ADAPTING TO NEW ECONOMIES
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Transcript ADAPTING TO NEW ECONOMIES
ADAPTING TO NEW
ECONOMIES
Chapter 7
COLONIALISM AND RESOURCE
APPROPRIATION
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relationship between nonAboriginal and Aboriginal in BC
revolved around exploitation and
appropriation of natural resources
fur trade
o lost control of trade
o new lifestyle of farmer
introduced
o rights of land denied
o control of land and resources
destroyed by laws of
government
• loss of fishing rights
o law passed for “food fishing” only
o lost traditional and customary rights to fishing resources
o ownership to industrial firms
First Nations as employees
• struggle to regain control of traditional land and resources continues in
conflict
o needs of market economy supersede those of Aboriginal land title and
resources
FISHING FOR A LIVING
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1880 – 1970s primary industries were
major industries in BC
o First Nations men and women as
employees
o supplied bulk of labour force for
fishers and canneries
recruited as family units
1890s allies with non-Aboriginals in
trade union in fishing industry
o critical strike in 1900
demonstrated labour force of
diverse cultural background
could work together
established employers had to
share some profits with workers
prior to strike, fish processing
firms had almost complete
control of terms of employment
and pricing
• until 1930s labour unions included both First Nations and non-Aboriginals
o First Nations fishers chose to join rather than organize themselves
o finally in conflict when unions failed to develop a united policy of
recognizing First Nations rights and title
• 1931 Haida and Tsimshian commercial fishermen formed Native
Brotherhood of British Columbia
o for recognition of Aboriginal rights in hunting, fishing, trapping, and
off-reserve logging
o Sisterhood – led struggle for better working conditions and wages for
women in canning
• in role as labour brokers, some First Nations leaders able to accumulate
wealth and higher social position
o able to purchase own motor boats and control labour supply
some unable to do so because government regulations prevented
them from borrowing money from banks
driven out by increasing operation costs
• Euro-Cdns under different set of rules
o fish companies maintained control through monopolies
o most workers had to work in different industries
had to collectively organize – trade unions
WORKING IN AGRICULTURE
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common false assumption of
colonization is that agriculture is the
hallmark of civilization – agriculture
shows more advanced society
o government and missionaries
determined to make First
Nations into farmers
most coastal farmers had
little arable land
Interior First Nations tried to farm
o discriminatory laws favoured
settlers
o agricultural interests displaced
people from territories
o formed important segment of
workforce
• large differences between First Nations resource-gathering and Euro-Cdn
farming
o First Nations wide variety of plants and animals
farmers limited crops and livestock
o First Nations needed larger space
farmers in one place year-round
farming more labour intensive
• principal resources in farming – land and water
o First Nations denied access to both
o settlers could pre-empt land 160-320 acres
prohibited from taking land that were burial sites, First Nations
villages or cultivated fields
often ignored
First Nations tried to seek justice but legal system against
them
• people in despair
o survivors of epidemics finding land disappearing
o animal habitats gone
o salmon run failed (1879)
• First Nations in agriculture
o subsistence farming
provide food for family
o commercial farming
few areas – Cowichan Valley, Fraser Valley, Okanagan
difficult to succeed
restricted to land reserves
no access to water irrigation
o couldn’t get water licence
could make more money as labourer than owner
o farm labourers
seasonal work suited lifestyle
LABOURING ON HOP FARMS
• hop industry one of first
agriculture to hire large
numbers of First Nations as
seasonal workers
o flowers ripened late
August-September
o plantations required
hundreds of workers
depended on First
Nations until
mechanization
• hundreds families to hop
farms usually after salmon
canning
o more than extra income –
social gathering
RANCHING
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cattle ranching in interior since
1860s
o Okanagan Valley, Nicola Valley,
Cariboo, Chilcotin country
fit First Nations lifestyle –
already expert with horses
some First Nations successful
owners, but few
o one – Chief Johnny Chillihitzia
(Okanagan)
strong leader for interior
people in politics
Thomas family in Peace River
o had to give up Indian status
and Treaty (8) rights in order
to pre-empt land
IMPACT OF THE NEW
ECONOMIES
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capitalist economy transformed
First Nations economic and social
structures
o became wage labourers
o changed from collective,
independent production to
dependent, single family
subsistence
had to move beyond local regions
to work
o seasonal
o disastrous result – smallpox
epidemic 1862
o difficult choices – stay at
home on reserves and
communities or more to urban
centre for more economic and
educational opportunities
population decline in rural
reserves
• family changes
o no longer families working together
o roles of men and women diverge
men resource gather, women processing or stay at home
• women
o primary role in processing food for family, but demands of jobs put
pressure on production
o traditional diet changed to Euro-Cdn
spend cash at grocery store, because less time in food production