This week's Teachings Tuesday is shared in honour of a remarkable woman whose story has left an undeniable mark on many within our Culturally Committed community. Margaret Flanders, lovingly known as “Auntie Maggie,” passed away on December 19, 2024 at the age of 62.
Mentor Jenn Smith (Tlowitsis First Nation) first introduced us to her Auntie Maggie four years ago. Maggie, a survivor of the St. Michael’s Residential School in Alert Bay, made the courageous decision to share her story with Jenn years ago. Since then, her story has become a central part of Jenn’s teachings. Maggie lived through unimaginable hardship. In sharing her testimony, she once said she wished she had ‘had a life,’ expressing disappointment in the one she lived.
But Maggie’s life was so much more than the hardship she endured. Beneath the toughness shaped by her experiences, Jenn describes her Auntie as a woman of deep love for her family, boundless generosity, and a wicked sense of humour—not to mention an uncanny streak of luck at the casino!
I’ve personally heard Maggie’s story many times—probably close to twenty times. And each time, I take away something new. Her impact reaches far beyond what she may have believed, touching hearts and shaping understandings in ways she could never have imagined.
Her story continues to live on through Jenn’s teachings, through the people she’s influenced, and through the lessons she has left with us. Maggie may not have seen the fullness of her impact, but we see it clearly. And today, we honour her for the life she lived and the wisdom she shared.
From Jenn:
My Auntie Maggie was born on September 25, 1962, on my grandpa’s boat, the Porlier Pass at Blackfish Bay, just outside Mimkwumlees (Village Island). She was delivered and raised by our grandparents, “Auda” Eliza and “Gramps” Henry Abel Bell, until the age of three when she was taken to residential school.
Some of Auntie Maggie’s favourite things included my mom’s homemade bread and birthday cards, Fleetwood Mac, Gary Glitter, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and the casino (where she was often lucky!). One thing people may not have known about her is that she could speak fluent Kwak’wala. She didn’t have many people to speak with, as sadly, there are few remaining speakers.
Throughout our work together at Culturally Committed, we’ve discussed the potlatch and the concept of wealth in the Kwakwaka’wakw tradition. Wealth is not what can be obtained, but what can be obtained to give. The word potlatch, broken down, is Pasa, which means "to give." True to this value, Auntie Maggie was an incredibly generous woman who would do anything for the people she loved. She was the most generous person I knew and would give you the shirt off her back if you needed it. Whatever she had, she would share, even if it meant having little left for herself.
Despite the trauma she carried and the challenges she faced throughout her life, she leaves behind an enormous legacy of love, generosity, and kindness. Auntie Maggie’s life was a demonstration that, even in the face of hardship, you can always find a way to lend a helping hand. She will be dearly missed.
Auntie Maggie, you are my hero. Your time on earth is complete—rest easy and don’t look back. Thank you for generously sharing your story. Through your truth-telling, you have touched countless lives, inspiring healing and learning for us all on the path to Reconciliation.
Gilakas’la!
Jenny
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