The Contemporary Origins of Smum’iem Matriarchy in Sinixt Təmxʷúlaʔxʷ

Marilyn James was appointed by Matriarchs as spokesperson for the Sinixt Nation in Canada in the 1990s. Sinixt təmxʷúlaʔxʷ (homeland) is crossed by the Canada-U.S. border, with 80 percent of Sinixt traditional territory in what is now called British Columbia, Canada. The Canadian government deemed Sinixt “extinct for purposes of the Indian Act” in 1956, an official designation that persists to this day. Sinixt in the United States are recognized as one of twelve Colville Confederated Tribes in Washington State.As spokesperson for Sinixt in Canada, Marilyn repatriated sixty-four ancestral remains from museums and collections back to Sinixt təmxʷúlaʔxʷ. To this day, she continues her work as Sinixt Smum’iem Matriarch and knowledge keeper. Marilyn is also an accomplished storyteller of traditional and contemporary Sinixt stories, as well as the coauthor of Not Extinct: Keeping the Sinixt Way (2021). In addition, Marilyn holds a master of education and works extensively in educating all ages. Marilyn is an ardent and powerful advocate for her ancestors, Sinixt təmxʷúlaʔxʷ and all that it contains.This text and audio are from “Maps of My World,” a graphic and digital memoir project by and about Marilyn James. As a lifelong Indigenous rights activist and now a Sinixt elder and Matriarch, her memoir includes snapshots from her life as well as Sinixt philosophy and history. The project aims to create a “book” which is based primarily in audio and visual representations with some textual support. The paper and online versions of Maps of My World: The Life Stories of Marilyn James are slated for release in 2024.In this particular piece, Marilyn discusses Smum’iem, which is the traditional matriarchal governing body of the Sinixt Peoples. She discusses deciding to embrace the role of Smum’iem Matriarch for Sinixt Peoples. In this elder-appointed role, Marilyn is responsible for upholding traditional protocols and laws in the Sinixt təmxʷúlaʔxʷ under the laws of whuplak’n and Smum’iem. Smum’iem translates as “belongs to the women,” meaning that everything in the təmxʷúlaʔxʷ also belongs to the women—good and bad. There are two laws of Smum’iem: (1) take care of your own stuff first, and (2) be of service. The “old gals” Marilyn refers to are the Matriarchs, including Eva Orr and Alvina Lum, who brought Sinixt interests back to the northern part of their traditional territory in Canada in the late 1980s and passed the mantle onto Marilyn before they “dropped their robes” (died).—Lori BarkleyI saw that it clearly was time,and clearly still is the time,and it was time before that,and that time probably should have come before the old gals dropped their robes, but this claiming of my actual role and function of Matriarchwas really all based on Smum’iem.The example that I got from the old gals of what being a Matriarch is,what upholding the responsibilities of Smum’iem are,what that law really entailed,which the old gals demonstrated in such a community-minded waywas that we do have an obligation to educate,we do have an obligation to engage,but we no longer have an obligation to carry the lie.We no longer have an obligation to hide the power of the matriarchyor what the matrilineality and matriarchy of our culture has achievedfor our survival.And if we want to carry this forward,not just as survival of the Sinixtbut as survival of humanity, of human beings, of skilxʷ,we have to re-engage the matriarchy in an active aspectof living our livesand supporting what is going to make our sustainabilityand our ability to survive,a reality.And that’s when I finally said publicly—and I got a lot of flak about this too—I am no longer the Sinixt spokesperson.I am now the Matriarch of Smum’iem for the Autonomous Sinixt.Stepping into that role and identifying myself as the Matriarchhas really opened me up as a target for many people because,you know, the patriarchy is alive and well.And it’s not just the men who want to stab ya,it’s the women who want to stab ya too and take you down,but that’s the patterning of patriarchy that has been so clearly suffocating humanity,suffocating the reality of how humanity should function.We should be functioning with empathy,with compassion,with consciousness,with honor,with integrity,with respect.With all of those things—with concern and responsibility for everything,not just your own self and your own pocketbook.And, you know that matriarchal war is raging,it’s raging alive, it’s a firestorm.Slowly, very, very slowly, there are some young women steppinginto their woman-ness,dipping their big toe and going,“Oh, that resonates with me. I do hold the responsibility.Yes! I should be of service.How do I do that?Oh, I don’t have to ask a man . . . ”That encourages me that the matriarchy is coming back to life.

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