Recollections by Daryl Minnabarriet on his great-grandfather’s origins

Daryl Minnabarriet (1947- ) is the only child of Louis Joseph “Joe” Minnabarriet (1911-1981) and Florence Marie Minnabarriet (née Lafleur, 1923-2001), a Métis woman from Saskatchewan. Daryl’s father Joe is the fourth of six children of Louis Joseph Antoine Globe Minnabarriet (1868-1941) and Nancy Frances (1877-1970), who was of Nlaka’pamux and Nez Perce descent. She was adopted and raised by Chief Shamahallsee at P’ukaist. Daryl lives in Spences Bridge with his wife Lori (née Moreland, from Kansas, of Cherokee and English descent).

Transcription

“Great-grandfather was a prospector from the USA. I have no idea how he came over from France. Probably didn’t have money for the fare to go around Cape Horn so I’m theorizing that he came via the Oregon Trail because that’s how he came to Oregon. The Cariboo Gold Rush occurred at same time and BC got invaded by gold miners. Great-Grandfather Louis Globe Antoine Minnabarriet (explains the French pronunciation) had a horse-drawn wagon and I think a few cattle. They came up the Fraser river canyon. His wagon broke down just north of Spences Bridge. He looked around and liked the country – water, open range for cattle, so decided not to go up to the gold fields. So he settled. He pre-empted – fancy term for stealing Native lands – 160 acres and called it Basque ranch. The ranch is still in operation today, 20 miles north of Spences Bridge on Hwy 1. Others are ranching there and hold alfalfa fields. It’s now owned by our band, Cook’s Ferry Band.”