The Lax Kw’alaams Indian Band and Others v. The Attorney General of Canada and Her Majesty the Queen in Right of the Province of British Columbia Prepared for James M. Mackenzie Department of Justice British Columbia Regional Office Vancouver, British Columbia February 8, 2007 © Joan A. Lovisek Joan A. Lovisek, Ph.D. M.E.S. 14965 25A Avenue SURREY, BRITISH COLUMBIA. V4P 1N7 TEL: (604) 541-7921 FAX: (604) 541-9221 EMAIL: [email protected] 1 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................4 QUESTIONS .......................................................................................................................................4 THE COAST TSIMSHIAN .....................................................................................................................6 PRECONTACT GROUP NAMES.............................................................................................................7 MARINE RESOURCE USE ...................................................................................................................9 Environment........................................................................................................................... 9 PRECONTACT MARINE RESOURCE TECHNOLOGY, CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT.....10 Conservation ........................................................................................................................ 12 PRECONTACT SKEENA RIVER VALLEY AND INTERIOR........................................................................13 ARCHAEOLOGY VS. ETHNOGRAPHIC MODEL OF TSIMSHIAN SETTLEMENT AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATION. .......................................................................................................................................................20 Protocontact Trade............................................................................................................... 22 Precontact: Coastal Marine Resource Use........................................................................... 26 PROTOCONTACT –INDIRECT CONTACT WITH EUROPEANS.................................................................34 Dundas Island Group ........................................................................................................... 39 PROTOCONTACT- HISTORICAL EVIDENCE .........................................................................................45 FORT SIMPSON 1834 .......................................................................................................................76 Intergroup Hostilities and Slavery ...................................................................................... 83 MIGRATION TO METLAKATLA ....................................................................................................... 100 NON- NATIVE SETTLEMENT.......................................................................................................... 102 SOCIAL ORGANIZATION ................................................................................................................ 118 Tribe.................................................................................................................................... 120 Kinship Obligations............................................................................................................ 123 PRECONTACT KINSHIP AND EXCHANGE......................................................................................... 125 Ethnographic Examples of Exchange and Trade............................................................... 127 PROPERTY AND OWNERSHIP......................................................................................................... 135 TERRITORIES ............................................................................................................................... 139 Abandonment of Territories............................................................................................... 139 PRECONTACT POTLATCH............................................................................................................... 141 Wealth................................................................................................................................. 143 SUMMARY OF ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ........................................................................................ 144 Summary Answer 1.1.1.1..................................................................................................... 144 Summary Answer to 1.1.1.2 ................................................................................................ 145 Summary Answer to 1.1.1.3 ................................................................................................ 146 Summary Answer to 1.1.1.4 ................................................................................................ 146 Summary Answer to 1.1.1.4A.............................................................................................. 147 Summary Answer to 1.1.1.5 ................................................................................................ 147 Summary Answer to 1.1.1.6 ................................................................................................ 147 Summary Answer to 1.1.1.6A.............................................................................................. 148 Summary Answer to 1.1.1.7 ................................................................................................ 148 Summary Answer to 1.1.1.8................................................................................................ 148 Summary Answer to 1.1.3.1 ................................................................................................ 149 Summary Answer to 1.1.4.2................................................................................................ 150 Summary Answer to 1.1.14- 1.1.4.8 .................................................................................... 151 Summary Answer to 1.1.5.5-1.1.5.8 .................................................................................... 151 BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................................................................................................. 153 APPENDIX A – CURRICULUM VITAE .............................................................................................. 165 APPENDIX B- METHODS ............................................................................................................... 184 2 Ethnohistorical Method...................................................................................................... 184 Tsimshian Narratives......................................................................................................... 185 Ethnographic Present......................................................................................................... 186 Documents.......................................................................................................................... 189 APPENDIX C- ETHNOGRAPHIC GROUP IDENTITIES, TERRITORIES AND FISHING LOCATIONS ........... 190 Gilutss’aaw ......................................................................................................................... 190 Ginaxangiik ........................................................................................................................ 190 Gispaxlo’ots......................................................................................................................... 190 Gitando ............................................................................................................................... 191 Gitlaan................................................................................................................................192 Gitnadoiks .......................................................................................................................... 193 Gitsiis.................................................................................................................................. 194 Gitwalksabae...................................................................................................................... 196 Gitwilgyoots ....................................................................................................................... 197 Gitzaxlaal............................................................................................................................ 199 Comparison of Duff’s maps with Lax Kw’alaams Fisheries Resource Site Map ............... 200 3 Introduction I, Joan A. M. Lovisek, am a professional anthropologist and ethnohistorian. I hold a doctorate in Anthropology from McMaster University specialized in ethnohistory, and a Masters degree in Environmental Studies from York University. I am qualified to research and analyze Aboriginal issues involving historical land and resource use. I have conducted research projects, including the gathering and analysis of Elder testimony, in various Aboriginal communities across Canada. I have extensive research experience in primary historical and anthropological sources and have prepared, reviewed and assessed Aboriginal claim submissions for First Nations, governments and legal counsel. I have given papers at numerous scholarly conferences and have published articles in various academic journals and chapters in books (see Appendix A for curriculum