Legacies

This comic strip is from "The 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance Comic Book", created by Gord Hill a Kwakwaka'wakw artist and historian.

Warning: Some of the images are graphic in nature and may be disturbing.

“How did Europeans colonize the Pacific Northwest?”

(The title is white on a black background with a chalkboard-like font. All following images are hand-drawn and in black and white.)

“By the 1820s, the Hudson’s Bay Company was the main colonial power in the region, even as the fur trade declined. The company had numerous forts and ships.

In 1828, a Klallamvillage in Washington was destroyed by a company gunboat.”

(A drawing of men on a gunboat loading and firing cannons at avillage on shore.)

“In 1849, Vancouver Island was named an official colony, with the HBC acting as government.”

(A drawing of a fort with a British flag.)

“At the same time, settlement and selling land became a main concern of the government…For 30 years, Royal Navy gunboats were used to improve British colonialism + to bring the coast tribes under control.”

(A drawing of three men pointing at a map titled “Vancouver Island Colony”. One man says,

“The Kwakiutl are still head-hunting?”

and another man responds, “Yes, sir…”.)

“The gunboats served as military + police forces…

They were well-armed with up to 50 cannons + rockets as well as Royal marines.”

(A drawing of cannons lined up along the side of a gunboat, and a marine in uniform looking out at shore with a musket in his hands.)

“In 1862, a smallpox epidemic began in Victoria. Colonial authorities forced hundred of Natives out.

Infected, they returned to their villages, spreading the disease. An estimated 1 in 3 died in 2 years. The epidemic occurred as more European settlers arrived.”

(A drawing of a woman covered in smallpox lying dead on a beach. A crow pecks at her face. Behind is a longhouse and two others lying dead on the beach.)

“In 1871, BC became a part of Canada.

In 1874, the BC Lands Act was passed to open land to settlement.

Canada issued the 1875 Duty-of-Disallowance, striking down the BC Lands Act + citing the failures of the province to make treaties legally surrendering Native land.”

(A hand holds a paper titled ‘1875 Duty of Disallowance’.)

“In response, BC threatened to withdraw from Canada…

In 1876, Canada issued the Indian Act, extending government control over all Natives, inc. those in BC, ‘legalizing’ the theft of Native land.”

(A hand holds a paper titled ‘1876 Indian Act’. Beside are other papers titled ‘Band Councils’, ‘Reserves’, and ‘Status’.)