Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 6, 1 June 1988 — Descendant of 19th Century Pioneer Hopeful [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Descendant of 19th Century Pioneer Hopeful

lndian-Hawaiian's Search for Roots Continues

By Deborah Lee Ward, Assistant Editor Ka Wai Ola O OHA A hopeful search for family roots is being eontinued today by the descendant of a 19th century pioneering Hawaiian who sought adventure as a crewman aboard ships of the famous Hudson Bay Company. In 1824, George Apnaut left Hawaii with other Hawaiians and sailed up the Fraser River in British Columbia, Canada. He helped build the trading post at Fort Langley, establish frontier towns and later was elected to the Maple Ridge town eouneil. His grand-niece is Anna Chapman, an elected part-Indian tribal chief, who lives in Ruby Creek along the Fraser. Chapman was recently in Honolulu for the signing of the Memoranda of (Jnderstanding between the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the Sto:lo Indian People of British Colurnbia. Chapman grew up on the Ruby Creek Indian reservation, a once-isolated area accessible only by boat or barge. She sti!l lives there and runs the seasonal Rockface campground. Now a popular visitor recreation area, Ruby Creek is the home of the 60-member Skawahlook Band, part of the Chilliwack Area Tribal Council, and the Sto:lo Indian Nation. Chapman was elected Chief of the Skawahlook Band in 1976. Chapman (nee Kendrick) is the daughter of Lloyd Kendrick and "Effie" Euphemia Adams of British Columbia, both part-Hawaiians. Kendrick's mother was "Mina", Wilhelmina Apnaut (believed to derive from Apenui) Kendrick (later Maek), sister of George Apnaut. She lived in Maple Ridge and later North Vancouver. Effie's father Jimmy Adams was half-Hawaiian and halfIndian. Effie Adams' second marriage to Merle Ritchie produced Anna's half brothers, Merle and Harold, and sister Loma. Yet in spite of the Hawaiian lineage on both her mother and father's sides, Anna Chapman has still been unable to link her genealogy back to the pre-emigration generation inHawaii, though she is continuinghersearch. At age 15, Anna married William Chapman, a part-Skawahlook Indian who was born and raised in Maple Ridge. They had eight sons and six daughters, now ages 24 to 40. With such a large family, the children always worked to help provide for the family. With their dual U. S./Canadian citizenship as North Amenean lndians, the family in 1966 moved from Ruby Creek to the Yakima area of Washington, where the children took summer

jobs on ranches. Chapman worked as a Iogger. In summer Mrs. Chapman worked in the frozen fruit plants, and during the year worked as nurse's aide in a nursing home. She later took a one-year training to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. In 1975 they moved back to Canada, and six years later in 1981 Chapman died. Today, the family is dispersed. Most liveinother areas of Canada: Bill Jr., Paulette, Brett, Deano, Todd (who lives in Ruby Creek), Howard, Debbie and Hal. A few live in Washington state — Gerry, Vemon, Loma and Maureen. The twin daughters live farther afield, Penny in England and Patty in Nova Scotia. Cooking for her large family taught Anna food preparation and organization skills that developed into a family tradition — a Labor Day luau. Year after year it got bigger, as she gained in experience from attending luaus on her trips to Hawaii. Hoping a luau would draw other Hawaiian descendants in the area and stimulate interest in their

heritage, Mrs. Chapman in 1983 decided to hold her first big public luau. The two-day event was a large community gathering with a donated pig prepared in an oven and Hawaiian entertainment provided by a halau from Longview, Wash. While the luau was not a profit-maker it did break even and was a terrific success with a big turnout. She is probably the only part-Hawaiian Indian chief today in B.C. By custom, Chapman is chief for life, though she ean turn over her title to one of her children sooner if they are ready for the responsibility. Her maternal grandfather Jimmy Adams was also a chief, on the Katzie Indian Reserve at Port Hammond. Chapman keeps busy as a past president of her loeal Lioness club, and is involved with the Chilliwaek Area Council as a member of the committee on health. Since the signing of the Memoranda of Understanding, she is interested in starting an exchange program between Indian and Hawaiian elders to share their knowledge.

Part Hawaiian lndians from British Columbia Merle Ritchie and his sister, Chief Anna Chapman. Ritchie is from Clearwater, B. C., and Chapman from Ruby Creek, B. C.

Anna Chapman proudly dispiays Hawaiian flag wrapped around a roadside stand pointing out the Kanaka Creek Regional Park.