Foreword

This is the story of one woman's experiences during the settlement years of the Kitsumkalum Valley and the City of Terrace. Adeline (Addie) Turner is Tsimshian woman who has seen many changes over the course of her life in the Terrace area. These changes have influenced her experiences in both positive and negative ways. In contrast to an instance when, as a young girl, Addie was denied a job because of her ethnicity, as a respected senior of Terrace Addie was celebrated as Terrace's Riverboat Queen. Her experiences run the gamut between these two events and Addie's strength as a woman has seen her through it all. Nothing has prevented her from enjoying life with a sense of humour that is apparent when she relates her wealth of memories. The stories that are reported here are only a small selection of vignettes from a rich and interesting life and family history. It is hoped that these can begin to demonstrate how Addie, as a Tsimshian woman living in a settler world, has successfully negotiated her place and retained her voice regardless of the vast changes to the social and physical landscapes of the region over the years.

 

Brenda Guernsey

 

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