Library Guides @ VIU: Primary Sources: Indigenous Peoples

Cultural caution statement

Please note that links and resources on this guide may include names, images, and voices of deceased persons.

Primary Sources: Indigenous Peoples, Vancouver Island & Region

These selected sources offer primary documents, images, news, and other information related to First Nations.

Colonial Despatches
Digital archive containing correspondence between the British Colonial Office and the colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia from 1846 – 1871.
Delgamuukw Trial Transcripts | UBC Library
"Proceedings at trial transcripts of the historic Supreme Court of British Columbia case between Delgamuukw... and Her Majesty the Queen... Considered a crucial turning point in treaty negotiations, the court's decision in this case upheld aboriginal title in British Columbia."
Fort Victoria Journal
The Fort Victoria Post Journal is a daily account of occurrences at the fort in the critical time between May 1846 and May 1850.
Historical Cartographic Collections | University of Victoria
Includes:
Early B.C. Maps from the National Archives of England
Early B.C. Maps from the Hudson's Bay Company Archives, Archives of Manitoba
Victoria's Early History: Maps
Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group
[Access via Internet Archive]
"The Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group was founded in 1993 to jointly negotiate a comprehensive treaty with British Columbia and Canada in the BC Treaty Process. We represent over 6,000 members in six First Nations: Chemainus First Nation, Cowichan Tribes, Halalt First Nation, Lake Cowichan First Nation, Lyackson First Nation and Penelakut Tribe."
Our Legacy | University of Saskatchewan Archives | Northwest Coast
Online archival and published material from the University of Saskatchewan Archives pertaining to the Northwest Coast culture area. Includes textual material, documents related to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, pamphlets, postcards, articles and more.
VI Treaties: The Vancouver Island Treaties of 1850-1854 | Video of conference proceedings, May 11-12, 2012
"On May 10 and 11, 2012 the Snuneymuxw First Nation and Vancouver Island University (VIU) joined together to co-host a historic major conference on the pre-confederation treaties of Vancouver Island (sometimes called the “Douglas Treaties”)... video of the full conference proceedings is being made available online."

Primary Sources: Indigenous Peoples in BC

BC Archives - Genealogy
Search indexes for births (1854-1903); marriages (1872-1938); deaths (1872-1993); colonial marriages (1859-1872); and baptisms (1836-1888)
Colonial Despatches
Digital archive containing correspondence between the British Colonial Office and the colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia from 1846 – 1871.
MoA Collections Online | Museum of Anthropology, UBC
Reciprocal Research Network: Online access to First Nations Items from the Northwest Coast
"The RRN is an online tool to facilitate reciprocal and collaborative research about cultural heritage from the Northwest Coast of British Columbia. The RRN enables communities, cultural institutions and researchers to work together. Members can build their own projects, collaborate on shared projects, upload files, hold discussions, research museum projects, and create social networks."
Residential Schools: Photographic Collections - British Columbia | Library and Archives Canada
Royal BC Museum: Human History Collections
UBCIC (Union of BC Indian Chiefs) Digital Collections
Multiple collections are available online via UBCIC's Digital Collections Library, including:
UBCIC Photographs — Images from the UBCIC Archives
UBCIC Posters — Virtual exhibit of posters published by the UBCIC
UBCIC Periodicals, including:
- Unity, UBCIC's first newsletter published 1970-1971
- Nesika, newsletter published 1972-1977
- UBCIC News, newsletter published 1977-1980
- Information bulletins published 1978-1996
- Indian World, newsletter published 1979-1983
- Various UBCIC newsletters published 1984-2002
- UBCIC Up-date, Newsletter and News
- Digital collection of UBCIC newsletters 1985-2002
- McKenna-McBride Royal Commission, Minutes of Decision 1913-1916"
Up and Down the Coast: Records of Missions to First Nations in British Columbia | United Church of Canada
Historic photographs and documents from the collections in the United Church of Canada National General Council Archives in Toronto, Ontario.
First Nations Research Guide | BC Archives
2018

Primary Sources: Indigenous Peoples in Canada

Indigenous Heritage | Library and Archives Canada
Documents (images, text) from the collections of Library and Archives Canada. Includes information about Project Naming.
American Journeys: Eyewitness Accounts of Early American Exploration
Eyewitness accounts of North American 'exploration', including accounts of First Peoples, missionaries, traders, settlers and explorers in book, manuscripts, and travel narrative formats (Library and archives of the Wisconsin Historical Society).

Borderlands, Settlement & Colonial Encounters [ Frontier Life ] * This link opens in a new window
* A note on the database title. VIU Library facilitates access to this database by listing it under B for Borderlands, not by the vendor title which begins with the word “Frontier”. Frontier is a term that is sufficiently problematic that certain progressive historians have called it the “F-word”. It is emblematic of a colonial worldview, carrying notions of inevitable advancement of progress and civilization, of adventure and exceptionalism. We have advised the provider of our concerns, and have taken this action while they consider theirs.
This collection of digitized primary source materials from Adam Matthew Digital documents relationships and interactions between new arrivals and indigenous peoples.Coverage includes sources from North America, Africa and Australasia, including documents from the Glenbow Museum and Hudson Bay’s Archive. The collection deals with themes that include: settlement development, law and order, violence, expeditions and exploration, relations with Indigenous peoples, trade and commerce, death and disease, missionaries and religion, women’s history, military matters, mining, religion, gold rushes, settler governance, contested boundaries, agriculture and livestock.

Canadian Museum of History: Collections
Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions (CIHM) in LibrarySearch
more...less...
Pre-1900 Canadian publications. Many are available free online via the Library. The Library also has many of these publications on microfiche.
Digital Archives: Database Project
Includes: Métis historical documents, genealogical sources, Hudson's Bay Company Records, Church missionary records, and personal Métis accounts.

Indigenous Peoples: North America This link opens in a new window
Collections include:
The Alaska Indian Language Collection (Gonzaga University)
The Association on American Indian Archives (AAIA and Princeton University)
Citizenship Case Files of the U.S. Court in Indian Territory, 1896‐1897 (U.S. National Archives)
Great Nemaha Agency Collection, 1866‐1873 (Wichita State University)
The Indian School Journal (Chilocco Indian School)
The Javitch Collection (University of Alberta)
Letters Sent by the Indian Division of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior, 1849‐1903 (U.S. National Archives)
Moravian Mission among the Indians of North America (Moravian Archives)
The Pacific Northwest Tribes Missions Collection of the Oregon Province Archives of the Society of Jesus, 1853‐1960 (Gonzaga University)
Papers of Henry Rowe Schoolcraft (Library of Congress)
The Papers of the Society of American Indians, 1906‐1946 (Private Collection of John Larner)
Records of the Creek Factory of the Office of Indian Trade of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1795‐1821 (U.S. National Archives)
W. S. Prettyman Photograph Collection (Wichita State University)

iPortal: Indigenous Studies Portal Research Tool
Includes: articles, theses, documents, photographs, archival resources, maps, etc.
Library and Archives Canada - Ancestors Search
MoA Collections Online | Museum of Anthropology, UBC
National Aboriginal Document Database
Includes statuses/act, court decisions, and treaties.
OurOntario.ca
Elder's Traditional Knowledge Archive | University College of the North
"... a collection of digitized audio and video recordings reflecting Northern Manitoba's Indigenous culture, heritage, and language. This project has been funded by the Library and Archives Canada's Listen, Hear our Voices initiative and in partnership with the Keewatin Tribal Council. The intent of this project is to preserve the content stored in original formats, and to make the digitized materials available for researchers and the communities, further contributing the Northern Manitoba's rich heritage. ...Permission for digitization and online publication has been granted by original contributors, their representatives or organizations holding copyright. The access and use of the recordings on the Elder's Traditional Knowledge is for educational, research, and noncommercial purposes only."
Peel's Prairie Provinces
"a resource dedicated to assisting scholars, students, and researchers of all types in their exploration of western Canadian history and the culture of the Canadian prairies."
Project Naming | Library and Archives Canada
Renewing the relationship: Key documents
[Access via Internet Archive]
"As the Government of Canada moves forward in establishing a renewed nation-to-nation relationship with Indigenous Peoples, certain key documents will be consulted and made more available to Canadians through this web page. Visit this page often as we will continue to add to it.
This is not an exhaustive list. These key documents are a part of larger discussions taking place with all Canadians on topics related to Indigenous Peoples. For more, please use the Government of Canada's publications index."
People to People Nation to Nation: Highlights from the Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (1996)
Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (1996) (online version with Library and Archives Canada)

RG 10 Archival Resources

The RG 10 microfilm reels in the Library collection have been selected for their relevance to First Nations research & study particularly, but not exclusively, for the West Coast region.

This full text resource provides examples of primary material.

RG 10 constitutes the historical records created by the Department of Indian Affairs and includes letters, correspondence, and files on various aspects of Indian administration.

The Library's holdings only represent part of the entire collection held at the National Archives of Canada in Ottawa.

To access these records, search LibrarySearch, or the library catalogue, using the keyword: "RG 10"

There are a total of 45 records which should result, with the call number range E 78 C2 B5 C-xxxx ( x = various numbers).

There is a print guide (located in the Reference collection) that corresponds to each microfilm reel.

The microfilm collection is located in the microfilm cabinets on the main (3rd floor) of the library. (Note: Each record has the title of the information for which the reel was obtained; however, each reel also contains other information not related to the title.)

Examples of RG 10 Archival Microfilms:

General correspondence regarding steps to curtail Potlatch among the Indians of British Columbia (1895-1898)
Victoria, British Columbia correspondence regarding the concubinage of Indian women by white men (1878-1884)
Cowichan agency correspondence regarding Potlatch (1889-1890)
British Columbia : various petitions from Indian bands concerning Indian women unlawfully residing with white men (1872-1891)
British Columbia: reports from various agents as to the truth of newspaper statements that leprosy is being communicated to Indians by the Chinese (1891-1900)
British Columbia problems with medicine men (1891-1922)
General correspondence, reports and newspaper clipping on the preservation of totem poles in British Columbia (1926-1927)
Correspondence regarding the building of a detention home for Indian girls and women in British Columbia (1913-1928)
Cowichan agency (South Island District) : correspondence regarding land for the Nanaimo Indian Day School (1920-1923)
West Coast agency construction of a new residential school at Port Alberni, British Columbia (1939-1940)
West Coast agency correspondence relative to the Port Alberni Residential School, British Columbia (1939)
Cowichan agency Nanaimo Day School: vocational training (1924-1938)
Cowichan agency: right of way for the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway through Nanoose Reserve No.1 (1907-1952)

RG 10 Online

RG 10 constitutes the historical records created by the Department of Indian Affairs and includes letters, correspondence, and files on various aspects of Indian administration.

From RG 10, the School Files Series 1879-1953 are available online.

Library

Primary Sources

Cultural caution statement

Primary Sources: Indigenous Peoples, Vancouver Island & Region

Primary Sources: Indigenous Peoples in BC

Primary Sources: Indigenous Peoples in Canada

RG 10 Archival Resources

RG 10 Online

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