The Fallen Feather - Kinetic Video

Around the time of Confederation - the government had a clear choice. Honour
British law and the Royal Proclamation; or railroad through the country.
Well, the government was obligated to negotiate with the Indians. However,
back in the late nineteenth century, treaty making, if you can call it that, was
more about the art of deception. Stall them, starve them, and lock them up.
After suffering decades of abuses the Tribes of Western Canada were growing
extremely impatient with their white neighbors. Throughout the region, First
Nations challenged the Government’s assertion of land ownership. And so,
Canada entered the dark decades of Indian Wars.
In British Columbia near Butte Inlet First Nations
revolted in the Chilcoten War of 1864, a conflict
which influenced Joseph Trutch BC’s Chief Land
Surveyor and future Governor. Trutch expressed
directly to the Macdonald government his militant
views of land claims during confederation talks
between Ottawa and British Columbia.
In central British Columbia the Shuswap (Secwepemc) threatened to burn down
Fort Kamloops in response to the Government’s broken promises and unilateral
reductions to their native lands. They apposed the “Trutch Roll Backs” to the pre
existing Douglas Land Agreements in BC. Native runners were sent down to the
United States to meet with Chief Joseph of the Nez Pierce Nations, with the
intent of gaining an alliance to consider whether to settle grievances with the
Government over land claims through war. Though the Central BC Indians
remained peaceful, settlers and the government assumed the worst. The
provincial Government sent letters to Ottawa stressing the need to bolster the
Militia to ensure that the native population would not revolt. M. V Bezeau
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