Description

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In the mid 1840s, fifty years after first contact with Europeans, the Songhees people agreed to amalgamate on a reserve across the harbour from the newly built Fort Victoria. Grant Keddie tells the story of the old Songhees Reserve through the eyes of outsiders, expressed in newspaper reports and private journals, and depicted in sketches, paintings and photographs. Songhees Pictorial offers a rich visual history of the old Songhees Reserve, the people who lived there and the city that grew up around them.

This book features almost 200 archival images, many published for the first time, documenting Songhees history since first contact with Europeans. From watercolour paintings to sweeping panoramic photographs, these images show the changing architecture of the reserve and the city that engulfed it, they highlight potlatches and other events on the reserve, and they capture aspects of the everyday lives of residents and visitors. The author compliments the visuals with a variety of quotations from newspapers, government documents and personal letters, and gives context to the whole story with his own lively narrative.

About the Author

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With more than 40 years’ experience as archaeology curator at the Royal BC Museum, Grant Keddie combines his extensive knowledge of the archaeology collection with an interest in human history and natural history. A popular speaker to all age groups, he promotes understanding of the value and importance of the history of indigenous cultures. He has carried out archaeological surveys and excavations in many parts of the province, and has lectured and published on a wide range of topics.