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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
Mining

Wolf Mountain Colliery mine underground

Type:

Date: 1987

History

This underground image is of a mine at Wolf Mountain Colliery, working the Wellington seam. The tunnel is about six metres wide, two-point-four metres high, and extends about fifty metres. The light yellow-brown line painted on the mines roof is a guideline to provide a reference point for the mining crew to dig the tunnel in the correct line. The crack on the roof of the tunnel is a fault with falling pieces of siltstone. This fault compromised the integrity of the mines roof and the tunnel could not advance further.

Description

This is a photo of an underground mine at Wolf Mountain Colliery. The image is looking inbye (toward the coal face) along the Belt Road of 1-North B district of the mine. Power cables run further into the mine, serving an unseen fan.

Item Details

  • Materials:
  • Archival Reference: 2001.023.005
  • Other reference: C160-094
  • Author: Huhn, Gwyneth
  • Donor: Bickford, Gwyn
  • Donated: 2001/02/26
  • Size: 11 x 16 cm

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