In British Columbia there is general agreement that “First Nations” refers to groups of people who can trace their ancestry to the populations which occupied the land prior to the arrival of Europeans and Americans in the late 1700s.

The First Nations of British Columbia presents a concise and accessible overview of First Nations’ peoples, cultures, and issues in the province. Its primary purpose is to provide an understanding of today’s pertinent concerns and initiatives by familiarizing readers with the history, diversity, and complexity of First Nations. It does so from an anthropological perspective from which crucial archaeological ethnographic, historic, and legal-political issues are explored.

This wide-ranging book begins with a description of the first Nations today, including information on populations, settlements, territories, bands, and other affiliations. The following sections focus on prehistory, traditional lifeways and cultural change over the past few hundred years. The impact of the fur trade, gold rushes, European and American settlement, missionaries, residential schools, and governments are all covered. Assertions of aboriginal rights and the current treaty negotiation process are also discussed. The First Nations of British Columbia is an indispensable resource for both educators and students, and an excellent introduction for anyone interested in the peoples and issues of B.C.’s First Nations.

Robert J. Muckle is Professor of Anthropology at Capilano University in North Vancouver, Canada. He has been teaching archaeology, biological anthropology, and Indigenous Peoples of North America courses for more than 20 years. He is the author of several publications, including Introducing Archaeology (2nd edition, 2014), Reading Archaeology (2007), and Indigenous Peoples of North America: A Concise Anthropological Overview (2012). He writes the monthly column "Archeology in North America" for the on-line Anthropology News and is active on matters pertaining to anthropology on Twitter (@bobmuckle).

Robert J. Muckle's profile page

A useful summary of the numerous issues connected to modern day political reality … This book is meant for a general audience and would serve well for an introductory college or university course on the First Nations of British Columbia …Without the basic knowledged in this book, anyone studying or working in this province will be for the worse. I strongly commend the author for this timeley overview and highly recommend this book on that note.

The Midden, 31:2

As a presentation of fundamental knowledge, First Nations of British Columbia will prove very useful to students of British Columbian First Nations … Readers unfamiliar with British Columbia First Nations will find Muckle’s work a most accessible overview, highlighting important recent developments and suggesting authorities for further research.

lean and accessible language … Well organized … a handy reference for those interested in general information about the study of natives in prehistoric and early historic times.

B.C. Historical News