Margaret Frank (Aweetsa)

from Awa'K'Wis

Mrs. Margaret Elizabeth Frank, born December 17, 1897 in Fort Rupert. OU-MA-GE-LIS, daughter of Emily Hunt and Charlie Wilson, granddaughter of Robert Hunt.

Margaret's interview is a combination of her life story and the wisdom and stories of Kwakiutl life that she shared with us.

Margaret starred in Curtis' Land of the Head Hunters when she was 17 years old. She played the part of Naida, the chief's daughter.

She went to work in the hospital in Alert Bay, the first Native woman to do so.

She married a man from Bella Bella, Johnny White. She had never met him until their wedding day. Moses Wilson had known the family, and she was married under Indian Law. She was married to him for 3 years. He spent most of his time in camp, while she ran a store in Bella Bella, as well as working part time at the hospital there. She adopted two girls there, Lena and Margaret.

She left Johnny because of his drinking, and went to Alert Bay. She mentions if she hadn't adopted children she would have been a nurse. She still has her nurses uniform from those days. She worked in the hospital from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and in a Chinese store from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. A lot of fisherman came in, including one named Andy Frank, whom she had met at a dance. He asked for a flashlight and then hung around the store, but she wasn't interested in him. Undaunted, he came in to see her every night. Finally, her boss asked Andy if he wanted to talk to her, and his reply was that he wanted to marry her. The Chinese man said, "do you have a home?" Andy replied "no", and the Chinese man replied back "you'll have to work hard before you can marry her. She is a good lady."

Andy went fishing and invited her to go to Vancouver. She went, but used her own money so as not to be obligated to him. She wasn't planning to marry a second time.

Andy had good reason to be persistent: she had long, beautiful hair and good legs. the male patients used to make comments about her legs and looks in Kwa-Kwa-La, and they were embarrassed when they found out she knew what they were saying. She used to keep her long hair up in braids.

When she returned from her trip, Andy asked her to marry him. She said she would have to ask her father, because her sister and brother had quit potlatching and her father wished her to take over the chief's rights. he did not want her to marry outside Fort Rupert. Aneetsa liked potlatching -- she said nobody could stop her from potlatching, even if it meant going to jail.

She married Any under Indian Law, and later in church. He was a good husband to her, never angry, or physical, and he always trusted her with all their financial affairs.

She says there were hardly any people living in Comox until Andy and her dug a well. Then people started to come home because they had a water supply. She adopted two more girls, Dolly and Mary.

Andy and Mary pot latched a lot in Fort Rupert, beginning with their marriage potlatch money. She says some books say that children were sold into marriages for money, but that is incorrect. Money was fluid, flowing back and forth from potlatch to potlatch. The money given for an engagement went to the mother, and if the marriage partners didn't get along, the marriage was ended and the money returned. The families always looked into the backgrounds of their prospective spouses to see if it was a good marriage fit. Girls were brought up to behave and prepare for marriage. If the couple separated, the woman would take all her possessions and double it to pay back her marriage contract. Sometimes marriages took place just to secure backgrounds for names and crests, etc. The money was given to the parents, just like a normal engagement. Mary says you never end up broke if you potlatch -- the money just keeps going around and always comes back.

When Andy built the big house in Comox, He pot latched and invited all the coast down to open it. He never asked for a grant to build it, and it cost him $17,000. All that Aneetsa has in traditional songs, titles and dances belongs to her. She says some people have no background and take rights that do not properly belong to them. She is especially concerned with the songs. She cautions not to use the songs wrongly, or lightly -- they are an important part of the law. The Laws were important. She recalls that when people separated, they never gave up on the idea of their marriage, but kept talking and doing all they could to get back together. She says that in the old days there was no breaking and entering, no rape or kidnapping. She says that the Laws and penalties were severe, and that we've learned crime from non-native people.