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.

Person

Community

Robert Rushford

Role: Police constable

Year of birth: 1970

Age at death: 90

Robert Rushford was a local Cumberland police constable. Rushford was a Lance-Corporal in WW1 with the Black Watch regiment, and was wounded at Ypres. Upon returning to Cumberland he took the position of police constable. Rushford was a friend of Albert "Ginger" Goodwin, having met during his time as a miner, and was sympathetic to the deserters' plights. He retired from the police force in 1919 and moved to Scotland, where he worked as a postman.

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

Robert Rushford

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William B. Walker

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

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