| Summary: | archival research for First Nations in BC can be challenging. Working closely with communities is a necessity in this type of work. Besides community oral histories and knowledge, tracking down government and corporate correspondence, reports and other resources that support their Title & Rights requires patience and organization. An understanding of the histories of BC First Nations and those who ‘managed their affairs’, and ‘collected’ their artifacts and ethnographies is just a beginning. Even a small area of a larger First Nations territory can historically be represented in numerous provincial and federal ministry documents including Parks, Game Wardens, Fisheries, Railways and Highways. Many relevant items could also be in private or corporate collections. Piecing together the histories from a letter here, and a report there can be exciting work. Spending days going through numerous boxes and files in archives and not finding any relevant documentation is not unusual and takes a certain level of commitment and long-term vision. Maps and photographs, as well as oral histories also need to be viewed or listened to. In this presentation I will look at how historic documents in the Tete Jaune Cache area can support First Nations Title and Rights as well as enhance our understanding of this part of BC History. Histories in Tete Jaune Cache area, from between 1907 and 1917, reveal a time of upheaval for First Nations families that adds to our understanding of this decade. Linking First Nations histories with documents from multiple sources can expand our understanding of our province’s past and encourages a holistic approach to archival research.
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