Saturday, June 21, 2025

Honouring My Indigenous Roots

🌿 Honouring My Indigenous Roots — A Tribute to the Grandmothers Who Carried Us Through

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

I want to share something deeply personal and meaningful: a reflection and tribute to my Indigenous ancestry — a story that spans generations, lands, and languages — rooted in strength, resilience, and love.

I come from a long line of strong, wise women whose stories deserve to be remembered and honoured. My ancestry flows through the powerful lands of the Pacific Northwest, from Oregon up the coast to Sooke, and deeply through the territories of the Songhees Nation.

I have spent time gathering stories, names, and connections — piecing together our tree so that future generations will understand where they come from and how far we’ve come. My ancestors lived through colonization, displacement, and struggle — yet they carried on, raising families, protecting culture, and preserving spirit.


đŸŒș Honouring the Grandmothers

This is especially for the grandmothers — the ones whose hands worked tirelessly, who whispered stories in the dark, who stood fiercely in the face of hardship. They were the roots of the tree, grounding us when storms came.

  • To my Great-Grandmother, whose quiet resilience kept our lineage alive through turbulent times.
  • To my Grandmothers whose resilience runs in my blood and echoes in my blood memories and who taught me that love is stronger than fear.
  • To Marie Ann Louis FrisĂ©-Marguerite S. Maranda dit le Frise- Mary Ann Brule Vautrin, and every matriarch before and after — thank you. Your strength runs in my veins.

🌳 Comprehensive Family Tree of Christina Winterlik (Zipolita)

Below is a comprehensive family tree showing as many ancestors and connections as we have documented—track your lineage from the 4th generation down to you, including migrations from Oregon to Sooke, BC, and your deep Indigenous roots with Songhees, Iroquois, Kalapuya, and Coast Salish connections.

đŸ”č 4th Great‑Grandparents

  • Louis Shaegoskat (b. 1796) married Louise Shaegoskat (1811–1879)
    (French Canadian roots)

đŸ”č 3rd Great‑Grandparents (BrulĂ© / Maranda / Vautrin)

  • Joseph I. BrulĂ© (1831–1858) married Marguerite S. Maranda dit Jean‑Baptiste Vautrin (1833–1922)
    (French Canadian; possible Coast Salish/T’Sou-ke ancestral mix)

đŸ”č 2nd Great‑Grandparents (BrulĂ© / Poirier & Enos)

  • Ellen T. BrulĂ© (1856–1925) married Joseph Poirier (1829–1898)
  • Theresa Eliza (Songhees) (1836–1882) married Joseph Enos Sr. (1835–1918), son of JoĂŁo IgnĂĄcio d’Almada
    (Songhees ancestry and Portuguese lineage)

đŸ”č 3rd Great‑Grandparents (BrulĂ© / Vautrin)

  • Mary Ann BrulĂ© (born Marie Ann Louis FrisĂ©) (bapt. 1834–d.1922)
    Daughter of Louis “dit le FrisĂ©â€ (Iroquois) and Louise (Kalapuya)
    Baptized July 4, 1839 in Oregon
    1st married Joseph BrulĂ© — had six children (only Ellen & Cecile survived)
    Migrated from Oregon → Cowlitz → Victoria → Sooke after 1850
    2nd married Jean Baptiste Vautrin (from 1860) — had nine more children

đŸ”č Great‑Grandparents

  • From Mary Ann’s 1st marriage:
    Ellen BrulĂ© → married Joseph Poirier → their daughter: Mary Ann Poirier (b. 1870–d.1940)
  • From Songhees/Enos line:
    Joseph Enos Jr. (1867–1918), son of Theresa Eliza and Joseph Sr.

đŸ”č Grandparents

  • John J. Enos (1893–1956), son of Joseph Enos Jr., married Anna Nancy Anderson (1902–1982)

đŸ”č Parents

  • (My father’s ancestry— Bohemian + Swedish lines)

đŸ”č You

  • Christina Winterlik (Zipolita)

🌍 Cultural + Geographic Connections

  • Iroquois / Kalapuya – through Louis “dit le FrisĂ©â€ and Louise, whose children Mary Ann & Michel were baptized in 1839 in Oregon
  • Songhees (Lekwungen) – via Theresa Eliza, who married Joseph Enos, linking you to Indigenous Vancouver Island ancestry
  • French Canadian & Coast Salish – via the BrulĂ©, Poirier, Vautrin, Shaegoskat lines
  • Portuguese (Azorean) – via JoĂŁo IgnĂĄcio d’Almada (Enos paternal ancestry)
  • Swedish – through your paternal grandmother
  • Bohemian (Czech) – through your father

🌐 Migration Map: Oregon to Sooke

  • 1834: Mary Ann born in Marysville (now Corvallis), Willamette Valley, Oregon 
  • c.1839: Baptism in St. Paul mission, Oregon 
  • 1850: Moves with French Canadian families across border after Oregon Treaty
  • Settles in Cowlitz → moves to Victoria, BC, then Sooke, BC
  • Later, 1917 photo taken at Grande Ronde, OR, visiting daughter’s family

📝 Summary Statement (for future generations)

I am Christina Winterlik (Zipolita). My ancestry is woven from multiple cultures:

  • Songhees: via my 2nd great‑grandmother Theresa Eliza
  • Iroquois & Kalapuya: through Louis “dit le FrisĂ©â€ and Louise
  • French Canadian: BrulĂ©, Poirier, Shaegoskat lines migrated from Oregon’s French Prairie to BC
  • Portuguese (Azorean): through JoĂŁo IgnĂĄcio d’Almada / Enos line
  • Swedish & Bohemian: through my father’s side

These ancestors traversed from the Willamette Valley (OR) → Cowlitz → Victoria → Sooke, carrying Indigenous identity, resilience, cultural knowledge, and settler experiences across borders, highways, and generations. They built communities and left footprints in places like St. Paul, Cowlitz, Victoria, and Sooke—linking you to rights, land, and legacy.


đŸ”„ Carrying the Flame Forward

As I continue to build this tree and document these lives, I want people to know: we are still here. Our ancestors are not forgotten. We carry their memories, their teachings, and their dreams for a better world — one where our children are safe, our culture is respected, and our stories are celebrated.

“We are the granddaughters of the women they could not silence.”

If you are part of my family, or if our trees intertwine — please reach out. Let’s build this story together.

With love,
Tina Winterlik / Zipolita

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