Fred Shaughnessy – Ambassador of Kwak’wala, the ancient language of the Americas

Kwak’wala is an ancient native Canadian language, spoken by only about two hundred native people on Vancouver Island.

Fred Shaughnessy, a Kwakwaka’wakw, or Kwak’wala speaker, recently passed away at the age of ninety, leaving behind a colorful legacy that will likely never be repeated.

Fred retained the Kwak’wala language that he learned from birth, never having been exposed to the English language. He was one of a very select group of speakers who actually knew the historical pronunciation. In fact, there is no one under the age of 35 who can claim this distinction.

Fred’s early career was working for Indian Affairs among the Kwak’wala-speaking people. People were amazed that he knew the language since he did not have the physical appearance of a native.

Growing up near the water, Fred quickly developed a love of fishing and, according to his father, caught his first salmon at the age of eight. Fred sold a whopping fifty-two pounds for an astronomical price of ten cents a pound. With his new fortune, he gathered his friends, bought and shared a box of powdered jelly with them.

Fred learned his English while attending St. Michael’s Anglican Residential School, where he was prohibited from speaking Kwak’wala. A natural athlete with an innate ability to analyze and apply new knowledge with determination, he played soccer and later took up golf. As with every athletic endeavor he tackled, Fred eventually became a four handicapper and ended up becoming the president of the Powell River and Sunnydale Golf Club.

An excellent pilot, he started out teaching but when World War II came, he joined the air force. After the war, he returned to Alert Bay and went back to fishing with his father. A few years later, he married Winifred Jeffrey, whom he met at St. Michael’s, and eventually resumed his work with Indian Affairs.

Fred passed away peacefully on August 20, 2009 at the age of ninety, leaving behind his children, several grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. The ancient language of Kwak-wala has lost one of its most colorful Kwakwaka’wakw.