map-bg

Land, Indigenous peoples, settlers, and today’s communities.

Since time immemorial, Ancestors of the people called K’ómoks today consisting of the Pentlatch, Ieeksan (eye-ick-sun), Sasitla (sa-seet-la), Xa’xe (ha-hey) and Sathloot (sath-loot) people have been the caretakers of this land, which they called the “Land of Plenty.” This Land of Plenty stretched from what is known today as Kelsey Bay in the north, down to Hornby and Denman Island in the south, and included the watershed and estuary of the Puntledge River, also acknowledging that these boundaries and place names are colonial constructs.

The K’ómoks First Nation refer to the lands between the bays of Comox and the Beaufort mountain range as the path between, it was a travel and trade route to the Alberni corridor and a connection to the indigenous communities on the western side of the island.

Land agreements included the 1884 Settlement Act stripped these lands for its caretakers. At the Museum we acknowledge that we are a colonial created institution, and I would like to thank Charlene Everson, Emily Shopland and Violet Williams for guiding the museum in early discussion on what reconciliation could mean for our organization and how we could create actionable steps; in maintaining a positive dialogue with a forward focus, sharing contemporary K’omoks narratives, and incorporating First Nation languages where they felt it appropriate. Their time and guidance helped us gain insight and learn how to best support their voice in our museum’s walls. This is an ongoing process and we have so much more to learn.

Collection Item
Chinese Community Labour Movement Mining

Watercolour: “Chinese Gold Washers on the Fraser River, BC”, ca. 1864

Type:

Date: c. 1864

M609

History

Gift of David Ross McCord.

Description

Watercolour painting depicting Chinese prospectors washing gold on the Fraser Rive, BC.

Item Details

  • Materials: ,
  • Archival Reference: M609
  • Author: Hind, William
  • Donor: McCord, David Ross
  • Size: 13.8 x 22.8 cm
  • Credit: William Hind, Chinese Gold Washers on the Fraser River, BC, ca. 1864. M609, McCord Stewart Museum.

This collection item is featured in the following content:

CC-PH-00437

Forging Paths

A Story of Chinese Immigration

Story • 16 min read

< Go Back All Collection Items >

Other collection items that might be of interest to you

BCFederationistAug211918

BC Federationist Article on Goodwin’s Death

Newspaper Article2 Aug 1918

Collection Item

Letter Regarding Estate of Mah Fook Soon

Letter regarding the estate of Mah Fook Soon

Document30 Jul 1912

Collection Item

Mining helmet

helmet, miner’s

Artifactc. 1950

Collection Item

C030-147

Front of the Ilo-Ilo theatre

Imagec. 1930

Collection Item

View all collection items >