15+ wounded and killed
91-740: The Chilcotin War , the Chilcotin Uprising or the Bute Inlet Massacre was a confrontation in 1864 between members of the Tsilhqot'in (Chilcotin) people in British Columbia and white road construction workers . Fourteen men employed by Alfred Waddington in the building of a road from Bute Inlet were killed, as well as a number of men with a pack-train near Anahim Lake and a settler at Puntzi Lake . In 1862, Alfred Waddington began lobbying
182-434: A ferryman named Timothy Smith, stationed 30 miles up the river, was killed after refusing a demand from Chief Klattasine (Lhatŝ'aŝʔin: ″Nobody Knows Him″, ″We Do Not Know His Name″), Tellot and other Tsilhqot'in for food. Smith was shot and his body thrown into the river. His food stores and supplies were looted. A half ton of provisions were taken. A skiff was chopped to pieces and the ferry scow set adrift, leaving only
273-505: A 200km radius down the Fraser River, to participate in the week-long celebration. During this time, the Salish and Sto:lo inducted Seymour through speeches made by Chiefs, welcoming him into his new position. Furthermore, they offered their first petition to Seymour: the petition of 1864. This governmental paper was signed by 55 Coast Salish Leaders. It included the following passage, We know
364-644: A few weeks prior to his retirement to express their concerns about the fragility of their agreements. The former agreements were on land protection acts, providing the Sto:lo with the "choicest prairie lands" and offering "nearly a mile frontage for each Indian". Douglas was criticized for his kindness and care towards the First Nations by settlers and the Legislative Council, stating that the allotted land for reserves were "unnecessarily large" and "interfering with
455-684: A fur-trading company from Montreal called the North West Company had established posts in the Carrier (Dene) territory just north of the Tsilhqotʼ;in. They began trading directly and through Carrier intermediaries. In 1821, what was then the Hudson's Bay Company established a fur trade post at Fort Alexandria on the Fraser River , at the eastern limit of Tsilhqotʼin territory. This became
546-461: A junior appointment in the Colonial Service. He was given the title of Assistant Colonial Secretary of Van Diemen's Land (present day Tasmania), which marked the beginning of Seymour's life spent in colonies. The colonies Seymour worked in were "all in a traditional stage of development and which were all torn by political strife and encumbered with serious economic problems." Seymour worked as
637-685: A junior clerk in the Colonial Office, who was to remain in British Columbia for approximately two to three years, taking up the position of Seymour's Colonial Secretary. Newcastle had hoped to create a Maritime region in the west, expanding on the success of the gold trade and the previous presence of the British Royal Navy during the gold rushes. This would require the union of the Vancouver Island Colony and British Columbia, but
728-521: A little short of marvellous". Leading up to Seymour's unification of Vancouver Island and British Columbia in 1866, there were financial difficulties in the colony of British Columbia. The interior gold fields had become empty leaving a mass number of miners to leave the colony altogether, to trail the abandonment of the mines the Collins Telegraph Line had been deserted leaving five-hundred men to face unemployment. Seymour attempted to delay
819-584: A militia as well as chose to accompany him on his expedition. Seymour hoped to form better relations with local indigenous groups, and pushed for the expedition to reach the heart of Chilcotin Country. Seymour and Brew's party pursued the Tsilhqot'in warriors deep into Chilcotin territory. Seymour eventually met with the Chilcotin leader Alexis at Puntzi Lake, where he was informed that the Chilcotin chiefs had lost control of
910-404: A new Governor appointed, on the way from Newfoundland . Musgrave requested to visit England first in order to consult on information of public affairs, but the colonial office did not see that in his best interest and stated that he should come to British Columbia at once. Musgrave unlike Seymour was a pro-confederation governor, who advocated bringing Newfoundland into confederation with Canada and
1001-594: A population of 15,000 in the island and mainland together, the United Colonies had developed a debit of $ 1,300,000. Seymour was faced with a massive deficit in 1867 leaving the new province in a dire situation. Upon returning to the colonies after a fourteen-month absence, Seymour again left for a northern voyage to investigate a number of Indian disturbances. Later travelling to Grouse Lake in Caribou and William Duncan's Indian Community at Metlakatla, and by December, one of
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#17328376866671092-611: A reward for his good service and hard work, he was promoted to Superintendent of British Honduras (present day Belize) in 1857, and Lieutenant-Governor of the Bay Islands , and later to Lieutenant-Governor of Honduras . In 1863, Seymour spent some time in England, and on his return to Belize he received a letter from the Duke of Newcastle , then Colonial Secretary. In the letter, the Duke offered Seymour
1183-529: A scouting party to reconnoitre. A guide, hearing a rifle click, urged him to get down; he did not heed the warning and was shot through the heart. In 1864, Chief Alexis and a slave of Klattasine met with Cox and were given assurances of friendship by Cox. Tsilhqot'in chiefs believed that they were going to attend peace talks. The next day Klattasine, Tellot and six others arrived. They were arrested. Although denied by Cox, they claimed to have been offered immunity. The prisoners were returned to Alexandria . Five of
1274-444: A settler at Puntzi Lake . A pack train led by Alexander McDonald, though warned, continued into the area and three of the drivers were killed in the ensuing ambush. In all, nineteen men were killed. In New Westminster , Governor Seymour , just a month into his term, received news of the attacks on May 14. The next day Chartres Brew and 28 men were sent to Bute Inlet aboard HMS Forward , but they were unable to make their way up
1365-587: A so-called "formal" education. The program continued for the next six decades until a point when Indigenous children were allowed into the public school system. Ninety years after the start of the residential school program, the mission school closed circa 1981. Throughout that period, Indian agents were empowered to remove children from homes to attend St. Joseph's Mission School in Williams Lake, British Columbia . This led some to attempt to hide their children by sneaking out to hunting grounds or fields. Children fled
1456-399: A successful military career and had established a friendship with Prince Albert in 1838, and resided at Kensington Place until his death in 1890. Frederick Seymour was just two years old when his father lost his fortune, and as result, he did not receive a good education or inheritance, unlike his older siblings. In 1842, Prince Albert intervened on his behalf, and Frederick Seymour obtained
1547-529: A survey camp of the Royal Engineers that became the colony's new capital. Seymour quickly developed warm relationships with the colonists and made friends with the local officials. During his time in New Westminster he developed the resident prejudice against Victoria, and with that a stance against the union of the two colonies. Seymour believed that the policies that Douglas drafted as governor were to let
1638-415: A threat. In contrast to the 160 to 640 acres per family set aside in other treaties at the time in the prairies, the federal government opted for 80 acres per indigenous family to be set aside in reserve, while the provincial government was keen on 10 acres per family. Catholic Missionaries were sent to convert First Nations children to Christianity. By 1891, the first group of students were sent to receive
1729-468: A time where uprisings were not uncommon. Colonies at this time were considered liabilities by the Imperial office. They were expensive, difficult to defend as well as govern. Earlier disturbances in the British Columbia territory forced Sir James Douglas to expand control to stabilize the frontier, but this had put doubt into the Imperial overseers who doubted the prosperity of the colony. Moving forward with
1820-515: Is as good to the Indian as to the white man". Local Sto-lo and Salish groups were concerned with the switch of office due to Douglas's retirement, because they feared that the formal governmental agreements they had made with the former governor would be abolished, and due to Seymour's inexperience in working with Indigenous nations. A large number of Sto:lo approached Douglas in New West Minister
1911-844: Is the Nemiah Valley , and the Xeni-Gwetʼin . Aside from the indigenous communities, there are only two small unincorporated towns in the whole region: Alexis Creek and Anahim Lake , the largest, with 522 people. Numerically, at least, the Tsilhqotʼin still dominate the Chilcotin plateau. Tsilhqotʼin First Nations belong to two tribal councils : Carrier-Chilcotin Tribal Council (two Carrier/Dakelh bands, one Tsilhqotʼin band, and one mixed Carrier/Dakelh-Tsilhqotʼin band) Tsilhqotʼin National Government (all Tsilhqotʼin bands without
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#17328376866672002-510: The Chilcotin Plateau , characterized by undulating grasslands , expansive forests of lodgepole pine and Douglas fir , a scattering of lakes, rivers, creeks and ponds, volcanic and glaciated landforms, and a magnificent backdrop of snow-covered peaks. Frederick Seymour Frederick Seymour (6 September 1820 – 10 June 1869) was a colonial administrator . After receiving little education and no inheritance from his father, Seymour
2093-505: The Chilko River , which means "red ochre river," from tŝi(lh) "rock" + -qu "river" + -t'in "people". Tsilhqot'in people also use another word to refer to themselves: Nenqayni , from: nen "land" + -qay "surface" + -ni "person/people", and their country is called Tŝilhqotʼin Nen . For more information about the 2014 landmark court case that established Indigenous land title for
2184-473: The salmon runs placed more dependence on agricultural produce such as grains, hay, and vegetables. Activities migrated to cutting hay, constructing irrigation ditches, and practicing animal husbandry . Settlers however assumed water rights , making agriculture ever more fragile. Indigenous peoples were huddled in on small acreages, such as in Canoe Creek , 20 acres for 150 indigenous people. Starvation became
2275-519: The transcontinental railway , which was eventually constructed to what became Vancouver instead. The Tŝilhqot'in, along with many other First Nations of the Pacific Northwest , had just been devastated by the 1862 Pacific Northwest smallpox epidemic . Some colonists saw the epidemic as an opportunity to take over First Nation lands. Many indigenous peoples, including the Tŝilhqot'in, believed that
2366-559: The Assistant Colonial Secretary of Van Diemen's Land until his position was dissolved. In 1848, he was appointed Special Magistrate at Antigua in the Leeward Islands. He faced challenges with labour due to the abolition of slavery, and with sugar planting over disputes over trade policies. He became President of Nevis in 1853, where he supported free trade despite opposition from the leading families in that area. As
2457-508: The British Columbia government exonerated the Chilcotin leaders. Premier Christy Clark stated, "We confirm without reservation that these six Tsilhqot'in chiefs are fully exonerated for any crime or wrongdoing." This exoneration was reciprocally made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau , on behalf of the Government of Canada, on March 26, 2018, in a speech to Parliament. During the exoneration speech,
2548-537: The Cariboo Road debt that would accumulate led to Seymour constantly fighting with the Imperial office for more money and the forgiveness of past loans. The debt would only continue to grow as Seymour mobilized troops in order to put down various indigenous uprisings. Seymour was shocked when he discovered that the Imperial Government anticipated leaving British Columbia, which would leave the colony defenseless at
2639-665: The Chilcotin Wars involved an expedition with 28 men, from the coast and inwards to the inland to find the guilty party of the killing of road workers. Along with persuading a Chilcotin Chief, Alexis in assisting with the venture, his "great object in joining the expedition to obtain moderation from the white men in the treatment of the Indians". However, Seymour later wrote in his journals that "Europeans should thus run down wild Indians and drive them to suicide of surrender…appears to me, I confess,
2730-452: The Chilcotin uprisings, Seymour began to travel around the colony inspecting different aspects and meeting with local officials. When visiting the Cariboo mines, he was overwhelmed by the loyalty and support he received from the miners. His three-month tour of the colony ended in discussions with various Chilcotin chiefs in order to work towards peace between the first nations and white settlers in
2821-415: The Fraser River, and to protect Indigenous lands and fishing rights". The petition went on to directly say, For many years we have been complaining of the land left to us being too small. We have laid our complaints before the Government officials nearest to us: they sent us to some others; so we had no redress up to the present; and we have felt like men being trampled on, and are commencing to believe that
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2912-624: The Government House by the early hours of the morning on June 14, before noon that same day the Colonial Secretary, Lieutenant Philip James Hankin, R.N. had become the temporary administrator of the United Colonies. The Executive Council met and swore in Hankin with the customary oath of allegiance and oath of office, after the meeting a telegram was sent to the Secretary of State, informing them of
3003-532: The Inns of Court. He was given family property in Ireland, a secured private income, as well as a position in the customs service. However, this all ended with the succession of the 3rd Marquis of Hertford in 1822, and Henry Seymour was forced to take his family to Brussels, Belgium to reside. Frederick's eldest brother, Francis (later General Sir Francis Seymour, 1st Baronet ), was very successful and distinguished. He had
3094-473: The Salish and Sto:lo nations left back to their lands, Seymour admitted that he felt "he had established with them some of the same rapport that Douglas, their "Great Chief", had previously enjoyed (Ormsby 8). However, in many oral histories, Seymour is regarded as "someone who broke promises" and "has been dubbed as a bad person". The sentiments were brought on by Seymour's follow of the governmental policy that "Native peoples could neither own nor occupy land that
3185-430: The Secretary of State to whom I owe my introduction to the Colonial Service. The prospect of a change from the swamps of Honduras to a fine country is inexpressibly attractive to me, and I trust, in the bracing of air of North America to prove myself worthy of your Grace's confidence and kindness." Seymour returned to England for a short visit, and when he left for North America, he was accompanied by Arthur Nonus Birch ,
3276-542: The Tsilhqotʼin may have protected them from the first of the smallpox epidemics , which spread up from Mexico in the 1770s. They may have been spared the smallpox epidemic of 1800 and the measles of the 1840s. Furniss in The Burden of History states that "there is no direct evidence that these smallpox epidemics reached the central interior of British Columbia or the Secwepemc, Carrier, or Tsilhqotʼin". However, in
3367-612: The Tsilhqot'in Nation. The sixth chief, Chief ʔAhan was executed a year later, on July 18, in New Westminster . The incident cost the colony about $ 80,000. A petition to the Imperial parliament to share this cost was declined. Donald McLean's widow was given a pension of £100 per year for five years. Waddington sought compensation of $ 50,000 from the colony, saying that his party had been given no protection. The colony declined, saying that none
3458-452: The Tsilhqot'in men (Tellot, Klattasine , Tah-pitt, Piele, and Chessus) were arrested and charged with murder. They were tried in September 1864 at Quesnel at a trial by jury overseen by Judge Begbie . In defence of their actions, Klattasine said they were waging war, not committing murder. The five were found guilty and sentenced to hang. The day they were executed is now a day of mourning in
3549-576: The Tsilhqotʼin Nation and demanded that colonial provinces engage in meaningful and prior consultation before engaging in extractive industries on Tsilhqot'in lands, see Tsilhqotʼin Nation v British Columbia . The Tŝilhqotʼin Nation before contact with Europeans were a strong warrior nation with political influences from the Similkameen region in southern British Columbia , the Pacific coast in
3640-466: The aim of the white men is to exterminate us as soon as they can, although we have always been quiet, obedient, kind, and friendly to the whites. Through his time as governor, Seymour also supported the presence of Missionaries on Sto:lo and Salish reserves to educate and help "integrate them into society". The missionaries themselves offered protection from the disturbance of reserve size, from "bad white men and from bad Indians" and in addition, help with
3731-462: The announcement by Seymour in both New Westminster and Victoria, the Crown Colony of British Columbia was established. In 1864, Fredrick Seymour succeeded Sir James Douglas as governor, whom had worked to develop a reputable relationship with British Columbia's Indigenous nations. Coming into office, Seymour had communicated his desire to have the same rapport as Douglas had, stating that "my heart
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3822-602: The area. When he finally returned to New Westminster, he was faced with many problems awaiting his attention. The Collins Overland Telegraph Company looked to installing a telegraph line that would connect America and Russia, running through British Columbia Territory. New gold had been discovered on the Kootenay River east of New Westminster, which led to the implementation of a higher gold export tax that Seymour implemented in 1865. This all meant more movement by settlers, workers and miners into British Columbia. Most notably,
3913-466: The basis that the violence was a war between two sovereign nations . The Tŝilhqot’in were acting to protect their lands, people, and way of life from the onslaught of road builders at the time. in 2018, Prime Minister Trudeau stated that the War Chiefs were regarded as heroes to their people. In 1993 Judge Anthony Sarich wrote a report commissioned by the government of British Columbia, on an inquiry into
4004-410: The beginning and escalated, as more arrived each spring to participate in the gold rush. Seymour had been in office only a few weeks when he was informed of the murders and was quick to react to the events, immediately dispatching a force from New Westminster led by Chartres Brew, Chief Inspector of Police, of twenty-eight men. When Brew soon returned requesting reinforcements, Seymour helped Brew raise
4095-515: The businessmen of Vancouver Island control the Cariboo gold trade and that the mainland colony had long been neglected and its resources expedited elsewhere. He said that the mainland colony "was only a colony in name. There was a goldmine at one end of a line of road and a seaport town under a different government at the opposite terminus." Douglas had put the colony deep into debt, leaving Seymour with an outstanding loan of £100,000. This combined with
4186-487: The cable over the river. The following day the Tsilhqot'in attacked the workers' camp at daylight. Three men, Peter A. Petersen , Edward Moseley and Philip Buckley , though injured (Moseley was unharmed), escaped and fled down the river. The remaining crew were killed and their bodies thrown into the river. Four miles further up the trail, the band came upon the foreman, William Brewster, and three of his men blazing trail. All were killed. The band also killed William Manning,
4277-453: The colony from the construction of roads to bringing infrastructure to British Columbia. Seymour played a major role in the development of the constitution that would be used to unite British Columbia and Vancouver Island, despite his opposition. Seymour continued to serve as the first governor of the union of the two colonies , also named the Colony of British Columbia, from 1866 to 1869. He also
4368-553: The colony quickly grew. He was introduced to the Royal Engineers plan to clear the hillside of the North bank of the Fraser River in order to prepare for the gold rush that would occur in the spring of the following year. The Fraser River had struck gold in 1857-58, and with the wave of miners from California and other parts of the west came a reign of bloodshed and lawlessness across the land. Douglas had struggled to control this, and with
4459-414: The colony, and he had to deal with large debts left over from Douglas's time as governor. During his time as governor, Seymour was involved in the aftermath of the Chilcotin Uprising and improved relations with local indigenous groups of British Columbia. He believed the colony would endure as its own entity and constantly invested in different initiatives that he hoped would further the economic growth of
4550-483: The consolidation of the two colonies, and the Colonial Office looked to Seymour for advice on the possibility of a future union. Seymour was called back to England in September 1865 to inform the Colonial Office about the conditions of the pacific coastline. When making his recommendations, Seymour mentioned "the extreme inconvenience to myself of the position of two Governors of equal authority close to each other yet far from home." Despite this, he still strongly opposed
4641-461: The continuous warring between tribes in Northern BC. Seymour set out in boat with other hired men to extinguish the battling, successfully settling the rivalries and paying each tribe a compensation once they had signed a peace treaty. The Governor was commented on being "creditable to his administrative ability…and entirely in consonance with the kindliness of heart". Also, Seymour's involvement in
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#17328376866674732-401: The crown had made available to settlers". That was followed by another petition in 1868, which was signed by 70 Salish and Sto:lo leaders and written by young children who had been educated by missionaries. Essentially, the petition pleaded that the governor "prevent white men from selling liquour to their people, asked that all Indigenous peoples be exempt from tolls for transporting goods on
4823-428: The death. The wire was received at Charing Cross Station on June 15, and at four o'clock in the afternoon on the same day the Colonial Office responded to Hankin replying that Anthony Musgrave was to be appointed the new Governor of British Columbia, which was to be released to the public immediately. Less than twenty-four hours after the news of Seymour's death had reached the capital, he had almost been forgotten, and
4914-527: The development of the agricultural resources of the colony. Seymour was faced with the battle of land and the relationship between government, settlers, and Indigenous nations throughout his career. On 24 May 1864, Seymour invited surrounding Indigenous nations to celebrate the Queen's Birthday, and further, begin to establish their relationship. Over 3500 Indigenous peoples gathered in New Minister, travelling over
5005-459: The development of the mainland economy, Seymour heavily invested in the building of wagon roads to the gold mining district of Cariboo. There was to be a 120-mile road built from Cariboo to the Bute Inlet , and the end of 1864 saw the completion of surveying for the project. This development led to the increase in frequency of indigenous uprisings and attacks on road workers. The most notable of which
5096-603: The epidemic had been deliberately spread among native peoples for the purpose of stealing their land, a claim that has largely been corroborated through the historical written record. The violence began when construction crews on Waddington's Road entered the territory of the Tsilhqot'in nation without permission, after members of the First Nation had been working on road construction and going without compensation, being lied to time and time again, near starvation. Construction had been underway for two years when, on April 29, 1864,
5187-488: The epidemic of 1836–38, the disease spread to Ootsa Lake and killed an entire Carrier band. Oral history of the bands has continued to recount the effects of the many deaths in these epidemics. By the 1860s, miners panned along the Fraser, Quesnel , and Horsefly rivers and their tributaries. Various business operators and merchants followed the miners and business was booming. Farmers and ranchers developed land to provision
5278-404: The exception of the gold returns from Cariboo, the rest of British Columbia had in a sense dropped off, and the overall situation of the province had not improved property values had decreased, people were dying, trade was declining, and there was very little revenue. The governor was also being extremely inattentive of his duties. The only possibility of acquiring relief from the financial situation
5369-407: The extreme rivalry between the two colonies would continue to prevent this. With the retirement of Sir James Douglas who previously served as Governor of both colonies, Capitan Arthur Edward Kennedy was appointed Governor of Vancouver Island on 11 December 1863. Seymour was soon after appointed Governor of mainland British Columbia on January 11, 1864. With the increase in the local economy because of
5460-466: The failure of the usual rush of miners to the area in 1865, Seymour realized union was likely, inevitable. Even with bleak prospects, Seymour continued to invest in road expansion in order to connect more industrial communities on the mainland and grow the colonies economy. By 1865, business in Victoria was faltering because of the failure of the usual miners rush. Governor Kennedy's assembly began to push for
5551-695: The first prime minister to visit the land of the Tsilhqot'in people, where he made another apology speech, this time to the Tsilhqot'in community and its leaders. Trudeau rode into the valley on a black horse, symbolizing the ones ridden by the wrongfully executed chiefs and participated in a smudging ceremony during his time there. Donna Milner uses the Chilcotin War in historical fiction book: A Place Called Sorry . Notes References Rothenburger, Mel The Chilcotin War, 1978 Tsilhqot%27in The Tsilhqotʼ;in or Chilcotin ("People of
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#17328376866675642-476: The gold rush, the Imperial Office hoped that British Columbia could become a self-sustaining colony with Seymour spearheading the local legislation. With Seymour's commitment to become Governor, Newcastle promised him a personal residence to be paid for by the colony as well as a yearly salary of £3,000. When Seymour arrived the settlers of the area greeted him with enthusiasm, and his passion towards bettering
5733-400: The good heart of the Queen for the Indians. You bring that good heart with you, so we are happy to welcome you. We wish to become good Indians, and to be friends with the white people…. Please to protect our land, that it will not be small for us: many are well pleased with their reservations, and many wish that their reservations be marked out for them. Seymour accepted this petition, and once
5824-568: The groups performing the raids. Many had renounced their loyalty to the chiefs and worked as separate units and had "a right to make war on [them] without it being any affair of [theirs]". Eventually, with the help of Chilcotin Chiefs, the murders were rounded up and handed over to William Cox , the Gold Commissioner of Cariboo. Seymour had the power to implement clemency but decided against it to prevent future uprisings. After settling matters with
5915-437: The joining of Victoria and British Columbia due to having to reduce the administration to $ 88,000. Revenues in the United Colonies were non-existent; gold export tax was extremely low, as well as some unexpected shortcomings in customs receipts due to Victoria merchants. $ 100,000 in tobacco and alcohol was imported before the mainland tariffs were extended to the island forcing the colonies to lose even more money. In 1867, with
6006-482: The mining towns that developed around the merchants. This led to competition for resources between the Chilcotin and Europeans, leading to a stream of events known as the Chilcotin War . Governor James Douglas supported a system of reserves and indoctrination to "civilized" practices such as subsistence agriculture up until his retirement in 1864. Joseph Trutch , the chief commissioner of lands and works, abandoned
6097-535: The mixed Carrier/Dakelh-Tsilhqotʼin band) Despite its small population and isolation, the region has produced an impressive collection of literature mixing naturalism with Indigenous and settler cultures. The area is accessed by Highway 20 , which runs from the City of Williams Lake to the port town of Bella Coola . Highway 20 westbound from Williams Lake crosses the Fraser River at Sheep Creek - thereby entering Tsilhqotʼin traditional territory. The highway passes over
6188-463: The only contacts his Colonial Office received from him was the request of a loan of $ 50,000 describing the critical financial position of his government. After that request, Birch , who was left with the acting duty of Governor of British Columbia while Seymour was gone for 14-months, was asked by Buckingham to prepare an account of how the colony was fairing under Seymour's government to the Cabinet. With
6279-524: The petitions, in exchange for the "cultivation of land as farmers, sending the children to school and listening to what the clergymen tell you and believe in it". Many Sto:lo and Salish nations accepted these conditions, which can be seen through the presence of Father Fouquet in the 1866 Petition. Throughout his business as Governor, Seymour involved himself extensively in problems which were raised. For example, in May 1869, reports and concerns were established about
6370-410: The policies around the union. His involvement in the discussion of the union was briefly interrupted by his wedding to Florence Maria Stapleton (1832–1902), daughter of Hon. Reverend Sir Francis Stapleton on January 27, 1866. Even while on his honeymoon, Seymour was still communicating with his attorney general on how the unionization of the colonies should go about. He insisted that the constitution of
6461-507: The press and his political allies for support to build a wagon road from Bute Inlet to Fort Alexandria , where it would connect to the Cariboo Road and continue on to the goldfields at Barkerville . He received approval for the construction early in 1863. According to Waddington, it would reduce land travel from 359 miles (578 km) to 185 miles (298 km) and the total days consumed in packing freight from 37 days to 22 compared to
6552-418: The promotion to the governorship of British Columbia; he had already informed Sir James Douglas that he had recommended Seymour to Queen Victoria as "a man of much ability and energy who has shown considerable aptitude for the management of savage tribes." Seymour accepted this offer, and the transition to a more moderate climate pleased him. "It is highly gratifying to me, to accept this important trust from
6643-416: The question of union was becoming more prominent a concern than ever. The Vancouver Island Colony private assembly became too heavy a cost to the Imperial government, and it looked to unite the colonies under a single administration. Seymour had put much of his own faith into the future prosperity of the British Columbia colony, but with the failure of the private banking venture at the Cariboo mines in 1864 and
6734-545: The relationship between the Aboriginal community in British Columbia and the justice system. As a result of the recommendations in the report, the Attorney General apologized for the hanging of the Chilcotin chiefs and provided funding for an archaeological investigation to locate their graves. The British Columbia government also installed a commemorative plaque at the site of the hanging of the Tsilhqot'in chiefs. In 2014,
6825-632: The request of reinforcement in 1858, the Royal Navy was sent in order to help control the conflict. With the control of the violence within white settler and miner communities, followed the increase in violence instigated by local indigenous groups, the Chilcotin . Seymour was astounded by the wilderness of British Columbia, and in his reports to Lord Cardwell often spoke of the grandiose job ahead of them to create mining infrastructure. He soon took up permanent residence in New Westminster , which first began as
6916-445: The reserve policy, and set Indian policy as their having no rights to the land. By 1866, BC colonial rule required indigenous peoples to request permission from the governor to use lands. Newspapers supported the preempting of indigenous lands, seeing settlers ploughing indigenous burial grounds. Indigenous peoples who requested redress from a justice of the peace were refused. In the 1870s, the loss of hunting territories, and crashes of
7007-590: The river", / tʃ ɪ l ˈ k oʊ t ɪ n / chil- KOH -tin ; also spelled Tsilhqutʼin, Tŝinlhqotʼin, Chilkhodin, Tsilkótin, Tsilkotin ) are a North American tribal government of the Athabaskan-speaking ethnolinguistic group that live in what is now known as British Columbia , Canada. They are the most southern of the Athabaskan-speaking Indigenous peoples in British Columbia. Their name, Tŝilhqotʼin, makes reference to
7098-661: The route through Yale and the Fraser Canyon known as the Cariboo Road and favoured by Governor Douglas . The Bute Inlet Wagon Road was to follow the Homathko River valley from its mouth at the head of Bute Inlet, then swing northeast across the Chilcotin Plateau to join the Bentinck Arm Trail at Puntzi Lake and the mouth of the Quesnel River . It was also one of the routes considered and advocated by Waddington for
7189-548: The schools, and within the first 30 years, three investigations on the physical abuse and malnutrition were conducted. Voting rights in Canadian federal elections were denied until 1960, and in provincial elections until 1949. Today, some 5,000 Tsilhqotʼin people live in Alexandria , north of Williams Lake , and in a string of five communities accessible from Williams Lake on Highway 20 (from east to west), and south from Highway 20
7280-600: The then current Chiefs of the Tŝilhqot’in Nation were invited onto the floor of the House of Commons and provided a drum song. This was the first time in Canadian history that an Indigenous Nation was invited onto the floor of the House of Commons. Clark also acknowledged that "there is an indication [that smallpox] was spread intentionally." On November 2, 2018, Trudeau fulfilled a promise made in his apology speech in March and became
7371-512: The trail from the Homathko valley to the scene of the incident, and returned to New Westminster. A second party of 50 men under Gold Commissioner William Cox went to the area using an overland route, met an ambush and retreated. Brew, aboard HMS Sutlej , along with the Governor and 38 men, went out again to reach the Tsilhqot'in from Bentinck Arm . They arrived July 7 and met Cox. Donald McLean led
7462-524: The tribal people's major source for European goods. Contact with Europeans and First Nations intermediaries led to the introduction of Eurasian diseases, which were endemic among the Europeans. As they had long been exposed, some had developed acquired immunity , but the First Nations peoples were devastated by epidemics of these new diseases. Infectious disease outbreaks with high fatalities for Tsilhqotʼin populations: The geographically isolated position of
7553-466: The union with the opinion that it would do nothing for the mainland colony of British Columbia. However, during his time in England, Seymour found that not only the Hudson's Bay Company and the Bank of British Columbia wanted confederation but also the military and naval men supported amalgamation of the colonies. Seymour was forced to accept the inevitable, and began working with the Colonial Office to construct
7644-536: The united colonies would be "that of British Columbia", and the capital would be located at New Westminster. He insisted that he, the Governor of British Columbia, would announce the act of union between the two colonies. With the constitution being that of British Columbia, the preservation of British Columbia tariff acts would hold. Most of Seymour's suggestions were used, and the act of union came to fruition after being hurried through parliament in November 1866. Soon, with
7735-473: The unrest was concern over title to land rather than "plunder or revenge". Others say that the native packers in Brewster's crew were starving while the white members of the crew were well supplied. There were also grievances about desecration of graves and interference with valuable spring waters. The arrest, trial, and execution of the six Tsilhqot'in chiefs as criminals was challenged by the Tsilhqot'in nation on
7826-461: The west, and the Rocky Mountains in the east. They were part of an extensive trade network centred around the control and distribution of obsidian , the material of choice for arrowheads and other stone tools. The Tsilhqotʼin first encountered European trading goods in the 1780s and 1790s when British and American ships arrived along the northwest coast seeking sea otter pelts. By 1808,
7917-466: Was Chilcotin Uprising, an attack by Tsilhqot'in warriors on a road party that ended in the deaths of 14 workmen and later the murder of a local ferryman. Clashes had become more frequent since the 1858 Fraser River gold rush, with tensions constantly growing between local Chilcotin groups and white settlers. The Chilcotin communities' minimal interaction with fur traders and white settlers led to distaste from
8008-526: Was a key player in developing, creating and cementing a relationship with the indigenous nations such as the sto:lo . Frederick Seymour was born on 6 September 1820 to Henry Augustus Seymour and Margaret Williams, in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He was the fourth, and younger son to Henry and Margaret. Henry Augustus Seymour was the illegitimate son of Francis Seymour-Conway, 2nd Marquess of Hertford , received his education at Harrow, Pembroke College, Cambridge, and
8099-455: Was offered a junior appointment in the colonial service by Prince Albert . Seymour held positions in various British colonies from 1842 to 1863, when he returned to England. From 1864 to 1866, he served as the second Governor of the Colony of British Columbia and succeeded Sir James Douglas . He would enter government at a time of unrest, with the Fraser River gold rush causing violence within
8190-417: Was requested, and no state could guarantee its citizens safety from murder. Waddington was of the view that fears of the introduction of smallpox was the cause of the unrest. Frederick Whymper , an artist attached to Waddington's crew, attributed the unrest to the provision of firearms to the Chilcotin at a time when they were suffering from lack of food. Judge Begbie concluded that the most important cause of
8281-491: Was to propose entry to the Canadian federation . However, Seymour would not live to see British Columbia unified with Canada. On 10 June 1869, Seymour died from typhoid asthenia on board HMS Sparrowhawk near the north coast of British Columbia. Seymour's body was transported to Victoria, British Columbia's chosen capital. After Seymour's death the colonial office was quick to find a replacement for him News of his death reached
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