“Into that country to work” offered great insight to the readers to understand that despite the work of latter historians, Aboriginals were very much so apart of the economic hub of the central interior of British Columbia during the gold rush times. Even with “much documentation of First Nation presence, Barkerville has long been subject to the myth that no First Nations lived or worked there” (109). Even now on Barkerville’s Website there is still no acknowledgment of the land originally being settled by Dekelh people. It has a small section in the archives recognizing the pre-railway Chinatown stating that it is the largest chinese archival collections in Canada (Barkerville). Nowhere on the site was I able to find a word about Carrier People. This is quite surprising to see as First Nations are acknowledged in the surrounding areas like Prince George and Quesnel.
Based on the readings, Barkerville should acknowledge the presence of First Nation peoples; not only on the economic level but simply that they were there. “Archaeological reports suggest that the Dakelh People occupied the Barkerville region before the gold rush; and documentary evidence…suggests that Barkerville was a location for economic activity for various other first nation groups” (112). Even when aboriginals are mentioned, Jorgenson says that scholars refer mainly to their activity in downtown Barkerville. These activities include “aboriginal packing, cattle-driving, berry picking and prostitution” (111). First Nations people are known for their nomadic lifestyle. It is safe to say that majority of the Dakelh people would have been in the surrounding areas. Additionally to the paper, there might have been a lack of Fist Nation presence due to the diminishing population caused by the influenza epidemic. It was disturbing to learn that “the complete eradication of the aboriginal population of Bowron explains why First Nations people did not coexist with miners in barkerville” (117). It is incredible to believe that some scholars do not acknowledge this piece of history while discussing the gold rush. We have learned that not all history is recorded and it is important to include oral histories as well.
Based on Barkerville’s website and the information given by Jorgenson, it is easy to see that historians have a long way to go in order to correctly interpret history. The first step would be to acknowledge the traditional land of the Dekelh people and talk about their roles other than prostitution.
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