Songhees Nation
The First Nations people who live on the Southern tip
of Vancouver Island are Coast Salish. The Songhees
nation originally lived where Victoria is now, but
Roderick Finlayson convinced them to move across the
harbour to where the Songhees Reservation now is.
James Douglas negotiated treaties with the Songhees on
April 29, 1850 transferring the ownership of land that
they didn't occupy to "White people for ever". The
treaties preserved the Songhees' right to hunt on
unoccupied land and to fish as they had before.
Sophia Cracroft travelled to Fort Victoria with her Aunt, Lady Franklin. Her
husband was John Franklin, the man who died in the discovery of the
Northwest Passage. Lady Franklin searched for her
husband three separate times before giving up. She spent her time after
her husband's death exploring the world with her niece and companion,
Sophia Cracroft.
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"The chief of the Stsamiss* tribe at this time and for many years
after was nick named "Freezy" in adaptation of the French word
"frizer" to curl, in reference to his mop of closely frizzed hair
an inheritance from his Kanaka progenitor. His proper name was
Chee-ah-thluk. He was a peaceable old chap and ever lived in amity
with the Whites during his somewhat lengthy reign. Some
sensational writers have credited him with fictitious attributes;
not the least is that of his possessing and killing off many wives;
this is pure fiction as I can vouch from personal knowledge.
He died in 1864. Like all natives he loved rum and led the simple life.
If he wanted a salmon he had to catch it like any other of his
subjects and as for clams it was the duty of the Queen to dig
them up."
Anderson, James Robert. "Notes and Comments on Early Days and Events in British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon" ch.12-14. ADD.MSS.1912. BOX 8/18, B.C. Archives.
*Joseph Mackay said, according to Anderson, that "Stsamiss" was correct over "Songhees".
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"One of the beauty spots was Laurel Point, which at
that period was used by the Stsamiss Indians as a
burial ground. There amidst the arbutus trees (hence
the name of Laurel Point) were to be seen the wooden
effigies marking the place where some notable was laid
to rest in his canoe or wooden sepulchre surrounded
by many of his personal belongings in life of the
deceased and the ground carpeted with white lilies and
other wild flowers. Can such a beauty spot be
conceived to have ever existed on the site of the
hideous factories which now deface the ground?"
Anderson, James Robert. "Notes and Comments on Early Days and Events in British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon" ch. 12, page 144,175(a28). ADD.MSS.1912. BOX 8/18, B.C. Archives.
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"We soon followed the scholars, my Aunt with Mr Hankin as before,
& I with the Bishop who as we passed the Indian village asked if I would
like to go in to one of the lodges. These are large huts of large slabs of
wood (partially lined with mats of their own manufacture) within which
several families live. In the first, we found 4 families - another seemed
to receive 5 or 6. Each family was distinct, & had its own fire - the
smoke of course escaping through the roof. The men were all away
except one old one who was sick - also the children, except babies - the
women only were within. They are Flatheads & we saw one wretched
infant with the heavy bandage on its forehead. The Bishop shook his
head & expressed in Chinook, how shocking and cruel it was, wh(sic which) only
made the mother laugh. Another woman explained that they did not
like our straight up foreheads. Being large & well ventilated by means
of the gaps in the sides and the roof, the huts were by no means the bad
smelling places you might expect, & the wood smoke always seems to
purify the air."
Cracroft, Sophia. "Letters, Vancouver and British Columbia:1861" ADD.MSS.227, B.C. Archives.
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"1853 25th, Sunday, Capt Grant came in to breakfast from
Mr Langfords on horseback. Mr Ford the Engineer of
the Sawmill came over in the afternoon we all went
down to the Indian Village it being their feast and we
went to see them, when we got down the Old Tyee, that
is the Chief man he invited us in the camp to see his
friends - so we went in and it was Oh Siame, Siame,
how do you do. Siame, means the same as Tyee - they
were very proud to see us, so they honoured us with a
dance and a song it was quite amusing to see them all
with their Knifes (sic), Pistols, Swords, & Guns in
their hands, holding them above their heads, now and
then firing a Gun or two out of the Roof, then we saw
about 9 more Canoes come in then they shoot and the
Canoes come up in a Row the Indians that are in the
canoes singing and Dancing all the time they are
coming, when they get near the Beach one Man goes to
the edge of the water and makes a speech, to the
Indians that are in the canoes singing and Dancing all
the time they are coming, when they get near the Beach
one Man goes to the edge of the water and makes a
speech, to the Indians that are in the canoes, Saying,
that his heart is very good towards them, and hopes
theirs are towards them, and that he had invited them
to come to this feast and share with some Blankets
that they had to give away. But if their hearts were
not good towards them, they were not to come ashore,
and a great deal of more of what I did not understand,
then there is a whooping (sic), Drumming and Dancing.
After seeing all that we came home as it was getting
Dusk. Capt Grant stayed all night. Mr Ford went home."
Ella, Martha Cheney. "Diary" E/B/El 5A, B.C. Archives.
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