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- Indian Reserve Commission Provincial and Federal Collections Summary Provincial Collection Summary Each binder has a general description of contents that state people of note, cross references to correspondence also included in the federal collection, a description of the contents of that volume, and an itemized index of the volume documents stating the author, date, reserve, band/tribe, document type, and the correspondence number used to identify the document, and sources cited in footnotes. Volume Date Range Description Provincial Vol. One Jan 1876-April 1878 MOD correspondence and sketches regarding the JIRC. There are significantly more sketches related to commissioners work in the provincial collection than the federal. Provincial Vol. Two May 1878- Dec 1878. Consists entirely Sproat correspondence and covers. Sproat submitted the work completed by the JIRC before it was disbanded in 1877. There is a good deal of correspondence regarding concerns with settlers and the O’Keefe case near present day Vernon. This correspondence reveals Sproat’s concerns, his awareness of the limitations of his authority, and comments regarding pre-emption. Provincial Vol. Three Jan 1879-October 1879 Primarily correspondence between Sproat and CCLW. Some MOD from this time period are only in federal collection. A main topic is settler concerns and discontent and Sp. requests for complete authority “for prosecuting the adjustment of the Indian land question in the districts not yet examined." Provincial Vol. Four March 1880- June 1880 MOD Dec 78-March 1880 Mostly 2 sets of MOD 1 for Nicola Nicoman, Cooks Ferry and Similkameen the other is for the Yale District, maps are referred to but not included. There is also some additional correspondence from later time periods. Indian Reserve Commission Provincial and Federal Collections Summary Volume Date Range Description Provincial Vol. Five July 1880-August 1880. Primarily includes two sets of MOD, one submitted by Powell to the CCLW. There are maps and sketches included in this collection that are not in the federal collection, specifically a sketch of allotments around Salmon River. Also included is Sproat’s MOD for the Campbell River/Cape Mudge people which was removed from the federal collection. Provincial Vol. Six March 1881-March 1882 Consists of the initial work of Peter O’Reilly as Reserve Commissioner. O’Reilly’s federal and provincial covering letters attached to the MOD differ greatly. Those sent to the province contain issues considered most important to the province, such as abandonment of a pre-emption, but this information was not included in the correspondence to the federal government. O’Reilly altered his covering letters depending on the recipient. Provincial Vol. Seven May 1882- Nov 1882 MOD’s Oct 1881-Sept 1882 Continuation of O’Reilly’s 1882 work. Correspondence in this volume is addressed to the CCLW. O’Reilly did not include field notes with his MOD so there is no contextual information. The only information on village areas, land use, and occupation is found in the sketches. Provincial Vol. Eight Feb 1884-Dec 1887 MOD’s for Feb 1884- Dec 1887 O’Reilly did not complete work on the IRC between Nov. 1882 and Jan 1884. Upon his return O’Reilly no longer allocates “right to” fish or exclusive fisheries as he had previously. The tensions between the provincial and federal government are evident in correspondence in this volume. There is correspondence indicating the province’s displeasure with I.W.Powell B.C. Indian Superintendent and there is also correspondence from Powell to the CCLW voicing complaints over the province’s conduct in matters such as the sale of reserve lands in Osoyoos. Indian Reserve Commission Provincial and Federal Collections Summary Volume Date Range Description Provincial Vol. Nine Jan 1888-Dec1889 Continuation of O’Reilly’s work. The collection summary on the first page provides examples of minor differences between the federal and provincial collections during this time period. Some correspondence and allotments are not included in the federal collection. This volume includes correspondence on the province’s allowance of pre- emptions on Aboriginal lands. Provincial Vol. Ten Feb 1890-Dec 1891 Continuation of O’Reilly’s work on the West Coast of Vancouver Island and parts of the north. Correspondence within demonstrates continued effort by the province to alienate Aboriginal lands. Vowell assumes the post of Superintendent from Powell. There is a description of the allotment approval process. Provincial Vol. Eleven Jan 1892-Dec 1893 Continuation of O’Reilly’s work and also correspondence regarding settler incursion on Aboriginal lands set aside as reserves. The correspondence is one sided as correspondence from the CCLW is not included in the collection. There is also correspondence regarding boundary discrepancies. Provincial Vol. Twelve Feb 1894-Dec 1898 Continuation of O’Reilly’s work until his retirement in 1898 when A.W.Vowell became the Commissioner in addition to his role as Indian Superintendent. This volume contains a series of letters regarding a dispute between a settler and the Alkali Lake community. The matter of a requested fishing station at Pacheena and compensation for a road through Ohamil reserve are also discussed in correspondence. The volume index identifies missing correspondence and points out discrepancies in the dates of O’Reilly’s MOD for Canoe Creek and Alkali Lake. Indian Reserve Commission Provincial and Federal Collections Summary Volume Date Range Description Provincial Vol. Thirteen Jan 1899-Feb 1907 Contains only Vowell’s Although Vowell held his position until 1910 the provincial collection only holds records up to 1907. Vowell submitted MOD and field notes with sketches in a similar manner to O’Reilly. His cover letters, in the provincial collection, do not contain the same level of detail as O’Reilly’s. Correspondence between Vowell and the Dept. of Lands reveals the province’s increasing unwillingness to set aside Crown lands for reserves. Federal Collection Summary - Minutes of Decision, Correspondence & Sketches Each binder has a general description of contents that state people of note, cross references to correspondence also included in the federal collection, a description of the contents of that volume, its original format, the most important topics or locations included in the correspondence, and an itemized index of the volume documents stating the author, date, reserve, band/tribe, document type, and the correspondence number used to identify the document, and sources cited in footnotes. Volume Date Range Description Federal Vol. One March 1878-Jan 1879 The first volume of the federal collection titled Letterbook No.2. Originally it was a letterbook, a book with copies of letters that would become formal correspondence, for the JIRC with entries from Sproat and the surveyor Edward Mohun. There are some copies of some MOD that have been cross- referenced with the provincial collection. Indian Reserve Commission Provincial and Federal Collections Summary Volume Date Range Description Federal Vol. Two Feb 1979-Sep 1879 Sproat Letterbook No.3. In this volume there are frequent references to enclosed correspondence that is often not included with the cover letter. This volume covers correspondence related to Sproat’s work as sole commissioner for the Reserve Commission. Issues covered include surveying, disputes with provincial government, agreements with Aboriginal people, Sproat’s policy interpretations and reserve allotment method, Sproat’s interactions with settlers and Aboriginal people. Federal Vol. Three Various dates during JIRC Original book that forms this volume consists of extracts from numerous files containing material related to the JIRC. Most original MOD were removed from the original book and while most have been located many are stated in the volume index as missing. Most MOD are found in the provincial collection but complete cross referencing had not been completed. There is much correspondence related to the cost and needs of the commission. Federal Vol. Four June 1878-June 1880 Field Minutes of G.M. Sproat. This volume consists of 13 soft covered books containing Sproat’s Field Minutes as Indian Reserve Commissioner. The field book for Lytton is missing from the federal collection but is found in the provincial collection and there may be a book 15, regarding Cook’s Ferry that if it existed is missing. It is believed Sproat removed sketches and attached them to his MOD. Indian Reserve Commission Provincial and Federal Collections Summary Volume Date Range Description Federal Vol. Five circa June 1879-June 1880 “Interrupted Work by retirement of Commissioner form Office” G.M. Sproat. This volume includes pre-emption records, maps, MOD for 1879, a report from surveyor Edward Mohun, and letters from Government Agent Hughes. It appears in the volume that Sproat prepared this book in 1880 almost a year after having visiting the areas where he allotted reserves. A contemporary copy of this volume, minus Mohun’s report, is found in Volume 17 of the federal collection. Federal Vol. Six May 1878-October 1878 This volume was designated “Book 4” G.M. Sproat. Collection of Sproat’s MOD, some accompanying sketches, and larger maps. Areas covered in this volume are Spuzzu,-Lytton, Nicomen, Cook’s Ferry, Coldwater in Nicola Lake, and Upper Similkameen. A copy of this is found in Volume 17 of the federal collection. Federal Vol. Seven May 1881-Feb 1884 Correspondence to/from P. O’Reilly, Dr. I.W. Powell et al. This collection is comprised of correspondence only. There are no MOD although some letter make reference to them. While O’Reilly and Powell are the key authors/recipients there is also correspondence from settlers and missionaries. Most letters are on Department of Indian Affairs letterhead. Majority of correspondence is related to the expenditures of the commissions work in the field and salary costs. Federal Vol. Eight May 1881-Jan 1882 Minutes of Decision, correspondence, and sketches P. O’Reilly. Federal Vol. Nine January 1882-July 1882 Minutes of Decision, correspondence, and sketches P. O’Reilly. Indian Reserve Commission Provincial and Federal Collections Summary Volume Date Range Description Federal Vol. Ten June 1882-feb 1885 Minutes of Decision, correspondence, and sketches P. O’Reilly. O’Reilly’s work method becomes more consistent with the format of each field Minute being accompanied by a MOD and sketches. The field minutes provide more information on the groups he met with, prominent people/chiefs, population, employment and other issues. Federal Vol. Ten Third Copy 118 pages of Volume 10 are a “Third Copy” of the MOD from this volume. They are part of Volume 10 but organized separately. Federal Vol. Eleven June 1885-March 1889 Minutes of Decision, correspondence, and sketches P. O’Reilly. Federal Vol. Twelve April 1889-Jan 1892 Minutes of Decision, correspondence, and sketches P. O’Reilly. Within this volume are the first correspondence with A.W. Vowell as BC Indian Superintendent after Powell. Portions of some MOD and/or sketches are missing. Federal Vol. Thirteen May 1889-Oct 1894 Minutes of Decision, correspondence, and sketches P. O’Reilly. This volume is arranged from the latest date to the earliest date as was the original. There are gaps in correspondence from Feb 1894-Oct 1894 and from Dec 1893-Feb 1894. Powell retires and is replaced by Vowell in 1890. There is some correspondence regarding reserves that Sproat allotted prior to the establishment of the railway belt. Federal Vol. Fourteen March 1883-Sept 1899 Minutes of Decision, correspondence, and sketches P. O’Reilly. O’Reilly rMarch 31, 1898 and his duties assumed by Vowell. There is numerous correspondence acknowledging receipt or transmittal of letters. Federal Vol. Fifteen Jan 1898-Jan 1906 Minutes of Decision, correspondence, and sketches A.W. Vowell. Vowell’s practice of submitting field notes before MOD differed from O’Reilly. Correspondence is more inter-related than other volumes. Indian Reserve Commission Provincial and Federal Collections Summary Volume Date Range Description Federal Vol. Sixteen 1877 Surveyor’s Copy of Minutes of Decision & Sketches JIRC Allotments - Surveyor Edward Mohun. All MOD are copies made for use in the field. Some of his copies have subtle differences. Only a few of the MOD or maps are dated. Federal Vol. Seventeen July 1878-July 1879 Minutes of Decision and sketches G.M. Sproat “True Copy” of Sproat’s “Interrupted Work Books 1,2 & 3” Federal Vol. Eighteen May 1878-Jan 1880 Minutes of Decision and sketches G.M. Sproat “True Copy”. Four “sets” of MOD are in this volume, most of which have not been located in other federal material. Federal Vol. Nineteen May 1881-Oct 1886 Minutes of Decision and sketches P. O’Reilly “True Copy”. Inclusive collection of all of O’Reilly’s MOD in this time period. Federal Vol. Twenty May 1887-Oct 1908 Minutes of Decision and sketches P. O’Reilly, A.W. Vowell “True Copy”. Companion for volume 19. reflects all MOD for both commissioners during this time. Federal Vol. Twenty-one Various dates Volume covers a variety of topics including, 1863 reserve leases, lists of reserves in the railway belt, files related to the McKenna-McBride Commission, copies of papers related to BC Land case 1 & 2, Historic sketches on BC Indian Affairs by G.M. Matheson, regstrar of Department of Indian Affairs 1934-34. Federal Vol. Twenty-two August 1924 Minutes of the conference of Duncan C Scott Deputy Superintendent General of Indian Affairs, Chief Inspector of Indian Agents W.E. Ditchburn, and the Executive Committee of the Allied Indian Tribes of British Columbia to discuss aboriginal title. Volume Date Range Description
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