Joe Capilano (c. 1854–1910), also known as Capiano Joe, was a leader of the Squamish from 1895 to 1910, who was called ''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 is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

, then after that,

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, to meet with

King of Canada The monarchy of Canada is Canada's Government#Forms, form of government embodied by the Canadian sovereign and head of state. It is one of the key components of Canadian sovereignty and sits at the core of Canadian federalism, Canada's cons ...

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

to speak of the need to settle

land claims A land claim is "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, Antarctic l ...

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 ...

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

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

in 1910.

Legacy

Several landmarks on

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

'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, Capilano Lake, 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 Capilano may refer to a number of things mostly associated with the area of Capilano (North Vancouver), Capilano in British Columbia, Canada, or, alternately, the Capilano, Edmonton, one in Edmonton in neighbouring Alberta: Institutions * Capilano ...

, a major arterial road, takes its name from its course along the east side of the river, from the Capilano Reserve to the base of the airtram up to the

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

ski resort. Capilano Road's intersection with Marine Drive is 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 (Vancouver), first narrows of Burrard Inlet and connects the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, to ...

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 Sunshi ...

, opened on 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 peoples are 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 on ...

, particularly Squamish, stories by

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

, a Canadian poet of Mohawk 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 Year of birth uncertain 19th-century 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