# Chief Capilano — Legends of Vancouver character guide

> Chief Capilano in Legends of Vancouver by E. Pauline Johnson.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** the late Chief Capilano, Chief, Capilano, the first Capilano

**First appearance:** 0003-legends-of-vancouver

## Snapshot

A Squamish chief and master spearman whose lost elk-bone heirloom and vanished river drive him to chase a mystery only magic can explain.

## Who they are

Capilano stands at the center of the Deer Lake legend, a hunter whose skill with the spear is unmatched along the Fraser. His flaw is obsession: when the magic weapon returns to him through a giant seal's carcass, he spends the rest of his life searching for the hidden river the creature traveled, a channel even Indian eyes have never seen. His restless pursuit gives the early legends their gravity, tying personal loss to the land's secrets.

## Relationships

### [Unknown Narrator](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/legends_of_vancouver_se/characters/unknown_narrator)

_friendship_

Chief Capilano shares ancestral stories and wisdom with the narrator, acting as a cultural guide and trusted companion.

### [Napoleon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/legends_of_vancouver_se/characters/napoleon)

_friendship_

Chief Capilano and Napoleon share a camaraderie as fellow storytellers and community elders.

### [Chief Johnson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/legends_of_vancouver_se/characters/chief_johnson)

_friendship_

Chief Capilano and Chief Johnson are fellow tribal leaders who exchange stories and mutual respect.

### [Unknown Narrator](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/legends_of_vancouver_se/characters/unknown_narrator)

_friendship_

Chief Capilano shares ancestral stories and wisdom with the narrator, acting as a cultural guide and trusted companion.

### [Unknown Narrator](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/legends_of_vancouver_se/characters/unknown_narrator)

_friendship_

Chief Capilano shares ancestral stories and wisdom with the narrator, acting as a cultural guide and trusted companion.

### [Chief Johnson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/legends_of_vancouver_se/characters/chief_johnson)

_friendship_

Chief Capilano and Chief Johnson are fellow tribal leaders who exchange stories and mutual respect.

### [Napoleon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/legends_of_vancouver_se/characters/napoleon)

_friendship_

Chief Capilano and Napoleon share a camaraderie as fellow storytellers and community elders.

## In the story

### [Legends of Vancouver](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/legends_of_vancouver_se/chapters/legends-of-vancouver)

The late Chief Capilano, source of the legends.

### [The Two Sisters](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/legends_of_vancouver_se/chapters/the-two-sisters)

The narrator who tells the legend of the Two Sisters to Miss Johnson, recalling the story with deep cultural reverence.

### [The Siwash Rock](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/legends_of_vancouver_se/chapters/the-siwash-rock)

The old tillicum who tells the legend of Siwash Rock to the narrator.

### [The Recluse](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/legends_of_vancouver_se/chapters/the-recluse)

Tells the legend of the recluse to the narrator, linking the story to the landscape.

### [The Deep Waters](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/legends_of_vancouver_se/chapters/the-deep-waters)

The 'royal old tillicum' who visits during a rainstorm and tells the Squamish story of the Deluge.

### [The Sea-Serpent](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/legends_of_vancouver_se/chapters/the-sea-serpent)

Narrates the legend of the Salt-Chuck Oluk to the author, expressing deep regret at never having seen the Tenas Tyee.

### [Deadman’s Island](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/legends_of_vancouver_se/chapters/deadman-s-island)

Tells the legend of Deadman’s Island, describing the ancient battle and the sacrifice of the warriors.

### [A Squamish Legend of Napoleon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/legends_of_vancouver_se/chapters/a-squamish-legend-of-napoleon)

Narrates the legend of Napoleon and the lost talisman to Pauline Johnson, showing deep knowledge of European history blended with Squamish tradition.

### [Deer Lake](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/legends_of_vancouver_se/chapters/deer-lake)

The first Chief Capilano, a master spearman and hunter, who loses his elk-bone spear to a giant seal and later recovers it at Deer Lake.

### [A Royal Mohawk Chief](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/legends_of_vancouver_se/chapters/a-royal-mohawk-chief)

Not directly present in this chapter, but referenced as a figure from other stories; not applicable here.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/legends_of_vancouver_se/characters/chief_capilano
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/legends_of_vancouver_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/legends_of_vancouver_se/characters