Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
History
Vancouverites often say there's no history here, usually in jealous referen-
ce to 'all those old buildings in Europe.' But the fact is Vancouver has a
rich and tumultuous past stretching back thousands of years. Stand by for
tales of First Nations communities from more than 10,000 years ago; Span-
ish and English explorers who poked around the region for the first time;
and an Englishman who kick-started the modern-day city with a barrel of
whiskey and a pub-building project.
Living off the Land
The ancestors of Vancouver's First Nations people were in British Columbia (BC) at
least 10,000 years ago, with many setting up camp along the coastline in areas still re-
garded as important First Nations lands to this day.
These first people lived in villages comprising wood-plank houses arranged in rows,
often surrounded by a stockade. Totem poles were set up as an emblem of family or clan.
It's not surprising these groups settled this area: the local beaches and rivers teemed with
seafood; the forests bristled with tasty wildlife, including deer and elk; and fat silvery
salmon were abundantly available to anyone who fancied outsmarting the odd bear for
the privilege.
Several distinct communities formed. The Musqueam populated Burrard Inlet, Eng-
lish Bay and the mouth of the Fraser River, although they shared some of this area with
the Squamish, who were largely based at the head of Howe Sound, but also had villages
in North and West Vancouver, Kitsilano Point, Stanley Park and Jericho Beach. The
Kwantlen controlled the area around New Westminster, while Delta and Richmond were
home to the Tsawwassen. The Tsleil-Waututh occupied much of North Vancouver, while
Coast Salish tribes, such as the Cowichan, Nanaimo and Saanich, set up seasonal camps
along the Fraser River when the salmon were running.
Scant evidence exists about this intriguing period in Vancouver's history: most settle-
ments have crumbled to dust and few have been rediscovered by archaeologists. In addi-
tion, these early settlers generally maintained oral records - they told each other (often in
song) the stories of their ancestors, rather than writing things down for posterity. This
method would have been highly successful until the arrival of the Europeans.
