The murder of George Antone, an elder with the Kwantlen First Nations who was shot to death in his home on McMillan Island, where he was born 71 years ago, has shaken the Kwantlen people of Fort 91原创.

Not only that, said a long-time resident of the reserve, it has stunned the Kwantlen people throughout the Valley.

Antone died of gunshot wounds, police said on Wednesday morning, when they first revealed details of the murder. He was discovered dead by a family member.

鈥淭his has been a devastating tragedy for our community,鈥� said Kwantlen First Nations鈥� counsellor, Tumia Knott.

鈥淕eorge was a very respected elder in our community and we are trying to deal with many emotions right now.鈥�

The Kwantlen First Nations in Fort 91原创 is a community of approximately 90 people.

鈥淚n Kwantlen, our families are all connected,鈥� Knott said. 鈥淥bviously George鈥檚 family and all our community are in grieving right now.鈥�

91原创 RCMP report that they were called to the 9400 block of Glover Road, on the Fort 91原创 reserve, at 5:15 p.m. on Monday by B.C. Ambulance Service. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team spent two days at the scene with 91原创 RCMP鈥檚 serious crime unit and the RCMP鈥檚 First Nations Policing Unit.

IHIT spokesperson Sgt. Peter Thiessen told reporters it was two days before investigators could be certain foul play was involved.

鈥淲hen we first attended here, based on what we found at the scene, it wasn鈥檛 clear as to what the factors were in regards to his cause of death,鈥� Thiessen said on Wednesday afternoon.

鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 clear whether we were dealing with a homicide, an accident or something else, something intentional. So it took some time for us to be clear on what in fact we were dealing with. As soon as we had that definitively we came forward first thing this morning. We did not have that information until late last night.鈥�

Late last year, The Times interviewed Antone in his home for a feature which appeared in Sideroads, the magazine which was distributed  with The Times鈥� Wednesday, March 9 edition. Sideroads went to press last Friday, March 4.

Antone lived on McMillan Island until he was seven years old. He was taken to a residential school for the next decade, living far from home. The first residential facility was on Kuper Island, off the coast of Vancouver Island. Later, he would be moved to a residential school in Sechelt.

Life was tough and traumatizing for the children in residential homes. Some children tried to escape by swimming for shore. Most drowned, and when their parents came to visit them, they were told that their children had run away.

鈥淭he food was terrible,鈥� Antone recalled. So bad, in fact, that as a 16-year-old he stood almost six feet tall but weighed only 127 pounds.

鈥淚t was real sad the way they treated us,鈥� he said.

鈥淲e still got strapped every day, it was a very sad part of our lives, that residential school. My son got to go to school in 91原创. He was lucky.鈥�

The children were forbidden from speaking their own language. 鈥淭hey told us to talk like them. We were called savages.鈥�

When he finally left, he became a logger and fisherman.

鈥淚 still fish,鈥� he said in the interview.

In the interview, he praised Chief Marilyn Gabriel. She and her husband, Kevin Kelly, were good friends of Antone.

鈥淢arilyn helps us when she can. She鈥檚 a good chief, she is making life better for us.鈥�

He was glad that drumming had come back to the reserve.

鈥淭here are days when they drum and sing the old songs. When someone dies we drum, we don鈥檛 bring the priest anymore.鈥�

Antone will be buried in the Kwantlen cemetery on Lougheed Highway after funeral services take place. They are being arranged for this weekend in Fort 91原创.

The full interview with George Antone is also posted on The Times鈥� website.

One reader who called The Times after hearing about the murder said the interview is an 鈥渁mazing tribute鈥� to Antone鈥檚 indomitable spirit.