Fog Woman was born at a place called Ista, a large island off the coast of what is called Canada near Bella Coola, B.C.
She would form when the forests and land became too hot from the sun....the trees, soil, water and land helped to form her for their protection.
One day a group of loggers showed up to cut down the forest there. Three Chiefs in the Indian Village nearby decided to stop this and they donned their Chief's regalia, which was ancient, beautiful and powerful and went to Ista.
Native Call
As they stood there blocking the loggers from cutting down the trees, police showed up. This was the military arm of the so called government of B.C. who had given the company permission to log the old growth trees of Ista. No treaty or papers had ever been signed regarding the forests, land and waters of the territory between the Indians who had lived there for thousands of years and the so called government of B.C.
Arrest of Chiefs at Ista Photo by Keith Pootlass
The Chiefs were taken and put and prison near Vancouver, many miles away and there they refused to sign papers saying they would not return to Ista so they were held in prison indefinitely.
A large group of people from the village hired a bus to go to Vancouver to try to set their Chiefs free to no avail. The wife of the head Chief was there. Both she and the head Chief were soft spoken, grey haired Elders and she was heart broken without her partner. She attempted to speak to people at the offices of the logging company that occupied the top three floors of a giant high rise building downtown. It was filled with glass, mirrors and fountains and had helicopter landing pads on the roof. Armed police surrounded the building with paddy wagons and with helicopters on the roof despite the Indians being peaceful, they had their drums and their songs.
Company officials refused to speak to the chief's wife and she became sick and died in the hospital within a few days without being able to see her partner. He couldn’t get out of prison to go to see her in time.
At the hearing for the Chiefs in the courts of Vancouver, the Chiefs walked out saying they did not recognize that government. They were supported by many helpers and justice seekers.....but the logging prevailed.
Wetsuwetin Chiefs protecting their territory
The Native village was divided on the issue. The brother of the head Chief wanted the money from the logging and some of the people sided with him.
Outside the village, beside the road leading into the area that is in a park, there is a giant boulder about 12 ft. around with stories connecting it to the people.
This giant rock is split down the middle and stands there today for all to see. One of the Chiefs, when he passed a few years later, was buried nearby.
Two of the Chiefs have now passed over but before they died, they went to Ottawa and visited the Museum of Civilization. Inside there is the House of the Nuxalk. It was confiscated along with most of their cultural belongings, especially enormous and powerful masks, when their dances and potlatches were outlawed. They were told that if they didn't relinquish them, it all would be burned.
Bill Jones leading his people to stop logging in Fairy Creek on Vancouver Island
When we arrived at the Museum of Civilization, we asked if they could enter without paying but the museum refused and they had to pay to enter. When the older Chief saw the collection of masks and a video taken of their cultural ceremony with his late wife dancing in her full regalia in it, tears were running down his face.
Meanwhile, as the forests of the coast disappeared to logging, drought increased in summertime and fires became more dangerous. Sometimes in the remaining evergreen forests, Fog Woman would condense on every needle of the trees and it would be like rain in there. Fog Woman is still around doing her best to balance the extremes, keeping some moisture in the land, helping what remains to stay alive.
Chiefs at Ista…Photo by Keith Pootlass
Note:
These People are known as the Nuxalk.
The three Chiefs who went to prison were Lawrence Pootlass, Ed Moody and Charlie Nelson.
The Park is Tweedsmuir Park.
The logging company is Interfor.
This happened in the 1990’s.
This is a beautiful and sad story, about everything that is wrong with the way "government" fails its mandate to be a steward of the lands and waters for the good of the people they are elected to serve. So powerful, the tears on the Chief's face. Like the tears in my heart, watching trees stillcoming down, as the forests burn and each year gets hotter and no leaders address the urgent need to lower emissions and care about future generations. It breaks my heart.