Our hearts go out to our brothers and sisters from the Tsleil-Waututh community on the recent loss of Leonard George.
At his funeral service on Dec. 9 there was a broad outpouring of grief, goodwill, sadness and humour – the range of emotions and thoughts felt when someone special passes from our daily lives.
Two encounters with Leonard stand out in my memory: the first from a 1971 National Film Board Documentary, and the second from the 2010 Olympic torch relay through Whey-ah-Wichen/Cates Park.
In Mudflats Living a young Len is interviewed on the beach, talking about the people who were resident squatters on the Maplewood Mudflats, prior to being evicted by North Vancouver District.
Len spoke about respect for the land, for the cycles of nature within the Inlet, and our need to see the beauty and harmony around us regardless of ownership and politics.
He spoke about sharing, about reaching out to each other, and about creativity and respect. Those he was speaking of were not First Nations heritage and were squatting on unceded Indigenous lands, yet Len spoke wisely of understanding and tolerance.
And my second strong recollection is of a very gaunt Leonard, who had experienced a tremendously difficult year of cancer treatments, carrying the Olympic torch down to the waterfront.
Such a smile I have never seen! It spoke volumes about the man who had a tremendous spirit for survival, for life, and family. The Olympic flame shone at its brightest that day as hundreds of us marveled at Len’s descent to the waterfront, the torch flame held high on its way to the next stage of its journey.
In our many meetings, discussing and negotiating Tsleil-Waututh and district issues, Len always spoke with conviction and bargained hard, but you never knew when his humour would catch you off guard, and he would break out that amazing smile that would transcend the tension of the moment.
Leonard, you are greatly missed by all of us in the Inlet communities, and we thank you and your family for sharing your humanity and deep insights with us for so many years.
