{{Short description|Canadian First Nation elder (1904–1991)}} {{use mdy dates|date=June 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Annie York | office = Elder of the Nlaka'pamux people of the Spuzzum First Nation | birth_date = {{Birth date|1904|09|21}} | birth_place = Spuzzum, British Columbia, Canada | death_date = {{Death date and age|1992|08|19|1904|09|21}} | death_place = Spuzzum, British Columbia, Canada | native_name = Annie Zixtkwu York | death_cause = Tuberculosis | parents = Lucy Palmer York and William Benjamin | occupation = Author }}
'''Annie Zixtkwu York''' (September 21, 1904 – August 19, 1991)<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Laforet|first=Andrea Lynne |title=Spuzzum : Fraser Canyon histories, 1808-1939 |date=1998 |publisher=UBC Press published in association with the Canadian Museum of Civilization |isbn=0-7748-5239-9 |oclc=1109324397}}</ref> was a distinguished elder of the Nlaka'pamux people (also known as Thompson) of the Spuzzum First Nation of Spuzzum, in Fraser Canyon located in the lower region of British Columbia, Canada.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Annie York » Authors » Talonbooks |url=https://talonbooks.com/authors/annie-york |access-date=2022-05-26 |website=talonbooks.com}}</ref> York was raised by her Nlaka'pamux family where she came to be bilingual speaking English and Nlaka'pamuctsin.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Bjerky |first=Irene |title=Annie York on Broadback Mountain in Spuzzum |url=https://www.communitystories.ca/v1/pm_v2.php |access-date=2022-05-12 |website=www.communitystories.ca}}</ref> She dedicated herself to the Christian religion and the beliefs of the Nlaka'pamux people, Nle'kepmx.<ref name=":9">{{Cite book |last1=Thompson |first1=M. Terry | last2=Egesdal |first2=Steven M. |title=Salish myths and legends : one people's stories |date=2008 |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |oclc=1311143352}}</ref> York's family members educated her about the history of Spuzzum as well as the origin of its name, Spuzzum chiefs, and the ethnobotany of the region.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Kluckner |first=Michael |title=Vanishing B.C. Old spuzzum hotel |url=http://www.michaelkluckner.com/bciw6spuzzumhouse.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130405113107/http://www.michaelkluckner.com/bciw6spuzzumhouse.html |archive-date=2013-04-05 }}</ref> York was known to be a storyteller, always recording and sharing stories.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":9" />
Annie York was a co-author of two published novels, ''Spuzzum: Fraser Canyon'' ''Histories 1808-1939''<ref name=":0" /> and ''They Write Their Dreams on the Rock Forever: Rock Writings of the Stein River Valley of British Columbia.''<ref name=":6">{{Cite book |first=Annie |last=York |title=They Write Their Dreams on the Rock Forever : Rock Writings in the Stein River Valley of British Columbia. |date=2000 |publisher=Talonbooks |isbn=978-1-4593-1313-2 |oclc=923073579}}</ref> She was the subject of the movie, ''Bowl of Bone: Tale of The Syuwe.''<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Bowl of Bone: Tale of The Syuwe - Full Cast & Crew |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/bowl-of-bone-tale-of-the-syuwe/cast/2030102505/ |website=TV Guide}}</ref>
== Early life == York was born on September 21, 1904, in Spuzzum territory in British Columbia.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":9" /> She died August 19, 1991, due to tuberculosis in Spuzzum.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":9" /> York was the third of seven children born to William Benjamin and Lucy Palmer York.<ref name=":0" /> Her mother was of English and Nlaka'pamux descent while her father was a Nlaka'pamux man whose family all originated from Spuzzum territory.<ref name=":0" /> Though York's father was Nlaka'pamux, her mother's mixed heritage did not allow the family to live together in Spuzzum territory.<ref name=":0" /> Therefore, York's family moved to Fraser Canyon in British Columbia.<ref name=":2" /> In her time in Fraser Canyon, her family prohibited her to return to Spuzzum territory given the situation with her mother.<ref name=":0" /> York grew up living with her mother's Nlaka'pamux family as well as with Amelia York, her grandmother from her father's side.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> York came to be bilingual speaking both English and Nlaka'pamux language.<ref name=":0" />
== Personal life == York decided to return to Spuzzum territory and live with her aunt Rhoda Urquhart and her cousin Arthur Urquhart.<ref name=":2" /> Annie dedicated herself to the Christian religion and the Nlaka'pamux beliefs.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":9" /> Because she was bilingual, she prayed and sang in Nlaka'pamuctsin as well as translated it to English.<ref name=":5" /> Three songs she translated were "A Song of Seasons", "Simon Fraser's Song", and "The Song for Mount Baker".<ref name=":9" /> York was never married nor did she have any children.<ref name=":0" /> She spent the last of her years in Spuzzum with her cousin Arthur Urquhart, where they both took care of each other.<ref name=":2" />
== Education == York's time was largely spent with her family, listening to family members' stories.<ref name=":5" /> Through the stories told, she became educated about Spuzzum's history.<ref name=":5" /> York explained that Spuzzum received its name due to how flat the area is and the word spuzzum means flat.<ref name=":5" /> York was educated on Spuzzum chiefs and the impact that each chief had on their people.<ref name=":5" /> She explained that Chief Paul was known for educating his people about manners and religion through prayers,<ref name=":5" /> and Chief Peleck was known for teaching the people about religion by having hymns and prayers be translated to the Nlaka'pamux language.<ref name=":5" /> York also was educated in botany.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last1=Turner |first1=Nancy J. |last2=Loewen |first2=Dawn C. |date=1998 |title=The Original "Free Trade": Exchange of Botanical Products and Associated Plant Knowledge in Northwestern North America |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25605872 |journal=Anthropologica |language=en |volume=40 |issue=1 |pages=49 |doi=10.2307/25605872|jstor=25605872 |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite journal |last=Hayden |first=Brian |date=1991 |title=Thompson Ethnobotany: Knowledge and Usage of Plants by the Thompson Indians of British Columbia. Nancy Turner, Laurence Thompson, M. Terry Thompson, and Annie York. Memoir No. 3. Royal British Columbia Museum, 1990. viii + 335 pp., figures. Can '15.00 (paper). |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S000273160007181X/type/journal_article |journal=American Antiquity |language=en |volume=56 |issue=4 |pages=750 |doi=10.2307/281574 |jstor=281574 |s2cid=164678047 |issn=0002-7316|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite journal |last=Turner |first=Nancy J. |date=2020-09-24 |title="That Was Our Candy!": Sweet Foods in Indigenous Peoples' Traditional Diets in Northwestern North America |url=https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-ethnobiology/volume-40/issue-3/0278-0771-40.3.305/That-Was-Our-Candy--Sweet-Foods-in-Indigenous-Peoples/10.2993/0278-0771-40.3.305.full |journal=Journal of Ethnobiology |volume=40 |issue=3 |pages=305–327 |doi=10.2993/0278-0771-40.3.305 |s2cid=221910131 |issn=0278-0771|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Lastly, in the 1920s, she studied nursing in Merritt, British Columbia, but did not graduate.<ref name=":2" />
== Folklore == Annie York was known to be a storyteller who would share the tales about the lakes in British Columbia.<ref name=":2" /> York was also known to tape record her stories.<ref name=":9" /> One story she told was of a lake near Fraser Canyon, where the logs at the lake would mysteriously move to the center at night, and in the morning, the logs would be spread out again.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=The British Columbia Triangle: Part 3/6 – Indian Legends of the Interior Plateau |url=https://mysteriesofcanada.com/bc/the-british-columbia-triangle-part-3-6-indian-legends-of-the-interior-plateau/ |access-date=2022-05-12 |website=mysteriesofcanada.com}}</ref> About Lake Nicola, York recounted the tale of a young girl who saw an eel in the lake and it mysteriously paralyzed her.<ref name=":4" />
== Career == Annie York was a co-author of two published novels, ''Spuzzum: Fraser Canyon Histories'' 1808-1939<ref name=":0" /> and ''They Write Their Dreams on the Rock Forever: Rock Writings of the Stein River Valley of British Columbia.''<ref name=":6" /> York assisted and showcased her personal history in the film ''Bowl of Bone: Tale of the Syuwe''.<ref name=":3" />
=== ''Spuzzum: Fraser Canyon Histories 1808-1939'' === The authors of ''Spuzzum: Fraser Canyon Histories'' 1808-1939 were Annie York and Andrea Laforet.<ref name=":0" /> The novel takes place in Fraser Canyon and occurs during colonization<ref name=":0" /> The novel emphasizes and preserves the history of the Nlaka'pamux people undergoing colonization.<ref name=":0" /> The history is captured through York's experience along with her knowledge of her family's experiences.<ref name=":0" />
=== ''They Write Their Dreams on the Rock Forever: Rock Writings of the Stein River Valley of British Columbia'' === The authors of ''They Write Their Dreams on the Rock Forever: Rock Writings of the Stein River Valley of British Columbia'' are Annie York, Richard Daly, and Chris Arnett.<ref name=":6" /> The novel takes place in Stein River Valley in British Columbia.<ref name=":6" /> In the novel, Annie York showcases the writings on the rocks and explains the meaning of the writings, giving the reader insights into how people lived in Stein River Valley.<ref name=":6" /> This novel was published with the intent of spreading awareness on the importance of the writings on the rocks found in Stein River Valley.<ref name=":6" />
=== Film === ''Bowl of Bone: Tale of the Syuwe'' directed by Jan-Marie Martell and produced by Annie York takes place in the late 1900s.<ref name=":3" /> The film brings the audience along Martell's journey in meeting York and in learning about the Syuwe under York's unique teaching style.<ref name=":3" />
== In media ==
=== Featured in journals === Annie York's knowledge about Spuzzum's history, lifestyle, and botany has led to her inclusion in several published works.<ref name=":2" />
* ''The Original "Free Trade": Exchange of Botanical Products and Associated Plant Knowledge in Northwestern North America'' by Nancy J. Turner and Dawn C. Loewen.<ref name=":1" /> * ''Thompson Ethnobotany: Knowledge and Usage of Plants by the Thompson Indians of British Columbia'' written by Nancy Turner, Laurence Thompson, M. Terry Thompson, and Annie York.<ref name=":7" /> * ''"That was Our Candy!": Sweet Foods in Indigenous Peoples' Traditional Diets in Northwestern North America'' written by Nancy J. Turner.<ref name=":8" />
== External links ==
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=BoE7kd1vmyEC ''Fraser Canyon Histories'' preview, GoogleBooks] * [https://books.google.com/books?id=kBAeRQKt6xsC Salish Myths and Legends: One People's Stories preview, GoogleBooks]
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:York, Annie}} Category:First Nations women writers Category:Nlaka'pamux people Category:Ethnobiologists Category:Writers from British Columbia Category:1904 births Category:1991 deaths Category:20th-century Canadian women writers Category:20th-century Canadian non-fiction writers Category:20th-century First Nations writers Category:20th-century First Nations women Category:Canadian women non-fiction writers