The Salt Spring Historical Society (SSHS) is pleased to welcome back — by popular demand — singer and family historian Cathy Roland (aka Auntie Kate) to speak about Hawaiian history on Salt Spring Island and the B.C. coast.
As a child, Roland listened deeply to the stories of her uncle Paul Roland, sparking a lifelong interest in her Hawaiian-Salish family lineage. Her great-great-grandfather Naukana (aka “John Coxe” Naukana) came to the West Coast from Hawaii in 1811 with American and British fur traders who were setting up colonies here at that time. These Hawaiian men were sent by Hawaiian King Kamehameha with a contract to help establish the early trading posts and they became some of the earliest settlers in B.C. — and the rest is truly fascinating history.
The event is on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 2 p.m. in the library’s program room.
It’s time to purchase or renew SSHS memberships, which are open to all and cost only $15 per year. Paying online is a preferred option with etransfer to internal@saltspringarchives.com, but payment of cash at the door is also available.