British Columbia First Nations

Brief History of the Coast Salish
The term “Coast Salish” is a designation which includes many tribes and bands in British Columbia and beyond. It refers to a cultural group rather than a single tribe. These culturally similar groups occupied both sides of Puget Sound in present day Washington state, extending northward on both sides of the Georgia Strait into British Columbia, and east to the coastal mountains. Population estimates before first contact are unreliable. The diseases introduced to the native races by the Europeans traveled across the continent and afflicted these tribes before first contact. While it is not known how these diseases effected the population before first contact, it is estimated that smallpox epidemics in the 1800's reduced the population by two thirds. Fur traders established forts from the mouth of the Columbia River northward in the early 1800’s. By the 1820’s, the Hudson’s Bay Company was exploring the area and established Ft Victoria in 1843. The establishment of Fort Victoria, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, brought drastic change to the inhabitants of the area. They were offered employment by the company. Many of them moved to the area around the fort, disrupting traditional cultural and lifestyle activities. In 1846, the Treaty of Washington divided the area into British and American territories. The closely related tribes of the Coast Salish fell under different political systems. The Canadian government created small, local reserves. The American government created large, consolidated reservations. The first schools were established by missionaries. They began as day schools. By the late 1800s and into the 1900s, the schools were residential. Although the missionaries retained the management of the schools until the early 1900’s,the federal government was responsible for funding. The Coast Salish are presently organized into tribal councils to more efficiently provide services to their members.

Tribes and Bands (First Nations) of British Columbia
Map depicting general distribution of tribes in British Columbia can be found at British Columbia Ministry of Education

Important Web Sites
List of Indian Tribes in British Columbia and other locations in Canada and the United States, from the University of British Columbia Library.

A timeline of historic events is located at British Columbia History