Indians at Work: An Informal History of Native Labour in British Columbia, 1858-1930

by Rolf Knight

Indians at Work provides an historical background to native labour in BC from the Gold Rush to the beginning of the Great Depression. It counters the common misconception that native people responded to European settlement and industrial development by retreating to a reserve existence. Evidence amassed from logging, transport, construction, longshoring, commercial fishing and canning, and a host of other industries shows that native Indians played a significant role in British Columbia’s economy from the moment the first European explorers appeared off the coast.

398 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1996