shuswap) people as to become regarded as a
chief.
"His face was a very fine one, although sickness and pain had worn it away terribly. His eyes were black, piercing and restless; his cheekbones high, and the lips, naturally thin and close, had that white, compressed look which tells so surely of constant suffering."
When Mayne remarked that Lolo, in his decayed health, must find it hard to rule over his people,
"... he heard me with a grim smile, and for answer turned back his pillow, where a loaded gun and a naked sword lay ready to his hand."
The invalid Lolo showed, in fact, unexpected reserves of strength. Rising from his bed, he mounted his horse, and accompanied Mayne on a ride to see the view from the top of a neighbouring mountain, which was forthwith named Mt. St. Paul in honour of the old chief. Moreover, Lolo insisted on accompanying Mayne on the next lap of his journey, that from Kamloops to Pavilion."
One of Lolo's daughters, Sophia, wed John Tod in 1843 in a "country marriage" Though many other such marriages in HBC ranks were later abandoned in favour of "proper" wives, Tod kept true to Sophie and remarried her officially in a legal ceremony.
Legacy
Mount Lolo, northeast of Kamloops near
Heffley Lake, and Lolo Lake and Lolo Creek in the same vicinity, were named for him. "Paul" and "St. Paul" placenames in the same region (e.g.
Paul Lake Provincial Park) are also believed to be derived from his name. Another
Mount Lolo on
Quadra Island
Quadra Island is a large island off the eastern coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the Discovery Islands, in the Strathcona Regional District.
Etymology
In 1903, the island was named after the Peruvian Spanis ...
is also believed to be named for him.
[ citing the Akriggs]
See also
*
Lolo (disambiguation)
References
External links
Picture of Chief Lolo and Family from ''John Tod, Rebel in the Ranks'', Robert C. Belyk, 1995, Page 157
*Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Volume IX: 1861 to 1870. Edited by Francess G. Halpenny. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1976. (DcCanB 9)
*http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/keeseekoowenin_13E.html
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lolo
1798 births
1868 deaths
19th-century First Nations people
Canadian fur traders
Canadian people of Iroquois descent
Franco-Columbian people
Hudson's Bay Company people
Indigenous leaders in British Columbia
Interpreters
People from Kamloops
Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada)
Pre-Confederation British Columbia people
Secwepemc people
Canadian Métis people