Basket Maker Bios
Christina Youla James
1877 – 1952
“She Made All of Those Big Baskets”
Annie James Mary Ann James Christina James
Christina James was known and revered as a prolific and fine Nlaka’pamux basketmaker from North Bend, BC. Many of the coiled cedar-root baskets in the Clare Chrane collection of photos were made by her. As far as we know she made most of the larger ones shown in the photos.
She was the daughter of Paul Youla of Spuzzum. Her father was a noted Nlaka’pamux warrior, survivor of the Fraser Canyon War, and tracker. Youla was noted for his longevity and witnessing the Canyon War. See below for more on Youla.
We do not know much about Christina aside from one personal remembrance, and from the government and grave records we have now. We do know is that she was a creative basketmaker from North Bend, who was born Christina (or Christine) Youla in 1877 (other records state 1883), possibly in North Bend but more likely in Spuzzum (also in the baptismal records), the daughter of Paul and Elizabeth Youla. Christina married Captain Jesse Patrick James of North Bend (who predeceased her); had several children, and died in North Bend, on April 6, 1952. She is buried at the Anderson Creek native cemetery in Boston Bar.
The Spuzzum baptismal records show that Christina and her brother and sister were baptized in 1883-4 as the daughters and son of Nonel-haskret and Noanhla, the Roman Catholic spellings of Paul and Elizabeth Youla’s aboriginal names. The dates and birthdates recorded for them are Christina, born 1877, baptized July 28, 1884; Felix, born 1881, baptized July 11, 1883; and Paulina, born March (10) 1884, baptized July 28, 1884. There is no baptismal record at that time for Sarah, because she was not born until 1886.
BC Archives Vital Records show that Pauline Youla married Frank Oscar Carlson of Sweden in 1919; Pauline died in 1966, and Frank in 1969. As in interesting aside, the informant on Frank’s death record is Mrs. Aida C. Freeman, so obviously the two families retained their friendship throughout the years and especially after both moved to Vancouver.
Sarah Youla married George Pettis of North Bend. Sarah died in 1950, predeceased by George in 1940. The couple lived in Seabird Island, and it was at their home that Paul Youla passed away.
The only other record of Felix (Youlawh) we have at this time is of him being the father of Emma Florence (born North Bend, 1903) with the mother being Mariann Creegan of North Bend, at Emma’s marriage in 1921 to Willie Fraser (born Spuzzum, 1902). The marriage took place in Kamloops. It is not known when Felix Youla and Mariann passed away.
Christina’s children were Mary Ann James, 1897 – 1955, (see biography of Mary Ann James Graham); Harry James, 1909 – 1976; Dennis James, 1910 – 1925; Annie Helen James Chow, 1914 – 1980; and Minnie James, 1916 – 1941. Minnie passed away while giving birth to twins, who also died with her.
Christina’s father, Paul Youla, was locally famous as one of the last Nlaka’pamux survivors of the Fraser Canyon War of 1858. This war was actually a series of pitched battles caused by the incursion of Caucasian prospectors and gold seekers into Nlaka’pamux territory, precipitated by the white men’s disregard for Native territorial rights and especially by their abuse of native women. Rape was a deciding factor. Four companies of men made their way upriver from Yale to engage the Nlaka’pamux people, burning a number of food (salmon) storehouses along the way. People on both sides were killed, mostly in the battle at China Bar, before a peaceful conclusion was reached due in large part to the efforts of Chief Spintlum.
Paul Youla was known as well as being one of the best hunters, trackers, and fishermen in the country around the Fraser Canyon and Lower Mainland, as it is known now. He passed away in 1942, leaving three daughters and their children to mourn him. His daughters were Christina James, Pauline Carlson, and Sarah Pettis; his grandchildren were Mary Ann James Graham, Annie James, and Harry James, of North Bend; Angus and Jack Pettis of Seabird Island; and great-granddaughter Elizabeth Graham of Spuzzum. He must have been predeceased by his wife Elizabeth and his son Felix; and certainly was by his grandchildren Dennis and Minnie James, and Irene Pettis.
Christina was recorded as a widow when she passed away on April 6, 1952, predeceased by her husband Patrick, son Dennis and daughter Minnie. She left her baskets to her son Harry and his wife Mary (nee Jones).
On December 26, 1965, there was tragedy for the James family in North Bend. In a terrible house fire, the home of Harry and Mary James burned to the ground. Three children and a grandmother died, and as well, most of the baskets in the James photos were lost. Another photo in the James collection, showing Harry posed with the baskets was also burned. It is not known at this time who the photographer was, but John Haugen has speculated that it may have been a young woman, referred to by Michael Kluckner, who was taking very good photographs in the area around that time.
Christina has left a legacy of fine baskets for us to enjoy. These baskets entailed months and years of hard work, beginning with the gathering of the materials, the preparation of said materials, and then the fine work of the hard weaving of the baskets. This does not even start to envision the planning of the basket designs, which must have had to have been in her mind before the basket was even begun. One wonders how anyone can plan this without having the picture in front of them, but these ladies were very good at it.
Written by Irene Bjerky