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posting by David Wong
A few years ago, I received an invitation from a Chinese Cdn activist stating “Chinese reconciliation with Native Indians” dinner event. I remember calling the guy up, speaking to him on the phone and trying really hard to NOT tell him to bugger off.
I had thought, “who the heck does this guy think he is, to imply that Chinese and Aboriginal peoples were at odds?”
courtesy of “Shanghai Noon” with Jackie Chan
Well, as it turns out, this activist eventually earned my respect, for he had been trying his best to heal a perceived riff between aboriginals and Chinese …likely a result of the uncomfortable proximity in a small area located in Vancouver’s old downtown district – where a large urban aboriginal community is up against Vancouver’s historic Chinatown. What was really obvious to me was that this well meaning Chinese man, Bill, had no idea of the very long and kind relationship early Chinese Cdn pioneers had with First Nations people. You see, Bill, like most Chinese Cdns on the westcoast are more recent arrivals, and unfortunately through no fault of their own, know very little about the histories of these communities.
Go back a century, and we find a very strong relationship between these peoples. My friend, Chief Leonard George informs me that the influence of the early Chinese in Canada is very obvious. Leonard, a proud leader of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, informs me that right up along the run of the Fraser River, we find many First Nation communities that include rice as a staple in their diet. A fact that is found nowhere else. Len says that the rice diet was introduced to the Sto:lo people during the time of the construction of the Canadian rail road along the Fraser canyon.
In fact, the pattern of land tenure on the west side of Vancouver, on the Musqueam band’s land, is a direct result of early Chinese pioneers leasing plots of land for vegetable farming. This leasing legacy is now reflected in the residential neighbourhoods that now exists on the Musqueam territories. This fact, along with intermarriages between Musqueam peoples and early Chinese Canadian settlers further reinforce the historic links and knowledge. There are a number of Musqueam people who to this day, carry a Chinese family surname.
As a young person, my grandmother told me stories of the valued relationships of the Chinese and First Nations – sharing traditional knowledge of medicinal plants, stories of creation and just good old friendships. Grandma used to look after a number of displaced aboriginal peoples in our home – and together, the early Chinese and aboriginal peoples treated each other like family. Especially during times of adversity – like racism and other ugly struggles of that time.
I write today’s post as a result of the continued stereotyping of our First Nation’s brothers and sisters, not so much from the white folks, but from the Chinese. It infuriates me to hear from so many new Chinese Canadians – their ill informed views of our aboriginal peoples. When we speak of tolerance and cultural understandings, I find it very ironic to hear Chinese claiming to be the victims, when in fact, I see so many of these (especially the self-proclaimed leaders of the Chinese Cdn community) dishing out misguided remarks. So when they speak of “cleaning up Chinatown”, I’d think the first thing these Chinatown leaders should try and attempt is to walk over one short block and say “hello” to their urban Aboriginal neighbours. How hard is that?
The first real step towards mutual respect and understanding is through empathy – seeing things through your adversary’s eyes. Not through artificially legislated political efforts – which is what appears to be the favourite flavour of choice these days.
How can some Chinese mouthpieces demand respect for themselves and their community, when they have not earned it by consciously perpetuating misinformation through intolerance and stereotyping of our First Nations people?
I write all of this, because I am of Chinese ancestry… and they cannot accuse me of racism (an often used tactic by some of them). I write this because someone has to, and I am not proud of the behaviour of the few Chinese with small minds and even smaller knowledge of our people’s history.
But there are glimmers of true community leadership. Retired WWII veteran, Bing Wong, has been and is still actively bridging First Nations people with Chinese community events with limited success. If only the new immigrant Chinese Canadian community can realize and appreciate the value and respect Bing is giving to them.
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David Wong is an Architect, and is a founding Director of the Chinese-Canadian Historical Society of British Columbia. He maintains a website at www.generasian.ca
Luckily I cut and pasted it:
If you believe what Gavin Menzie wrote in 1421. Chinese visited Vancouver Island possibly long before Europeans. Of course there is some debate which Europeans really were the first to go some place. Every Canadian knows the vikings sailed to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia before Columbus “discovered” America.
There are claims of pottery techniques being transfered as well as laquer techniques not to mention introducing chickens to indigenous peoples up the Pacific coast.
http://www.1421.tv/
I think he has pretty strong evidence that China sailed to Africa, whether they rounded the horn I don’t know. I also think there is really compelling evidence that Chinese sailed South, all over South East Asia/ South Pacific and Australia isn’t impossible. But reaching North and South American or Antarctica is a tougher sell.
All you have to do is look at the artwork and faces of the indegenous peoples of Northern Japan and West Coast First Nations, I think the land bridge theory is also valid, but they didn’t have pottery, or smithing, or lacquer techniques back then so shipwrecks and pottery shards are from more modern times.
There is a theory the Chinese or someone sailed to the Caribean before Columbus, as both Columbus and Drake had maps. The book is a bit sensational and you can get all the key points from the television documentry but you might want to look to 1421 for long term examples of Chinese influence and co-operation with indigenous peoples of North and South America.
Hi Muskie-
Sorry it took a few attempts by you to get the posting on… it had to be moderated before it appears on the blog. I’ve removed your duplicate postings… thanks for your attentive efforts!
I also received the following item via email from respected Asia Inc. journalist, Mr. Wang Tai Peng:
You may find this study of early Chinese presence in Vancouver island before the Europeans by Gavin Menzies interesting and useful! :
• When writing the hardback version of 1421 I thought Zheng He’s ships were composed of Chinese junks with a few Indian ships who joined a Calicut. As time has gone by more and more evidence has shown that substantial numbers of Indian and Korean ships joined the convoy. Recent DNA evidence coupled with finds of Iron implements and weapons has shown that the Japanese contingent was very large indeed.
• DNA shows as that Chou Wen’s fleet on their voyage from North America across the Atlantic contained a Korean division and that his ships had North American Indians abroad – either as passengers or slaves but no Japanese.
• Zhou Man’s fleet on the other hand contained many Japanese ships. Where Chinese DNA is found along Zhou Man’s track, so is Japanese DNA across the Pacific to Australia and New Zealand (as detailed in Talk ‘C’) and North and South America.
• Zheng He’s Fleet were in effect a floating ‘United Nations’. Vasco da Gama was correct all these years ago when he reported that a huge multinational fleet of 800 ships, had preceded him to Calicut on the Malabar Coast of India in ‘about’ 1419.
• Chinese policy was to bring all the world into Confucian harmony. To do this they required to be able to converse with local peoples across the world in their own language.
• Zheng He set up a school for foreign interpreters in Nanjing. By the time of his sixth voyage, interpreters aboard the fleet could converse in 17 languages. One of Emperor Zhu Di’s first orders was to send Zheng He on his first voyage in 1403 to recruit foreign navigators.
• http://www.1421.tv contains DNA and other evidence of Japanese voyages under the command of Zhou Man to the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of South America, thence across the Pacific to Australia. They left their genetic fingerprints which can be seen in the DNA evidence contained in “The Genetic Legacy of Zheng He’s Fleets”.
• We have recently been informed of DNA results of the original native peoples of Vancouver Island – the Salish people. The principal report on which I rely is that of Professor Mariana Fernandez Cobo in ‘The American Journal of Physical Anthropology’ 2002. She and her colleague’s analysed urine of the Salish Indians, the Navajo; the Guarani of the Amazon and of mainland Japan. The DNA of all four, the entire sequence CAGTTAGA is absolutely identical. This would be a coincidence of 65,536 to one. The Salish, Navajo and Guarani studied in the report can only be Japanese.
• In itself this is of great interest but equally fascinating is the repeated evidence that Japanese ships sailed with Zhou Man. North of Vancouver Island (Salish – Japanese DNA) are the Queen Charlotte Islands whose original inhabitants the Haida have ‘Chinese’ DNA (Professor Bryan Sykes).
• This mirrors what is found in the Amazon. The Guarani have Japanese DNA (Professor Cobo) whilst the tribes living around them the Karitiana and Surui have ‘Chinese’ DNA (Professor Novick and Colleagues). All of these Amazonian peoples have been cut off from the outside world for centuries.
• The Chachi of Ecuador have Japanese DNA (Professor Torroni and colleagues): their neighbours the Paez, Guambiano and Ingano have Chinese DNA (Professor Novick and Colleagues).
• The Navajo have both Japanese (Professor Cobo) and Chinese (Professor Novick) DNA.
• As time goes by doubtless more and more evidence will be found – it will be placed on the website.