George Faito

George Faito, a native of Hawaii, joined the Hudson’s Bay Company at O’ahu in April 1830. He was stationed at Fort Vancouver (1830-1831) and Fort Simpson (1831-1833) as a middleman. Between 1833 and 1849, Faito worked various positions at Fort Simpson, including middleman, labourer, and sawyer. He was stationed at Fort Victoria from 1849 to 1853. Catholic Church records register a George F., married to a woman by the name of Josephine (1824-1849), and that they had one daughter, Catherine (1848-1849). Josephine’s death is recorded in the Fort Victoria Journal on 28th June, 1849, likely from influenza which was prevalent among those living at the Fort. If the dates for Catherine are accurate she may have succumbed to the same illness as her mother.

Sources:

• Barman, Jean and Bruce Watson, Leaving Paradise: Indigenous Hawaiians in the Pacific Northwest. (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2006).
• “Fatio, George.” B.C. Metis Mapping Research Project. http://ubc.bcmetis.ca/hbc_ bio_ profile.php?id =OTY4 .