Andrew Misheal
sel’sul’tun’ | Andrew Misheal
April 15, 1886 – September 23, 1963
Andrew Gilbert Misheal was a respected Elder and Knowledge Keeper. He was born April 15, 1886 to James and Annie Misheal, and was a member of the Cowichan Tribes from the village of xwulqw’selu (Koksilah).
As a young man, Misheal married Sophie Mary Cecelia Johnny from the Songhees First Nation. Together they and their children split their time between his village of xwulqw’selu and her family’s village in Esquimalt. They were married 55 years when Andrew passed away. During his lifetime, Andrew Misheal sometimes worked as a labourer and a farmer. In the 1920s he and Sophie had their own farm.1
Andrew, like his wife, generously shared his knowledge of the Hul’q’umi’num’ language, culture, and traditions with linguists and other researchers. He was an informant to Wilson Duff and Wayne Suttles. Indeed, the Misheal’s were important informants for Duff, a Canadian archaeologist and cultural anthropologist, inviting him to and accompanying him at winter spirit dance ceremonials on Vancouver Island over several years. They also helped him secure Coast Salish regalia for the Royal Museum of BC’s collection. When Andrew Misheal passed away in 1963, he was remembered by the Museum as “a valued friend of the Museum, and a useful source of information concerning local groups of natives.”2
We are thankful for the important work that Andrew and Sophie Misheal carried out during their lifetimes. Their sharing has created an invaluable knowledge repository for future generations.
- See the Canadian Census of 1921, https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Home/Search?DataSource=Genealogy%7CCensus&ApplicationCode=137~1008&YearOfImmigration-slider=0&FirstName=andrew&LastName=misheal&Age-slider=0&YearOfBirth-slider=0&ProvinceCode=BC& ↩︎
- From the 1963 annual report of the museum, https://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/sites/default/files/sites/default/files/images/AnnualReport1963.pdf ↩︎