Archives Search

Title

Series consists of

799 lower level description(s)

Arrangement structure

Show Arrangement Structure

Series part of

Indian and Inuit Affairs Program sous-fonds [multiple media] (R216-185-5-E)

Accession

1. Indian and Inuit Affairs Program, Office of the Indian Commissioner for British Columbia. [textual record]
2. INDIAN COMMISSION FOR BRITISH COLUMBIA, LAND MATTERS [textual records]
3. Administrative records of Babine Agency [textual record]
4. INDIAN AND INUIT AFFAIRS PROGRAM, OFFICE OF THE INDIAN COMMISSION FOR BRITISH COLUMBIA [textual records]
5. BRITISH COLUMBIA RECORDS [textual records]

Bilingual equivalent

Commissaire des Indiens de la Colombie-Britannique [document textuel]

Date(s)

1887-1964

Place of creation

No place, unknown, or undetermined

Extent

13.57 m of textual records

Language of material

English

Scope and content

Series consists of a wide variety of general operational records created and maintained by the Office of the Indian Commissioner for British Columbia in Victoria and its precursors. Volumes 10872-10873 contain (among other records) four files from the office of the Indian Commissioner for British Columbia dealing largely with trapline policy, game regulations and conservation, 1924-1944. The records in volumes 11001-11006 cover the years 1910-1956 and consist of files of the office of the Indian Commissioner for British Columbia, its precursors (the Inspectorates and the office of the Chief Inspector of Indian Agencies) and the subordinate office of the Indian Inspector for the Southeastern Inspectorate (after 1923). Files are grouped by responsibility centre for, while they are all records of, or which found their way into, the Commissioner's office, each refers to operations in individual agencies. Some of the records were originally part of Shannon files (omnibus containers with sub-groupings of "files" on several subjects), but were removed from their original Shannon file containers some time in the past and placed in file jackets. As a result such files contained a number of district parts, the material often relating to different subjects. These files have now been divided and their parts given the artificial letter designations A, B, C, etc. Subjects covered in volumes 11001-11006 include: grazing; road rights-of-way; leases; bridges and engineering projects; fishing rights; surveys; timber; riparian rights; surrenders; land ownership disputes; railways; schools; estates; irrigation. Records in volumes 11041-11082 cover the years 1887-1965 and consist of files of the Office of the Indian Commissioner for British Columbia and its precursors (the Inspectorates and the office of the Chief Inspector of Indian Agencies). Some of the records are contained in Shannon files or were obviously removed from their original shannon boxes and placed in file jackets. The majority of these files are identified by a subject/agency number (e.g. 30-water, 33-land, 44-Kamloops Agency, 16-Williams Lake Agency) although some do not conform to this system. Certain of the Shannon files have now been artificially divided and their different parts given letter designations (A, B, C, etc.). Other records are contained in standard file jackets and are identified using the modified duplex numeric system with agency designations preceding the subject block number. Subjects covered in volumes 11041-11082 include: surveys, surrender; right-of-way; leases; riparian rights; irrigation; water supply systems; land ownership; grazing; timber; mining; sealing; trapping; loans and school buildings. There are also records relating to federal-provincial negotiations to settle the British Columbia Indian land question and to the Royal Commission on Indian Affairs and the eventual adjudication of its findings. Many maps and plans accompany the correspondence. Records in volumes 11288-11306 cover the years 1889-1956 and consist of files of the Office of the Indian Commissioner for British Columbia and its precursors. Many of the records were once part of Shannon files. No consistent file classification system is evident although portions of the records are identified according to a subject block system employed in the Commissioner's office (e.g. subject blocks 139 and 214 for military service or 112 for game and trapping, with secondary numbers 1 through 17 representing individual agencies). Subjects covered in volumes 11288-11306 include: military service (World War II); game and trapping; membership; vital statistics; estates; band management; elections; law enforcement; farming; fishing; timber; water; land sales; schools and personnel.

Conditions of access

Terms of use

Copyright belongs to the Crown. In order to protect the fragile originals, the microfilm copies of these records must be consulted rather than the originals.

Finding aid

Finding aid 10-52 is a computer generated file list relating to Vols. 11001-11006. 10-52 (Electronic)

Finding aid 10-56 is a computer generated file list relating to Vols. 11288-11306. 10-56 (Electronic)

Textual records Finding aid 10-77 is a handwritten file list relating to Vols. 10872-10873. 10-77 90 (Paper)

Finding aid 10-90 is a computer generated file list relating to Vols. 11041-11082. 10-90 (Electronic)

Additional name(s)

Canada. Office of the Indian Commissioner for British Columbia. Office of the Indian Commissioner for British Columbia.

Biography / Administrative history

Effective April 1, 1923, W.E. Ditchburn took up the new post of Indian Commissioner for British Columbia, but following his death in 1932 the position was apparently not filled. It was abolished in 1935 only to be resurrected in 1936. Between the years 1929-1937, an Assistant Commissioner also served in the commissioner's office. In 1948 a major reorganization of British Columbia was effected; the administrative region of British Columbia was created with headquarters at Vancouver. The office of Indian Commissioner for British Columbia was retained. RG10 General Inventory.

Additional information

Source

Government

Related control no.

1. 1974-75/059 GAD
2. 1975-76/020 GAD
3. 1980-81/018 GAD
4. 1980-81/314 GAD
5. 1984-85/090 GAD
6. RG10
7. RG10-C-I
8. RG10-C-I-16
9. RG10-C-II-2
10. RG10-C-VI

MIKAN no.

133569