BCFN 12 Review: Chapters 4, 5, 6

Chapter 6: 1911 Victoria Conference

Prior to 1911, there was no organized resistance by BC First Nations peoples; most resistance was
undertaken by individual First Nations
A group called the Indian Tribes of BC formed, and in 1911 they had a conference in Victoria (with the
BC premier, Richard McBride) to discuss issues important to First Nations peoples. Almost 100 chiefs
and leaders met with the premier; the conference was a unified protest against how the province was
treating First Nations people. Peter Kelly (age 25) was an educated, well-spoken, Haida man who was
chosen to represent the chiefs at the Conference.
At the 1911 Victoria Conference, Premier Richard McBride totally rejected the idea of Aboriginal title; he
believed that First Nations people did not have any right to the land.
USE YOUR CLASS TIME EFFICIENTLY:

READ the outline below

As you read, put a star next to the topics you dont know well.
After reading the outline, search for answers to the topics you put a star beside.
In point form, answer the following questions as thoroughly as you can.
After you have answered the starred topics, find answers to all of the other topics.
** Know the highlighted terms throughout all of the chapters, for example: hegemony, treaty,
enfranchisement, pre-empt land, etc.***

Fur trade (ch. 4):

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Describe the Aboriginal involvement in

o the LAND fur trade
o The MARITIME fur trade

How were the two fur trades DIFFERENT?

How were Aboriginal women involved in the fur trade?

How did the fur trade affect / change the First Nations ways of life, in terms of:
o Governance?
o Economics? (think of what the First Nations received from trading furs)
o Health?
o Society? (think of the traditional resource use patterns)

Colonial era (ch. 5):

Compare and contrast Trutch and Douglas

o Which policies did they each introduce?
o What was their philosophy or beliefs about First Nations peoples?
o What are they each best known for?
o What were reservations?

What was gunboat justice?

o When were the gunboats sent out?
o What was the purpose?
o What would happen when the gunboat arrived? How did the situation escalate?

How did the gold miners perceive the First Nations people?

What was the Chilcotin war?

o Who was involved?
o Where did it occur?
o What was the outcome?

Canada takes control (ch. 6):

-

What was the name of the act that made Canada a country? In what year did it take effect (ie: in
what year did Canada become a country?)

In which year did British Columbia become a part of Canada?

What was the significance of the Indian Act?

o In what year did the Indian Act become law?
o How did it affect the ways that First Nations people lived? Think of their
Identity as people
Freedom of movement
Use of alcohol
Local government
Stewardship of the land

How long was the reserve system supposed to last? (see the top of page 94)

Why was the potlach banned?

Residential schools
o What was the purpose of residential schools?
o What were some of the results of residential schools?