Who Will Inherit the Kal Ink? Are the Heirs Ready & Willing?

In Gitxsanimax, kal ink is the treasure box of Gitxsan essence, values, and assets steeped for at least 13,000 years and peculiar to, shaped and defined by each wilphl Gitxsan, the extended family and the most fundamental entity in Gitxsan Society. The kal ink is the metaphor and symbol for gwalx ye'inst, the inherency, coveted by each generation of Gitxsan. A simogyat, the hereditary leader of a wilphl Gitxsan, is concerned for its continuance and to whom will be the next keeper.

Today, as the current Gitxsan scramble to survive, cope, and succeed in modern commercialized mainstream Canada, gwalx ye'inst appears to be not a priority. The standard message from my parents and now to my children is to acquire credentials from a college or university, the norm for entry level employment. Thereafter, secure a high paying job so as not to be a burden on family and acquire prosperity and affluence.

An estimated 1,560 to 2,600 school-aged Gitxsan children from 65 wilphl Gitxsan were apprehended and interned for sustained periods of time up to 13 years with periodic summer breaks between 1940 and 1980 in one of Canada's Indian Residential Schools. Can you imagine the despair, guilt, embarrassment, and shame of na'a (mother), nigwoot, father, simogyat (hereditary chief), and sigidimhanak (clan mother)? What of the siblings, maternal cousins, aunts, and uncles? The last Indian Residential School was closed in 1998. For the Gitxsan, internment ended the late 1980s. The cost? Disruption of vital gwalx ye'inst, inherency, and diminishment of daxgyat, the authority, strength, and confidence of the Gitxsan particularly vested in and associated with the simogyat. I emphasize disruption and diminishment, not eradication. The old chiefs pronounce that the kal ink remain elegant and full, never empty.

Instead of garnering support from the wilphl Gitxsan, now a member of the extended family would defer to the local Indian band (pursuant to the Indian Act, Statute of Canada) office for services and subsidies. The term for 'hand outs' is gint. In Gitanmaax, the proud hereditary chiefs like Charles Clifford, James White, and John Smith refused gint from the Indian agent; they knew that acceptance would begin the erosion of lipgyat, the Gitxsan term meaning to be free and independent, to look after oneself, implying not to be a burden on the family or anyone else. Now? The Indian band entity, supported by the government of Canada, and its apparatus is entrenched, now pugnaciously and arrogantly challenging ancient daxgyat in the controversial alternate governance model debate.

Lest we forget, Indian bands are legal entities created by the Indian Act, Statute of Canada. Therefore, Indian bands, elected band councils, and band office operations are under the authority and jurisdiction of the government of Canada; thus, the simgyat have no jurisdiction over the band entities. With certainty, the band members including the Gitxsan have benefitted from the services they provide. The Gitxsan narrative now accept the Indian band entities; they are characterized as a safety net that band members including the Gitxsan demand and now depend on. Is the daxgyat being usurped through the Indian band entities? The Gitxsan have acquiesed but the daxgyat remain in tact. It has always been vested in the Gitxsan especially in the simgigyat and sigidimhanak.

About 8 years ago, the Gitxsan Language Commission reported that fluency in Gitxsanimax is 25%. Today, various documents report that only 1,000 of 13,000 or 7.7% of the Gitxsan are fluent. Today, the median age of the youngest fluent speaker is 50. If the life span for the Gitxsan is 80 years, then, at the current rate, Gitxsanmax will be extinct by 2038, in my lifetime. Because Gitxsanimax is the code by which vital gwalx ye'inst, essence, and identity are transferred from the alpha generation to the heirs, once it is silent, then elegant Gitxsanship will collapse with a final certainty. The simgigyat and sigidimhanak should be alarmed.

In conclusion, in spite of the distractions, the kal ink remain in tact. Today, we can argue whether it is full, half full, or half empty. But, no matter how one interprets it, the kal ink is a metaphor for vital Gitxsan essence and identity. Because of fast moving high appeal globalized high tech modern commercialized mainstream Canada, the appeal of being Gitxsan and being comfortable with being Gitxsan wanes. Right now, the apparatus of the Gitxsan is loosing the appeal war. As the late Albert Tait would say when discussing potency and impotency, Ìt is the bad of all the bad. The Gitxsan have heirs but are they interested or willing? It appears not to the demise of the Gitxsan. It is incumbent on the sigidimhanak and sigidimhanak to be alarmed; the bravado will be short-lived as reality sets in.

The Gitxsan must ... must ... invoke their individual (you and me) and collective daxygat to immediately set into motion a high appeal renaissance movement, to capture, establish, and sustain an attentive generation of heirs in perpetuity. The heirs must be always poised to inherit the kal ink. Otherwise, extinction.

Fast forward to 2038: persons with Gitxsan ancestry will pause and celebrate June 21 Aboriginal Day with a day off with pay, wave their little flag proclaiming Gitxsan ancestry, enjoy a Gitxsan barbeque with a few cold ones, settle in in front of 52 inch high def plasma monitor and watch a documentary on the Gitxsan on the National Geographic channel. Ho wa!

Scenario 1. In 2038, Brooklyn Frank browses the virtual library for her Gitxsan ancestry. Inevitably, what she discovers will bring her to tears and wonder why her agwi nii ye did not try harder to prevent the flattening of kal ink. She will play and listen to his singing of his limx o'y that nobody sings anymore. Now, it's Brooklyn's turn to lament her ancestry.

Scenario 2. 2008. Fast forward to 2012. Ye' e Gary with Brooklyn in tow drives to his father's domain. On arrival, Brooklyn marvels at the $5M Gitxsan Culture Centre. She is so proud of her Gitxsan ancestry and finds that the gwalx ye'inst in all its colour, rhythm, subtle nuances, essence is reflected by how Maddison, her Gitxan cousin, carries herself. Brooklyn turns to her Ye'e Gary, "We have that too hey Ye'e Gary?" Gar nods with his Gitxsan grin, celebrating.

To the k'ubawilxsihlxw, the Gitxsan term formally addressing the 'princes and princesses' of each wilphl Gitxsan: When you are, declare your readiness to accept your ancient Gitxsan tribal obligation and fulfil it thereof. When you are, declare your inheritance and acceptance of and embrace vital Gitxsan essence and identity. When you are, declare that you will manifest omni-present daxgyat to be free, to be not a burden on family, as it always has been prior. When you are, declare your readiness to take your rightful place in your extended family.

As Gar would say, "Peace!"

Sabax,

Kali Skalan, Wilps Dawa Muux, Gistkaast, Kali Aks Gitxsan

Photo and credit: Bent Box by Warren Adams.