Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: The Effects of Early Colonialism on Indigenous Households of the Middle Fraser Canyon Region, British Columbia

University Of Montana, Missoula MT

Investigators

Abstract

Using archaeological evidence that includes stone tools, animal and plant remains, and household architecture, Lisa Michelle Smith will examine cultural impacts of European colonization on indigenous peoples of the Middle Fraser Canyon in British Columbia during the period of ca. 150-500 before present. This work will be conducted under the direction of Dr. Anna Prentiss as part of Ms. Smith's dissertation research. Middle Fraser Canyon villages peaked in size and social complexity by ca. 1100-1200 before present, after which time they were abandoned for 500-600 years and then reoccupied in the centuries just prior to the coming of Europeans to the region. Ethnographers of the early 20th century working in the Middle Fraser area describe a complex hunting and gathering society with social class distinctions, private ownership of property and resources, and extensive trade networks controlled by elites. However it is not clear whether these cultural characteristics developed uniquely during the early contact period or if they are a holdover from the time pre-dating 1000 years ago. This proposed research seeks to address this problem by conducting archaeological investigations of households at the S7i7stkn (Little Pit House) and Bridge River sites, two housepit villages located within close proximity of each other, situated on narrow terraces in the Bridge River valley. A single house from each site will be excavated, each with prehistoric and historic occupations. Ms. Smith's research will address in particular the role European contact may have played in the development of complex socioeconomic and political structures of indigenous households during the critical, yet under researched, early colonial period. Although the effects of colonialism on Mid-Fraser households are widely unknown, archaeological research of social complexity during the late prehistoric period, prior to 1200 years before present, continues to be informed by ethnographic data. This proposed research will provide opportunity to reconstruct characteristics of the political and socioeconomic structures associated with population influx and development of the fur trade economy, allowing for more fine-grained understanding of social complexity during the late prehistoric and historic periods. More broadly this work will enhance understanding of hunter-gatherer households and evolutionary processes associated with emergent social complexity. It will investigate the role of individual decision making and the effects it had on creating social ranking, regional trade networks, and the development of privately owned property. This work will also add to discussions of the viability of using ethnographic literature as a tool for directly interpreting archaeological data from the deeper prehistoric past. Dr. Prentiss has had a twenty-year collaborative relationship with local Mid-Fraser communities. This project will be a continuation of that program, offering educational benefits to First Nations students through training in archaeological excavation techniques. This will allow them to directly engage with their heritage and contribute to creating narratives of their past. University of Montana students will also take part in this research allowing them to engage in the local community, participating in activities such as a Lillooet language program, educational talks, and award winning Xwisten heritage tours. This will inform discussions on how to build strong relationships between archaeologists and native people and help create a new generation of archaeologists that understand the value of collaborative research. Additionally, this work will add to the body of literature regarding complex hunter-gatherer and colonial studies and educate the general public about First Nations history and culture.