Jean Baptiste Lolo facts for kids

Chief Jean Baptiste Lolo with his wife and two daughters outside his HBC cabin – 1865

Jean Baptiste Lolo (born 1798 in Alberta, died 1868 in British Columbia) was an important leader and interpreter. He was also known as St. Paul or Chief Lolo. He worked for the Hudson's Bay Company, a very large fur trading company, in what is now British Columbia. This was before Canada became a country.

Jean Baptiste Lolo was the son of Chief Michael Okanese 'Little Bone' Cardinal. He first worked at a place called Fort Fraser. There, he got the nickname "St. Paul" because he really admired that saint. He became a trusted helper for John Tod, another important person in the fur trade. Lolo followed Tod to Fort Kamloops and stayed in that area for the rest of his life. He earned great respect from the local Secwepemc (also known as Shuswap) people. They respected him so much that he became known as a chief among them.

One visitor described Chief Lolo as having a very strong and piercing gaze, even when he was not feeling well. This visitor, named Mayne, wondered how Lolo could lead his people when he was sick. Lolo just smiled and showed Mayne a loaded gun and a sword kept near his bed. This showed that he was always ready to protect and lead his people. Even when he was ill, Lolo showed amazing strength. He got out of bed, rode his horse, and even went with Mayne to see the view from a nearby mountain. That mountain was later named Mount St. Paul in his honor. Lolo also insisted on joining Mayne for the next part of his journey.

One of Lolo's daughters, Sophia, married John Tod in 1843. This was a "country marriage," which was a common way for fur traders to marry Indigenous women at the time. While many such marriages ended, John Tod stayed true to Sophia. He later married her officially in a legal ceremony.

Legacy

Chief Lolo's name lives on in several places. Mount Lolo, which is northeast of Kamloops near Heffley Lake, was named after him. Lolo Lake and Lolo Creek, also in the same area, carry his name too. Other places like "Paul" and "St. Paul" (for example, Paul Lake Provincial Park) are also thought to be named after him. There is even another Mount Lolo on Quadra Island that is believed to be named for him.

See also

• Lolo (disambiguation)