The First Nations of British Columbia

by Muckle, Robert James

• ISBN13: 9780774813495
• ISBN10: 0774813490
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-11-30
• Publisher: Univ of British Columbia Pr

Summary

"The First Nations of British Columbia, 2nd edition, is a concise and accessible overview of First Nations peoples, cultures, and issues in the province. Robert J. Muckle familiarizes readers with the history, diversity, and complexity of First Nations to provide a context for contemporary concerns and initiatives."--BOOK JACKET.

Author Biography

Robert J. Muckle teaches anthropology at Capilano College in North Vancouver.

Table of Contents

Maps and Illustrations	vii
Preface to the First Edition	xi
Preface to the Second Edition	xiii
Part 1: First Nations Defined
What Is a First Nation?	2
Two Kinds of First Nations People	3
Population, Reserves, Settlements, and Lands	4
Bands, Ethnic Groups, Tribal Councils, and Other Affiliations	5
Suggested Reading	11
Part 2: Archaeology and First Peoples
First Nations and Archaeological Perceptions of the Past	14
The Nature of Archaeological Research in British Columbia	15
Early Migrations through British Columbia	18
Here to Stay	19
Settling Down	20
Prominent Sites	20
Tracing Ancestry	25
Suggested Reading	27
Part 3: Ethnology and Traditional Lifeways
Anthropology and Oral Tradition	30
Traditional Culture Areas of British Columbia	35
Languages	38
Population	40
Settlement Patterns	40
Diet	45
Technology	47
Social Organization	50
Myths, Spirits, and Shamans	52
Health and Healing	55
Art	56
The Potlatch and Other Important Ceremonies	58
Trade, Slavery, and Warfare	59
Suggested Reading	61
Part 4: First Nations in Recent and Contemporary Times
Population Loss	64
The Impact of the Fur Trade	65
The Impact of the Gold Rushes	67
The Impact of Non-Native Settlement	68
Missionaries and Residential Schools	69
First Nations and Wage Labour	73
Government Relations with First Nations	74
Assertions of Aboriginal Rights	84
Negotiations in the 1990's and Early Twenty-First Century	86
Economic and Cultural Initiatives	88
Asserting Identity through Art	89
Outstanding Issues	90
Suggested Reading	96
Appendices
1 The First Nations of British Columbia	98
2 Major Ethnic Groups	124
3 Excerpts from the Royal Proclamation, 1763	130
4 Excerpts from the Laurier Memorial, 1910	132
5 Highlights from the Nisga'a Final Agreement, 2000	135
6 First Nations Involved in Treaty Negotiations, 2006	139
Glossary	142
Selected Bibliography	147