Justa Monk (1942-2018) was a leader of the

Dakelh The Dakelh (pronounced ) or Carrier are a First Nations in Canada, First Nations Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous people living a large portion of the British Columbia Interior, Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. The Dakel ...

people of the central interior of

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 ...

. He was known as a strong advocate for indigenous rights, for protection of the environment, especially fishery, and for the maintenance of his Carrier language. The first part of his life was documented in a full-length biography by

Bridget Moran Bridget Moran (September 1, 1923 – August 21, 1999), née Drugan, was a Canadian social activist and author in British Columbia. Born in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, shortly after her birth her family emigrated to Success, ...

Early life

Born the youngest of nine children on November 20, 1942, and raised in Tachie , he grew up on the land and was a fluent speaker of the

Carrier language The Dakelh () or Carrier language is a Northern Athabaskan language. It is named after the Dakelh people, a First Nations people of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, for whom Carrier has been a common English name derived from F ...

. He spoke only Carrier until he was 10 years old and started school at

Lejac Residential School Lejac Residential School was a Canadian residential school system, Canadian residential school in British Columbia that operated from 1922 to 1976 by the Roman Catholic Church under contract with the Government of Canada. Construction of the schoo ...

, where he was forbidden to speak his language. He and his brother ran away from the abuse at Lejac when he was 14, in grade 7, during a tuberculosis outbreak. He worked in the forest industry for the next ten years. In 1967, when he was 24, while drunk, he stabbed his brother John with a hunting knife, killing him, for which he served a prison sentence of two years less a day. After further education in

Dawson Creek Dawson Creek is a city in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. The municipality of had a population of 12,978 in 2016. Dawson Creek derives its name from the creek of the same name that runs through the community. The creek was named after ...

he returned to Tachie where he worked for the band,

Tl'azt'en Nation Tl'azt'en Nation is a First Nations band located along the north shore of Stuart Lake near the outlet of the Tache River, in the northern interior of British Columbia. The main village belonging to Tl'azt'en Nation is Tache (often spelled Tachie i ...

, in maintenance, initially driving a snow plow.

Political career

Monk eventually became band manager, the top staff position, and was then elected chief. He focused on bringing electricity and clean water to the village and on improving roads. He was also instrumental in founding Tanizul Timber, a company owned by Tl'azt'en Nation, which obtained Tree Farm License 42, the first tree farm license owned by a First Nation. He was the founding chief of the

Carrier Sekani Tribal Council The Carrier Sekani Tribal Council (familiarly known as CSTC) is a tribal council representing six First Nations in the Central Interior of British Columbia. It was originally known as the ''Lakes District Tribal Council''. The CSTC was incorporated ...

, serving from 1981 to 1983 and again from 1990 to 1994. In this role he pushed for self-government for indigenous people and for the closure of the Prince George office of the Department of Indian Affairs and for the reassignment of its budget to First Nations. He played a major role in the ultimately successful opposition to the Kemano Completion Project, which would have further reduced the flow of water in the

Nechako River The Nechako River (Carrier language, Dakelh: ᘅᐪᙠᗶᑋ) arises on the Nechako Plateau east of the Kitimat Ranges of the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, and flows north toward Fort Fraser, British Columbia, Fort Fraser, then east ...

. He also served as co-chair of the Northwest Treaty Tribal Nations. At the provincial level, he served two terms as co-chair of the First Nations Summit. He continued to serve his community until poor health intervened. He was elected Tl'azt'en Nation chief in December 2013 and served until his resignation in 2017.

Personal life

Monk was married twice. With his first wife, Theresa Monk, he had five children: Sharon Monk, Bonita Monk, Darcy Monk, Justa Monk Jr., and Shania Monk. He died on March 14, 2018, in Tachie. He was buried in Tachie on March 19, 2018.

References

External links

archive entry for interview with Bridget Moran
{{DEFAULTSORT:Monk, Justa 1942 births 2018 deaths 20th-century First Nations people 21st-century First Nations people Dakelh people First Nations politicians Indigenous leaders in British Columbia