Peter Simpson (Native rights activist) facts for kids
Peter Simpson (born around 1871, died 1947) was an important Tsimshian leader. He fought for the rights of Alaska Native people. He also helped start the first business in Alaska owned by Indigenous people.
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Peter Simpson's Early Life
Peter Simpson was likely born on July 4, 1871. This was either in Metlakatla, British Columbia or Lax Kw'alaams (also called Port Simpson) in British Columbia, Canada. When he was about 16, he moved to Alaska. This happened in 1887. About 800 Tsimshian people from "Old Metlakatla," B.C., moved to create "New Metlakatla," Alaska.
Peter was part of the Gispwudwada (Killerwhale clan) of the Tsimshian people. His aunt and uncle, Henry and Alice Ridley, raised him. He was also related to a well-known leader, Rev. Edward Marsden.
Moving the Church
Peter Simpson was well-liked by William Duncan. Duncan was a Christian leader who founded the Metlakatla communities. When Peter was young, Duncan sent him and seven others on a special trip. They went by canoe from New Metlakatla to Old Metlakatla. Their job was to take apart the church building they had left behind. Some stories say they took the church apart and used its materials. They then returned to Alaska.
Business and Community Work
Peter Simpson and another Tsimshian man, Mark Hamilton, started a sawmill business. This was in a place called Port Gravina, near Ketchikan. They started it in 1892. This sawmill was a part of the Metlakatla community that followed the Presbyterian faith. The sawmill operated until 1904, when it was destroyed in a fire.
After the fire, Peter Simpson moved to Juneau. Later, he moved to Sitka. In Sitka, he owned a business that built boats.
Fighting for Native Rights
In 1912, Peter Simpson became a very important leader. He was chosen to lead a committee that would create the Alaska Native Brotherhood (ANB). He was the only member of this committee who was not Tlingit. Many people call him the "father of the ANB." He is also known as the "father of Land Claims" in Alaska. This means he started the long process of fighting for Native land rights. This fight later led to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, which happened after his death.
"Then Fight for It"
Peter Simpson is famous for a powerful quote. In 1925, at an ANB meeting, he spoke to William Paul. Paul was another important Tlingit leader who fought for land rights.
Peter Simpson asked, "Willie, who owns this land?" William Paul thought for a moment and then said, "We do." Peter Simpson then told him, "Then fight for it."
This exchange was so important that William Paul's son, Fred Paul, named his book about his father Then Fight for It.
Later Life and Legacy
In 1935, Peter Simpson helped build a sawmill in Sitka. He was also very involved with the Sheldon Jackson School in Sitka. This school later became Sheldon Jackson College. In 1936, Peter built the school's workboat, called the SJS. Later, in 1942, this boat became a patrol boat for the U.S. Navy.
Peter Simpson married Mary Sloan, who was a Tlingit woman from Sitka. They had fifteen children together. Peter Simpson passed away on December 27, 1947, in Sitka. His work helped shape the future of Native rights in Alaska.
