History of the Territory
Long before colonial settlers arrived in the region now known as British Columbia, the land where the Royal BC Museum and Archives stand is the traditional territory of the Lekwungen peoples, today represented by the Songhees and Xwsepsum (Esquimalt) Nations.
The Lekwungen people comprise diverse extended families who speak a shared dialect of the North Straits Salish language.
Among the most historically significant collections held by the Royal BC Museum are the Vancouver Island Treaties (also known as the Douglas or Fort Victoria Treaties), signed between 1850 and 1854. These treaties document the negotiation of land use rights between Indigenous peoples and the Hudson’s Bay Company.
The ongoing relevance of these treaties—and the revitalization of Indigenous languages—is reflected in the recent translation of three treaties into SENĆOŦEN and Lekwungen, both dialects of North Straits Salish.
Learn more about the Nations and treaties above
Discover more at the museum
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Bill Reid, Grizzly Bear Mantlepiece, ca. 1954, ICAR 20395 -
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exhibition
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exhibition
