Territories

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School

University of British Columbia *

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425

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Geography

Date

Oct 30, 2023

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docx

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Uploaded by sumeragiakeiko

Indigenous or Aboriginal: Which is correct? Throughout this course, you will see the terms Indigenous , Aboriginal and First Nations used to refer to the original inhabitants of the land we now call Canada. The reason for this is that different terms have been used since European explorers first came to North America and began to interact with the people who were already here. The video below explains a bit more about the history of terminology for the First People of Canada. For the purposes of this course, the three terms will be used interchangeably, although this is not always correct. Please ensure whichever term you use in your assignments, you capitalize it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEzjA5RoLv0 ntroduction to Territories At the heart of the traditional Indigenous people's world view is a profound respect for life and the natural world from which life springs. This respect is central to maintaining spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental equilibrium between all persons, and between humans and nature. Prayer and meditation is embodied in Indigenous traditions and ceremonies that recognize, celebrate, and assert what it means to be an Indigenous person, and which honour the relationship between humans and the land. This video explains the importance of the area around a beautiful ancient village site called Hauyat to the Heiltsuk people. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voZBiMYcWGM

Underlying the appreciation for nature is an understanding that all life is interconnected, and that human beings are a part of a larger life cycle that allows you to travel through the world. Traditionally, Indigenous people lived off the land taking only what was needed. This concept has been passed down from one generation to the next in spite of the fact that, due to the colonial occupation, most Indigenous peoples were forced to radically change how they had lived for thousands of years. With the cultural genocide introduced by colonial settlers, with the incarceration of Indigenous people in reserve territories, and with the absence of a widespread fluency in traditional languages, the knowledge of the Elders has not been shared in those languages with today's younger generation to the same extent as in the past. Nonetheless, language revitalization initiatives are occurring in many Indigenous cultures. The traditional Indigenous family extends beyond one's immediate family relations; it includes siblings, parents, Elders, extended family, clan , band , and tribe . Historically, shared child care existed in every Indigenous community. The individual is considered the life of the group, and therefore the freedom and strength of the group is found in each individual. Life is understood as an ongoing process of connectedness to the world, and therefore the relationship between individuals, the community, and the world is considered sacred. The Shape of the Land The land provided everything that Indigenous people living in the territories we now call British Columbia needed to survive. However, the diverse physical geography influenced the

different cultural practices and reflect the areas each group inhabited. As you can see from the relief map of BC below, the place which today we call British Columbia is a land of many different climates and habitats, but there is one constant: this is a province of mountains. The land is dominated by a series of mountain chains running roughly north-south, from the Coast Mountains in the west to the Rocky Mountains in the east. Between the mountain ranges lie valleys and plateau regions such as the Cariboo, the Okanagan Valley, and the Rocky Mountain trench. On the coast, the would-be valleys are flooded by the sea, forming islands and fjords.

Image: Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=671618 If British Columbia is a place of mountains, it is also a place of water - of rivers, lakes, channels, and inlets. These waterways, formed by the mountains, define the land and its people. A

large part of B.C. is drained by four major river systems: the Fraser, Skeena, Columbia (see image below, Columbia River at Revelstoke, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_River ), and Peace. These rivers and their valleys provide living space, transportation routes, and habitat for fish. Many of the abundant resources found in the province come from the mountains, including forests, food plants, minerals, game, and fur-bearing animals. The waters are equally rich, especially with fish like the Pacific salmon and oolichan. The ocean provides a wide array of food sources, from large sea mammals to small molluscs. Rivers and lakes, too, offer a variety of foods, including fish. This land and its resources shape the lives of the people who have lived here for thousands of years. The mountains create barriers for people, but they also act as landmarks and natural boundaries. Their peaks and ranges enclose many river systems, both large and small, and these watersheds are a logical way of defining territories. The territories of many First Nations of B.C. are based on the boundaries formed by watersheds. For thousands of years, Indigenous people have inhabited the valleys, plateaus, and coastline of this mountainous land, and

they have adapted to the variations in climate, topography, and resources in different ways, resulting in a wide variety of societies. Separate Indigenous languages are spoken by distinct groups. Of the sixty Indigenous languages in Canada, half are found in British Columbia. Each First Nation developed a unique relationship with the territory it inhabited. To a large degree, this relationship dictated the social organization and governance system. Generally speaking, interior people shared many similar features of social organization, as did the people of the coast. Interior societies generally had flexible governing systems, while those on the coast had much more structured governance. Interior societies were democratic and usually did not have a class system. Family groups associated together to form an identifiable group, sometimes referred to as a band. Their own name for this group usually referred to some feature of their territory. For instance, the Secwepemc people living near Skola'ten (Williams Lake) were the "People of Skola'ten." Interior groups had a head chief as leader, but usually he acted more as a father or adviser than a powerful ruler. He consulted with the Elders whenever important decisions were made. For some First Nations of the interior, this position was hereditary, usually determined patrilineally for others, the leader was elected according to his abilities and held a temporary position. The head chief was not the leader in all activities of the group. The person most qualified, or the one who had been specifically trained, was chosen to direct a particular activity. For instance, the best hunter would lead hunting expeditions; the bravest and most skillful warrior would lead warfare; the greatest orator would deliver speeches. The people of the coast have many different characteristics, but they share some common features which people who study cultures call the Northwest Coast culture. These societies had

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