<div dir="ltr">
<div class="gmail_quote"><div link="blue" vlink="purple" lang="EN-CA">
<div class="m_-1445694409284682915WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">June 5, 2020<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:9.3pt;text-align:center;text-autospace:none" align="center">
<b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">The Royal BC Museum digitizes an historic ledger
<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:9.3pt;text-align:center;text-autospace:none" align="center">
<b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">documenting decisions by the Indian Reserve Commission<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:9.3pt;text-align:center;text-autospace:none" align="center">
<b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif""><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:9.3pt;text-align:center;text-autospace:none" align="center">
<b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif""></span></b><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"><u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">VICTORIA, BC–</span></b><a name="m_-1445694409284682915_OLE_LINK5"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">The Royal BC Museum has acquired and
digitized a rare book from 1876 that documents decisions between the Joint Provincial and Federal Indian Reserve Commission and Indigenous Elders and Chiefs on lands that were later designated as reserves on the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.
<u></u><u></u></span></b></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">“This volume, which reflects the process of colonialism, is the official record of meetings and dates of decisions at each community,” said Prof. Jack
Lohman, CEO of the Royal BC Museum. “The Royal BC Museum anticipates the volume will be of great interest to Indigenous communities in BC documented within, and we will ensure all British Columbians have access to the contents.”<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">"It is an interesting read, providing new insight into the work of the Joint Reserve Commission, "said Dianne Hinkley, research director for the Cowichan
Tribes and a member of the Royal BC Museum’s Indigenous Advisory and Advocacy Committee.<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">“Library and Archives Canada (LAC) wishes to acknowledge the importance of the Museum’s acquisition of Volume 1 of the
<i>Journal of Proceedings</i> of the Indian Reserve Commission,” said Leslie Weir, Librarian and Archivist of Canada. “To mark the occasion, LAC has digitized Volume 2 as part of its We Are Here: Sharing Stories initiative and acknowledges the significance
of these two volumes for recognizing the history of First Nations in British Columbia. LAC aims to increase access to Indigenous-related content in its collection as part of its commitment to move forward on the path toward reconciliation with First Nations,
Inuit and the Métis Nation.”<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">The Joint Indian Reserve Commission was established in 1875 by the governments of Canada and British Columbia to fix the boundaries of Indian Reserves
in BC. <u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">The Royal BC Museum believes that no other copy of Volume 1 of the
<i>Journal of Proceedings</i> of the Indian Reserve Commission exists. <u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">The volume comprises daily entries, from November 1876 to June 1877, by the three-person committee (Alexander Caulfield Anderson, Archibald McKinlay,
and Gilbert Malcom Sproat) who met with Indigenous communities on the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island to discuss the creation of reserves.
<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">The volume’s core information is preserved elsewhere in official records, but the document was not microfilmed or digitized until now, by the BC Archives.
<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">Staff have photographed, digitized and described the contents (i.e.</span></b>
<b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">captured, collated, analyzed and organized the information), and the digitized version of the journal is available to the public at
</span></b><a href="https://search-bcarchives.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/joint-indian-reserve-commission-journal-of-proceedings-volume-i" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">search-bcarchives.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/joint-indian-reserve-commission-journal-of-proceedings-volume-i</span></a><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">.
<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">A finding aid, listing all the Indigenous communities visited by the Commission, is also available at
</span></b><a href="https://search-bcarchives.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Document/Finding_Aids_Atom/GR-3501_to_GR-4000/GR-3732.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">https://search-bcarchives.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Document/Finding_Aids_Atom/GR-3501_to_GR-4000/GR-3732.pdf</span></a><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">.
<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">Additionally, a comprehensive webpage about this volume is available at:
</span></b><a href="http://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/100/object/joint-indian-reserve-commission-journal-of-proceedings-vol-i/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/100/object/joint-indian-reserve-commission-journal-of-proceedings-vol-i/</span></a><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">
<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">Library and Archives Canada (LAC) holds a copy of Volume 2, and a digitized version is available at:
</span></b><a href="http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.redirect?app=fonandcol&id=2034768&lang=eng" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.redirect?app=fonandcol&id=2034768&lang=eng</span></a><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">.</span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">The first quarter of Volume 1 contains several small coloured ink drawings of reserves on the mainland. The few maps that do occur for Vancouver Island
are more roughly sketched in black ink, likely by a different person. At various points in the volume, correspondence and accounts of statements by Indigenous peoples, settlers, and personal letters have been placed between pages.
<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">The Royal BC Museum purchased the ledger for $15,000 from a private seller in late 2018.<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">About the Royal BC Museum</span></b><b><u></u><u></u></b></p>
<p class="m_-1445694409284682915xbodytext" style="margin-top:.1pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"" lang="EN-GB">The Royal BC Museum explores the province’s human history and natural history, advances new knowledge and
understanding of BC, and provides a dynamic forum for discussion and a place for reflection. The museum and archives celebrate culture and histories, telling the stories of BC in ways that enlighten, stimulate and inspire. Located in Victoria on the traditional
territory of the Lekwungen (Songhees and Xwsepsum Nations), we are a hub of community connections in BC–onsite, offsite and online–taking pride in our collective histories.
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="m_-1445694409284682915xbodytext" style="margin-top:.1pt;background:white"><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center;background:white" align="center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">- 30 -</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"" lang="EN-GB"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><a name="m_-1445694409284682915_OLE_LINK1"></a><a name="m_-1445694409284682915_OLE_LINK2"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif""><u></u> <u></u></span></b></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">Media contact:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif""><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">Royal BC Museum Media Inquiries
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><a href="mailto:news@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">news@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca</span></a><span class="m_-1445694409284682915MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">
</span><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><img id="m_-1445694409284682915Picture_x0020_3" src="cid:1728643e115a18c371" alt="Twitter_logo_blue" width="19" height="16" border="0"></span><a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalBCMuseum" target="_blank"><span class="m_-1445694409284682915Hyperlink1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";color:windowtext;text-decoration:none">@RoyalBCMuseum</span></span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">
</span><span><img id="m_-1445694409284682915Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:1728643e115af8d702" width="18" height="18" border="0"></span><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif""> </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/royalbcmuseum/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";text-decoration:none">royalbcmuseum</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">
</span><span><img id="m_-1445694409284682915Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:1728643e115bda4f13" width="22" height="22" border="0"></span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/RoyalBCMuseum/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";text-decoration:none">RoyalBCMuseum</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">______________________________________________________________________________________________</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">Erik Lambertson
</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black">
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">Corporate Communications Manager | Marketing, Sales and Business Development</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black">
<br>
<br>
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";color:black">R</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";color:black">OYAL</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";color:black">
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";color:#5c8727">BC</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";color:black"> M</span><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";color:black">USEUM</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">Traditional Territory of the Lekwungen (Songhees and Xwsepsum Nations)<br>
675 Belleville Street, Victoria, BC Canada V8W 9W2 </span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">
</span><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"> </span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">T 250 387-5051 | F 250 387-0102</span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><br>
<a href="mailto:ELambertson@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;color:blue">ELambertson@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca</span></a></span><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"> | </span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue"><a href="https://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;color:blue">royalbcmuseum.bc.ca</span><span style="color:blue">
</span></a></span><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue"> </span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black" lang="EN-US"><br>
Join us on:<a href="https://www.facebook.com/RoyalBCMuseum" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">Facebook</span></a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/RoyalBCMuseum" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">Twitter</span></a> |
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/36463010@N05/" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">Flickr</span></a> |
</span><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";color:black" lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/royalbcmuseum/" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">Instagram</span></a></span><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black" lang="EN-US"> </span><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#212121;background:white" lang="EN-US">
</span><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#212121;background:white"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>