Our Relations

w̓áw̓áxtus

Many Heiltsuk today feel deeply connected to Húy̓at.

For several families, this stems from their link to Cumqlaqs, the first ancestor of

Húy̓at village.

For others, this connection is through their relatives or their own time spent living in Húy̓at during the

“Smokehouse Days”

— when they harvested the abundant salmon runs.

Hundreds of Heiltsuk today have familial connections to Húy̓at through Máǧaǧa.

Máǧaǧa,

through her two marriages, and Emma Starr, Louisa Humchitt and others, raised many Heiltsuk grandchildren in Húy̓at, when their parents were fishing or working in the canneries. Many fondly remember Máǧaǧa directing the food-getting activities in Húy̓at, such as the construction and dismantling of fish traps, and the catching and processing of salmon. Several male Elders also recall that both Máǧaǧa and Louisa used to make baskets for them to collect berries, but that they often lost the baskets in the forest.

We are fortunate to have assembled photographs of four generations of our relations who lived in Húy̓at. There are many more people who have lived in Húy̓at than are mentioned here. We honour them all.

"You know, they weren't just common community members that kind of showed up to be there [in Húy̓at]; they were all distant relatives of each other that had rights to be where they were..."They weren't just there because there was a nice spot and lots of salmon, they were there because that's where they got their power from."

- Dúqva̓ísḷa William Housty

Click on a picture frame to learn more about the history of our relations in Húy̓at.

ALBERT HUMCHITT SR.

Charles Windsor

LUCY WINDSOR

ALBERT HUMCHITT JR.

Albert Humchitt Jr. (1884-1946)

Son of Hṃ́zit and Máǧaǧa, Albert Humchitt Jr., inherited rights to Húy̓at through his father. Albert Jr. was Chief Qvúman̓akvla. He received this name from his wife Louisa (nee Sandy) from Roscoe Inlet. Together Louisa and Albert had over 20 children and many grandchildren – many of which they raised in Húy̓at during “Smokehouse Days”. Albert was a founding member of the Native Brotherhood and the first elected Heiltsuk Chief Councillor.

"He was a driving force in our family. When he was gone, I think it took a while to get our bearing and get going again."

- Yím̓ás Q̓vúmán̓akvla Wilfred Humchitt

"He did a lot of work to build that smokehouse, the way he wanted it cause he’s done it long ago in other places. Make sure you know what you’re doing, he had a big walk way around it half ways up anything you can't reach he had a little stick with a nail in there, just put in the middle and take down, move it around, two whole weeks. He built that smokehouse himself he was very, very particular about the shakes he was using... Straight they only about 3/8ths of inch thick, 4 footers all different widths, nice, they go on really nice. He knew you don't have to buy anything that’s crooked that means you gonna have a hole, cause you can't, oh you can fill it up with moss or something like that. But the way we build it, It was all nice and tight."

- George Housty, Albert’s grandson, in an interview with his great-grandson, Rory Housty, 2012