Field school students learn First Nation skills and history

by Jessica Gillies

Sonny McHalsie relates Stó:lō history to UVic grad students Jon Clapperton (front) and Henry Nikolaus. They’re standing by the Fraser River near Yale.

Members of the Stó:lō Nation invited UVic graduate students into their homes and into their culture during a unique ethnohistory field school held last month in Chilliwack.

Ethnohistory combines the research of historical documents with oral history. The students researched topics suggested by the Stó:lō, such as the impact of disease on Stó:lō society and culture, the history and biographies of elders, and the history of Coqualeetza, the former residential school that now houses the Stó:lō Nation administration and cultural centre.

"We were invited by the Stó:lō Nation to do a number of history projects that they’ve identified as key for their community," says UVic historian Dr. John Lutz, who co-taught the class with Keith Carlson, a University of Saskatchewan historian. Lutz says theirs is the only ethnohistory field school in Canada.

"A lot of the different topics that we asked the students to research will help supplement our own research," says Sonny McHalsie, a treaty director and cultural advisor with the Stó:lō Nation. The students’ research contributes to the wealth of knowledge that the Stó:lō have about their history, which can help with treaty negotiations and heritage policy-shaping.

The class, made up of four history students from UVic and six from the University of Saskatchewan, lived with Stó:lō families for a week before moving into a longhouse for three weeks. The field school included a boat trip on the Fraser River to learn how the Stó:lō interpret the river.

"It’s a cultural orientation to the Stó:lō territory," says Lutz. The word "Stó:lō" means "people of the river," and some place names refer to things that can only been seen from the river. "The Stó:lō can tell their history as we travel the river," he says. "The story is in the landscape."

The field school is a bit like a co-op work term, says Lutz. "Students learn about Stó:lō culture and pick up some practical skills. They’re writing not just an academic paper, but a paper that has utility beyond the course." Papers the students write will be kept in the Stó:lō archives.

The Stó:lō chose UVic to do the research because the university has a strong ethnohistory component in its history department. "We’re helping them document a culture that didn’t leave any written records," says Lutz. This year marks the fourth time he and Carlson have run the field school.

"We recognize the important contributions that academic institutions can provide to us," says McHalsie. "It’s an ongoing relationship that we hope to maintain. Knowing our history is a big part of our culture."

The field school hosted a traditional thank-you feast on May 24 to acknowledge the help of the elders and thank the Stó:lō community for their support.