15 HI HISTORICAL EVENTS IN THE STIKINE RIVER AREA Introduction In order to reconstruct traditional or way of life of the Tahltan people. prehistoric subsistence and settlement While the sequence of historic events on patterns it is considered essential in the the Stikine River was similar to that present study to understand the extent and occurring in other areas of British manner in which the traditional patterns Columbia, the influence of direct European have been influenced and changed by contact on traditional Tahltan culture was European contact. To this end, library and felt much later than in most areas. archival research has been conducted in Throughout the historic period, Tahltans order to outline the historical events in the have maintained strong ties to their land Stikine area and the kinds of influences and to those aspects of their traditional these events have had on the traditional culture related to a subsistence economy. Discovery and the Fur Trade Era European discovery of the Stikine River the vicinity of the Tah 11 an-S t ikine is attributed to early fur trading ships on confluence, where they were exchanged for the coast. The Russian sea based fur trade large quantities of interior furs. The was stimulated by Bering's discovery in Tahltan in turn acted as middlemen, 1741 that the northwest coast of America exchanging goods obtained from the Tlingit was rich in furs, particularly sea otter for furs from the Kaska and other interior (Galbraith 1957:114). Although the many groups. shoals and channels of the Stikine estuary After the amalgamation of the Hudson's were mapped by Captain Vancouver in 1793, Bay Company with the Northwest Company the explorer did not recognize the existence in 1821, the Hudson's Bay Company began of a large river. Ship journals indicate expanding its operations to the western that Captain Cleveland in the sloop slope of the Rocky Mountains. The "Dragon" and Captain Rowan in the sloop explorations of Samuel Black in the "Eliza" both visited the Stikine delta in northern interior during the summer of 1799 (Dawson 1888:61B). The Russian 1824 made the company aware of the trading American Company, created in 1799, was patterns established between the interior granted a monopoly on the fur trade on the Indians and the coastal tribes (Fisher Pacific coast north of 5 5° latitude, which 1977:3 1, Rich 1959:597). In an attempt to it held until 1839. reach the Stikine fur trade from the The Tlingit became famous as middlemen interior, John McLeod set out from Fort in the fur trade with the Russians. The Halkett on the Liard River in 183 4, traditional trading patterns between the discovered Dease Lake and followed coastal Tlingit and the Tahltan were aboriginal trails across to the Stikine River. intensified during this period. The Stikine However, this and other attempts to make chief, Shakes, held a monopoly on trade up contact with the "trading Nahannies", as the Stikine River similar to that of the they were known at that time, were Tsimshian chief, Legaic, on the Skeena River unsuccessful due to the fear of reported (Fisher 1977:32). Chief Shakes brought hostilities on the part of the Indians. Russian goods, including very desirable It was not until 1838 that Robert metals, up the river to a trading camp in Campbell made his way from Fort Halkett 16 TAHLTAN ETHNOARCHAEOLOGY to the Stikine River and crossed "terror 1957:154, Rich 1959:665). The British took bridge" over the Tuya, to become the first over the fort on Wrangell Island in 1840 white man to make contact with the which was renamed Fort Stikine, and built Tahltan tribe. Although his encounter another near the mouth of the Taku River. with the Tahltans and their chieftainess The Stikine Tlingit, however, were not to appeared peaceful enough, his life was in be denied their monopoly on the interior danger since Chief Shakes was among them fur trade and set about harassing Hudson's on a trading expedition. Chief Shakes had Bay Company operations. Fort Stikine was so impressed upon the Tahltans that white attacked several times (Dawson 1888:61B) traders from the interior were enemies and until the company was forced to suspend should be killed, that Campbell was attempts to occupy the interior and restrict discouraged from staying in their camp trading operations to the coast (Rich (Campbell 1958: July 23, 1838). 1959:637). Campbell spent the winter of 1838-39 Intensified trading activities between the at Dease Lake. Although the Tahltans on Tlingit and Tahltan brought about increased occasion brought him a fresh supply of intermarriage between the two groups, the provisions, they threatened him severely, use of Tlingit as the language of trade, and saying that their country was defiled by his the adoption of many aspects of Tlingit presence. They demanded high prices for social customs and organization including their furs, as well as payment for displays of wealth and status. The occupying their land. They resented the introduction of metals replaced the disruption of established trading patterns traditional use of obsidian, bone, and antler and indicated that if Campbell would not in the manufacture of tools with cutting trade in the manner of the Russians then he and chopping functions, providing increased should clear out (Wilson 19 70 :37-38). efficiency in tool use. The demand for furs Campbell had great difficulty in surviving intensified an existing traditional activity that winter. The Indians he had brought without affecting the basic subsistence and with him were unfamiliar with the area and settlement patterns of the Tahltan. The as a result were unsuccessful in procuring trapping of fur bearing animals continued to meat locally. Other groups could not be be an activity which all members of the persuaded to bring him supplies, fearing for extended family could engage in at winter their lives if the Tahltans found out about camps. The fur trade may have stimulated their cooperation with the Whites. a period of territorial expansion on the part Campbell's small group suffered so severely of the Tahltan. Increased conflicts between from starvation that winter that they were them and their neighbours on the Taku and forced to retreat to Fort Halkett before upper Nass Rivers during the middle of the spring (Campbell 1958: Feb./Mar. 1839). nineteenth century may have developed out At the same time the Hudson's Bay of the need to defend newly acquired Company was attempting to intercept the territories. Stikine fur trade from the coast. A ship Another effect of the fur trade on the named the "Dryad" was outfitted in 183 4 Tahltans, was a drastic reduction in for the purpose of establishing a post and population due to the spread of smallpox colony at the mouth of the Stikine River. from Tlingit traders. They experienced This attempt was thwarted by the Russians several epidemics, although the first, which who built Fort Dionysius on Wrangell came between 1832 and 1838 (Thorman n.d.), Island. After several years of negotiations was especially devastating. It came during with the Russian American Company an the late summer while people were still agreement was finally reached in 1839 by congregated at the fishing villages. The which the Hudson's Bay Company was storage of dried salmon in the pits had not allowed to lease the coastal territories for yet been completed when all activities came an annual rent of 2,000 land otter skins to a halt. Being gathered together in and a condition of supplying Russian villages, almost all the people were subject colonies with provisions (Galbraith to the disease within a short time. HISTORICAL EVENTS 17 Messengers carried both the bad news and was not more than 300 - 325. The rapid the disease to other villages along the decline in population meant that there was Tahltan and Sheslay Rivers. Over half the not enough manpower to maintain the more population died either from the smallpox elaborate fishing operations at fishing itself or from starvation the following villages in the Stikine canyon, so that at winter. The second epidemic arrived in a least two of these fell into disuse. Many year between 1847 and 1849. The Tahltan of the respected clan leaders and oral people estimated their original population historians died during this period, resulting at between 1000 and 15 00 (Thorman n.d.). in a weakening of such traditional After the second epidemic their population institutions as the clan story tellers guild. The Gold Rush Period In 1861 two miners named Choquette and time that Telegraph Creek was named for Carpenter discovered placer gold in the the intended crossing of the telegraph line. gravel bars on the Stiki.i« *iiver. The However, further work on the line was announcement of this discovery created some abandoned in 18 67 when word came that a excitement in Victoria the following winter transatlantic cable had been laid and was and several parties outfitted themselves the operating successfully. When British next spring. They were brought up the Columbia became a province of Canada in Stikine from Wrangell by Captain William 1871, the Dominion Government took over Moore in a small steamboat. The Indians the lease of the telegraph system and camped at Shakes Creek were quite hostile maintained it as far as Quesnel while the when the steamboat landed there. Their rest was left to fall into ruin (Mackay fear that the hiss and clatter of this 1946:209-214). devilish machine would scare away the The discovery of gold on Thibert Creek, salmon and game was only appeased after close to Dease Lake, by Thibert and much argument and gifts of Hudson's Bay McCullough in 1873, created the Cassiar blankets.