Hereditary Chief Georgina Livingstone of the Lake Cowichan First Nation held a large crowd at the Cowichan Lake Library enthralled Friday, Feb. 16.
She was opening the Indigenous Voices series being offered at the library as part of the Meet Your Neighbours program.
The chief’s warm manner made an instant connection with the audience as she explained how she has now had to step forward and take the role of hereditary chief from her late husband, Cyril.
She talked about his life, his work, his logger sports experience, and how hard he worked — in his quiet way — to rebuild the Lake Cowichan nation.
“When we first came to Lake Cowichan, he was at WFI (Western Forest Industries, which operated in the Honeymoon Bay and Gordon River areas) for 13 years. He worked hard to get us where we are today. He started on the greenchain, then he went to the ladder, and then he worked on the tugboats.”
Cyril Livingstone, his father, and his brother, Harvey, were all active log birlers.
“They were champions. Their father, Gilbert, was very strict and made sure there was no drinking or smoking because the championship was important. I was honoured to meet Gilbert. He used to go with the boys, he was still trying to compete.
“Cyril traveled with his family, to Campbell River, Victoria, Port Alberni, Sooke; I got to watch him. He competed with all the elite. He got to know a lot of the loggers from around the Island, and I’m proud to say he even got to meet with the Japanese. They wanted him to teach them how to log birl. He was supposed to take part in a competition later but there were nine of them, so he was tired out when he got through teaching them. But he was honoured to meet people from other countries, and they were honoured to learn something about his culture.
“My hubby was a very neutral man, very quiet, but when he stood up in leadership, he was right there. He took part in treaty negotiations; he was in that for 23 years. We don’t like it either,” she said, to chuckles from the crowd.
“Government has to wise up that we exist, that we want to go on towards the future. I think Lake Cowichan has shown what we can do. There were only five [members of the band] when I moved here. My hubby didn’t want to [be chief] but his mother said: you have to do it; you have to stand up for our people.”
Livingstone said she learned a lot working with Cyril, about serving the First Nation, about leadership.
Originally from the Nuu-chah-nulth nation in the Port Alberni area, she briefly explained how three generations of her family were ravaged by time spent in residential schools, and how much effort it has taken to start to recapture her culture and heritage.
“It’s hard when your grandchildren want to know where you came from and who you are.”
Then, it was on to her hopes for the future: the plans for the band’s territory, talk about they way that the nation’s members are taking up singing and dancing, and traditional crafts again.
She will be speaking three more times during the series at the library.
