1. British Columbia Ties to the Pacific Rim

2. Fishers, Hunters, Traders, Miners Beginning of Page 130 First people (indigenous people) arrived 10,000-12,000 years ago. ◦ Many groups, many languages ◦ Each group had their own customs and complex society People on the coast caught fish, whales, and clams ◦ Totem Poles – used as symbols for a group or clan Other lived and hunted in the forests As with any group of people some got along others fought.

3. New Arrivals Late 1500’s – Spanish, British, Russian explorers arrived British sailed to Vancouver Island and set up a trading post. ◦ Indigenous people wanted iron tools and the British wanted fur. So they traded This trade unlike in Saskatchewan, did not change the indigenous people’s lives a whole lot People came and went until….. They found GOLD along the Fraser River

4. The Gold Trade Victoria was a quiet town with good people in it. ◦ 1858 Americans dropped off 450 men who looked dangerous ◦ They were there to mine for gold The population more than doubled in one morning Thousands of people showed up and Victoria was a “stumptown” Why? Cariboo Mountains had gold too. ◦ Miners from China, Europe, and the US came to mine ◦ Government built a highway because it was hard to get to.  This created boomtowns – towns built only for the purpose of mining. Died out one the gold rush was over

5. Changes for Indigenous People Indigenous people were “given” reserves to live on. The same land they had lived on for years. They were the majority and in just a few years were the minority. Laws banned many of their customs, religions, and languages Today the people are demanding land, and political rights

6. The Canadian Pacific Railway 1881 – Canadians begin to build a railroad all the way across the country. From Montreal to Vancouver ◦ Obstacles – mountains, steep valleys, freezing weather, and glaciers ◦ Had to build 600 bridges and blast 27 tunnels through mountains Immigrants arrived from all over the world to build the railroad. Criminals arrived too ◦ Police were brought in (The police used horses at this time)

7. British Columbia Today Canadian Pacific Railroad did unite Canada ◦ mountains are a natural barrier separating British Columbia from the rest of Canada 2/3 of the people live along the coast of British Columbia ◦ Many feel their future and their ways of life are tied to the Pacific Rim countries, not with the rest of Canada 11% have Asian ancestors The people here do a lot of trade with the Pacific Rim countries ◦ 40% is done with these countries In school the students learn Asian languges ◦ Japanese, Cantonese Chinese, Mandarin Chinese, Punjabi (pun jah bee) – spoken in India and Pakistan