How were the experiences of Indigenous people in the canneries different than those of settlers? What was the role of the canneries in colonization? How did the traditional skills and knowledge of Indigenous people benefit the canneries? How did the relationship between Indigenous people and the salmon canning industry change over time? How did the salmon canning industry impact Indigenous ways of life?
Check out this historical timeline (1700s-present) from the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs. Search for ‘cannery’ or ‘canneries’ to find the relevant points on the timeline.
Skim this textbook chapter to learn about the experiences of Indigenous women under settler colonialism. Search for the word ‘canneries’ within the document to find the passage about Indigenous women’s roles in the canning industry.
Read this reflection by Billy Assu from Assu of Cape Mudge from the Canadian Museum of History about the role of Indigenous people in the canning industry over time.
This is an excerpt from a report written by Thomas Deasy to the Superintendent of Indian Education in 1911.
Skim chapter 10.7 of this textbook to learn about the gender roles in pre-confederation Canadian history. Search for the word ‘canneries’ to learn about the relationship between Indigenous women and the canning industry.
This 1996 exhibit from the Canadian Museum of History profiles the resource-based communities of British Columbia’s coastal region.
The Labour History Project pays particular attention to gender in this overview of working conditions in British Columbia’s canneries throughout history.
This document from the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site contains four stories from the perspectives of different cannery workers.
This resource from the Gulf of Georgia Cannery Society contains a history of the canneries with particular attention paid to the roles of different ethnic groups in the canning industry.
This 25-minute film produced by the Gulf of Georgia Cannery Society explores Canada’s West Coast canning industry and how turning points in immigration, global conflicts, economic change, social movements, and technological progress have all affected the fishery’s evolution.
Skim this chapter of to learn about the rise of a working class in Canadian post-confederation history. Search for the word ‘canneries’ to find the specific passages that relate to the salmon canning industry.