Andy Paull

Andy Paull, (Andrew Paull, Xwechtáal, Xwupúkinem, Qoitchetahl) (February 6, 1892 – July 28, 1959) was a Squamish leader, activist, coach, and lawyer.

Early life and family Born to Dan Paull and Theresa Paull (née Lacket-Joe) of a prominent family, and was known to have a particularly close relationship with his maternal grandmother. It was his grandmother that gave him the name Xwechtáal ("the Serpent Slayer"), passed down from a legendary ancestor. His maternal grandfather was known as "Hundred Dollar Charlie," who reportedly gave the last potlatch on Burrard Inlet before it was banned by the Canadian government in 1885. Paull was raised in the village of Stawamus, near Squamish, British Columbia, but later his family moved to the village of Eslha7an in North Vancouver, British Columbia where he began to attend St. Paul's Indian Residential School when it first opened in 1899. After six years at residential school, Paull spent two years learning from local Sḵwxwú7mesh chiefs. Paull's time at residential school was clearly important to him as he maintained a close relationship with a number of the oblates and nuns for his entire life. Nevertheless, he held his Sḵwxwú7mesh "education" to be at least equally important:

In 1907, he began on-the-job training with the law offices of Hugh St. Quentin Cayley, and spent four years there learning the practice of law. However, it had been claimed by the British Columbia government that the aforementioned lands belonged to themselves by right of conquest. After the Canadian federal government made it illegal for indigenous peoples in the country to organize funds for land claims issues, the Allied Tribes of BC quickly dissolved. At home he organized bands, orchestras, athletic teams and labor groups. In 1942 he became the business manager for the Native Brotherhood of British Columbia, but in 1945 he split with the organization and formed the North American Indian Brotherhood. He spoke against enfranchisement for Aboriginals saying, "You would be merely selling your birthright for the doubtful privilege of putting a cross on a ballot every four years." A number of issues he fought for were Aboriginal rights and title, education, potlatching, and political organizing.