History and Heritage Tour Operators in British Columbia

The modern history of British Columbia begins with the First Nations people who have lived    and flourished on the lush natural resources of these lands for over ten thousand years, since some time after the end of the last Ice Age.

There are three prominent First Nations groups of the Pacific Northwest who have divided the land between themselves for thousands of years: the Nootka, the Coast Salish, and the Kwak'wala Speaking Peoples. The rich land and marine resources enabled them to develop complex societies and    the intricate aboriginal art forms that are now internationally acclaimed. To the east, in the region now known as the British Columbia Rockies, the           Kootenay were the original keepers of the land, having fought fiercely for possession of the precious hot springs found in these mountains. The Carrier nation roamed the interior valleys, the Tsimshians ranged the northern coast, and the Tlingits occupied southern Alaska and northern British Columbia. The Sekani and Beaver occupied    the eastern region of the north while the Haida lived on the Queen Charlotte Islands.

As recently as 220 years ago the northwest coast of North America was one of the least explored areas in the world. The           geography of the land presented many formidable natural barriers   to European explorers. To the    east the soaring Rocky Mountains blocked the way, and the huge Pacific Ocean separated distant land masses off the west coast. The desire to explore and           discover new land and natural resources prevailed in the second half of the 18th century, with expeditions mounted by the Russians, American, Spanish    and British explorers and traders.

The peaceful existence of the aboriginal people was to change soon after the first contact by Europeans in 1778, when     Captain James Cook set foot   on Nootka Island on the           northwest coast of Vancouver Island. The Spanish later arrived and set up a base at Nootka    under the command of Don Juan Fransisco de la Bodega y Quadra, who had claimed the coast of Alaska for Spain. In    1792, Captain George Vancouver, with his ships Discovery and Chatham, arrived at Nootka    Sound to take regain control     under the terms of the Nootka Convention.

Both explorers made the trip to Tahsis to resolve years of Spanish/English rivalry that had played out on this Island, and commenced working together at the task of mapping and           exploring the coast. A Treaty in 1793 gave the two countries joint ownership of Nootka, but it was not long after the signing that Spain's dominance in North America began to wane. The last Spanish ship was ordered out of the area in 1795, marking the end of the Spanish influence In British Columbia.