Key moments in our post-contact history

The Ma’amtagila have existed since long before settlers arrived on this land. You can learn more about our history in Our Myths. These are some important events in our recent history, known as the Common Era.

Common ErA:
First commissioners arrive

1886
JOINT INDIAN RESERVE COMMISSION

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
From the JIRC Research Collection produced by the Union of BC Indian Chiefs

The majority of Indian reserves in British Columbia were allotted after British Columbia entered confederation in 1871. Prior to confederation, Indian reserve policy and allotments in the Colony of Vancouver Island and the mainland Colony of British Columbia were made by James Douglas, beginning in 1850 in his authority as Chief Factor of the Hudson’s Bay Company, and between 1858 and 1864 as Governor. Douglas’ policies varied between the colonies and changed over the course of his time in power. He entered into 14 treaties with First Nations on Vancouver Island and allotted larger reserves on the mainland. When Douglas retired, Joseph Trutch, as Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works, assumed responsibility for Indian land policy. Trutch denied the existence of Indian title to land, made substantial reductions to existing reserves allotted by his predecessor and introduced a formula for calculating Indian reserve allotments resulting in small, inadequate reserves. 

BC joined Canada according to certain terms and conditions laid out in the British Columbia Terms of Union. Article 13 of the Terms of Union transferred control and management of Indian reserve lands from British Columbia to Canada and stated that Canada would follow “a policy as liberal as that hitherto pursued” by BC. Article 13 had direct implications for Indigenous peoples and the reserve creation policies Canada followed in the post-confederation period. It divided responsibilities between the new Government of British Columbia and the Government of Canada. The province retained control over lands and resources, while Canada assumed control over the management of Indian lands and fisheries. The 1876 federal Indian Act consolidated all previous legislation regarding Indians and Indian lands in Canada. The Indian Act outlined provisions relating to Canada's obligations to Indians and lands reserved for Indians, defining what reserves were and how they could be used, owned, and occupied. 

This division in part explains the bitter disputes that arose between the Governments of Canada and British Columbia regarding the amount of land to be reserved for the Indians of the province. The province’s main interest lay in maximizing the amount of land available for non-Indigenous settlement. The federal government preferred that British Columbia follow the reserve policies established in the rest of the country that favoured the negotiation of treaties. 

The formation of the Joint Indian Reserve Commission in 1876 was intended to resolve these disputes. It operated until 1878 and was comprised of three commissioners: A.C. Anderson, appointed by the federal government; Archibald McKinley, appointed by BC; and Gilbert Malcolm Sproat, appointed by both governments. In 1878, Sproat assumed responsibility as sole commissioner of the Indian Reserve Commission until 1880. Peter O'Reilly replaced Sproat and allotted the majority of reserves until his retirement in 1898. A.W. Vowell succeeded O’Reilly until the commission was dissolved in 1910.

commissioner o’reIlly’s report

In the autumn of 1886, JIRC Reserve Commissioner Peter O’Reilly travelled to the Johnstone Strait. There he visited and spoke to the Chief Siwidi of the Ma’a̱mtagila, who he described as the “Mah-teelth-pe Tribe of Indians.” The following report was submitted to the Superintendent General of the Department of Indian Affairs:

Indian Reserve Commissioners Office
Victoria, BC
30th October, 1886

Dear Sir,

I have the honour to state for your information that on the 4th October, I visited the Mah-teelth-pe Tribe of Indians, who reside on the Mainland of British Columbia, on Havannah Channel.

The habits and mode of living of these Indians differ in no way from those described in my recent reports. They are lazy and live in a state of filthy degradation; having an abundance of fish of all kinds for food. They take no more interest in the allotment of land for their use than other tribes I have no recently visited.

Sewitti is their chief and they number 63.

After a conference in which I explained the object of my visit, and the desire of the Government that their fishing stations and their lands should be secured to them, the chief directed two of their number to accompany me, and with their assistance, I laid out four small reserves which they said were all they required.

The maps O’Reilly produced (left) are as rudimentary and lacking in important details as the conversation O’Reilly recounts having had with Chief Sewitti. However, they did confirm the existence of four authorized sites for Ma’amtagila existence, known as “reserves.” These four reserves are:

• No. 1 Etsekin

• No. 2 Port Harvey

• No. 3 Hay-lah-te (detailed map below)

• No. 4 Port Neville

In 1914, when the governments of British Columbia and Canada again sent commissioners to speak to the Ma’amtagila, our leaders certainly had far more to say on the question of land and title. Given the anger and frustration evident Chief Lagis’ testimony at that time, it is safe to say that we were far from satisfied with how our lives had changed in the 30 years since the Department of Indian Affairs arrived on our territory.