A Brief History of Courtnay BC

The field school that I am taking part of this summer is found near Courtney BC, which is located in the traditional territory of the K’omoks First Nation (pronounced Co-Mox).

The Comox Valley (where the field school is located - yellow circle on the map) has had continual human occupation for more than 4000 years. People were attracted to this area due to its welcoming climate, many marine resources and ease of transportation by major waterways[1].

The modern K’omoks First Nation is made of three distinct peoples (the K’omoks, Pentlatch and Lekwiltok), who each had their own language and came from their distinct territory. In the late 18^th century, the northern groups (K’omoks and Lekwiltok) were displaced due to conflict and disease (caused by contact with Europeans) and merged with the Pentlatch in the south. In 1862, a smallpox outbreak killed nearly 53% of the K’omoks people. In 1886, Franz Boas (a famous anthropologist who studied the people of the North West coast) arrived in Comox and began his research among the K’omoks people[2]. A lot of information we currently have about the Comox area from thenn comes from his notes, though of course they have to be taken with a grain of salt (early European explores/scientists had a nasty habit of thinking about themselves very highly).

 

 

 

 

Map Source

http://www.comoxband.ca/sites/default/files/maps/K'omoks_Territory_Map-lowres.pdf  Accessed June 1, 2016

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[1] http://www.courtenaymuseum.ca/comox-valley-history/comox-valley-history/ Accessed June 1, 2016

[2] http://www.comoxband.ca/ History Timeline – Accessed June 1, 2016