The Untold Story Of America's First Nations | Nations At War | Timeline

my name's dan snow and i want to tell you about history hit tv it's like the netflix for history hundreds of exclusive documentaries and interviews with the world's best historians we've got an exclusive offer available to fans of timeline if you go to history hit tv you can either follow the information below this video or just google history hit tv and use the code timeline you get a special introductory offer go and check it out in the meantime enjoy this video 1787 the pacific northwest has become a new frontier for international trade lured by the promise of riches american and european merchants were prepared to enter hostile waters proud by a people who had built a great civilization by mastering waves these were the haida the greatest aboriginal naval power north america had ever seen conquer surrender victory defeat these deadly battles shaped continents these are nations at war [Music] it's the end of the 18th century and the world is more connected than ever before european and american ships crisscrossed the world searching for new markets and more wealth driving this relentless search is a ruthless struggle for global dominance mighty european empires like spain britain and russia compete to dominate trade and lay claim to any land they could seize one of the last corners of the world left untouched by the imperial powers and voracious traders was the pacific northwest like the vikings and the maori the hyder were a society shaped by their relationship with the ocean a connection forged at the birth of their people as the height of creation story goes raven looked out at the empty world he saw a great clan with small creatures peeking out from within its shell hiding from his shadow but raven cajoled the creatures until they left their refuge and stepped out onto the shore raven had found the first men our people are born from the lands and the waters of haidawai and that's why our connection to this land is so special and so wonderful and so beautiful because of the the potency of the supernatural beings that are are also here coexisting with us divided into a delicate chain of 150 islands by the hecat strait haida gwaii is home of the haida nation haida gwaii the islands of the people had been their homeland for over ten thousand years sprinkled throughout these islands lived almost twenty thousand haida in independent communities ruled by powerful local chiefs the authority of these chiefs was cemented in two places the battlefield and in the potlatch these great ceremonial feasts were at the heart of haida society vital for diplomacy trade and spiritual life it was there a chief could show his might both through displays of personal wealth and the giving of lavish gifts to friends and even foes the waters that divided the high to people also separated them from powerful nations of the mainland so completely that their language is entirely distinct from any others trapped by the most violent seas in the northern pacific the haida would need to be creative if they hoped to grow as a nation one innovation would single-handedly give them the edge they needed to dominate the west coast sea power we developed the ocean going canoes we went all over the place went up and down the coast all the time i mean raiding and trading and we had allies on the coast too it wasn't just warfare carved out of the great red cedars which blanketed their homeland the canoe would become the focal point of higher life sculpted from grandmother trees specially selected by master boat builders these majestic dugout canoes were designed to withstand both open ocean and rocky shallows its beautifully decorated hull was a proud statement about the maker and the owner on average it was 17 meters long and carried a crew of 15 to 20 paddlers but there were also larger canoes with crews up to 50 or 60. the hider relied on their canoes for fishing travel and trade but they were built for war and defending their communities from reprisal attacks the canoes were armed with 50-pound stone rings tethered to the hull called canoe breakers these reusable projectiles could split an enemy hull or punch a hole at the water line protected from reprisal by the heck it straight the haida built fleets of these war canoes allowing them to strike from the sea without warning along the pacific shore coastal communities would learn to live in fear of this ever-present danger the war canoes gave the hide of the means to acquire great wealth and made them the most formidable military power in the northwest the long menacing canoes sliced through the shallows and crate up onto the rocky beach immediately the shore is swarming with dozens of well-armed raiders a medicine man leads each crew exhorting them on to pillage the village of their enemies each raider hits the beach prepared to kill or die we come from very very strong people fierce people people that could brave the heck it straight you know in a canoe and a dugout canoe right and that's quite something warriors of the west coast wore armor rare among first nation societies a carved helmet and bent wood visor protected the head and face thick hide tunics and cedar breastplates guarded the body against impact arrows and even musket fire all decorated to give the wearer spiritual protection and to terrify the enemy the most common weapon of the hyder raider was the war club adapted from a multi-purpose tool these clubs made of stone whale bone or wood could deal a brutal blow a fragile skull was crushed like an egg even more lethal was the height of dagger made from bone stone or iron embedded into wood debris washed up on the shore from asia and later steel from trade the dagger was a warrior's weapon of choice its long triangular blade was perfect for ripping through weak points in enemy armor on its hilt was a smaller but no less lethal blade that warriors used in a deadly slashing technique under assault from a relentless tide of hyder raiders the nations of the coast had to develop new tactics to defend their homes and families signal fires and lookouts provided advanced warning while fortifications like palisades with fighting platforms tried to discourage attack through raiding haida leaders accumulated vast amounts of wealth and prestige copper crests chill cat blankets robes and other ornate weaving were highly prized as currency among northwest nations while these spoils would be important as gifts for potlatch they weren't the main objective the haida were interested in something with much more value [Music] slaves estimated at 26 percent of the population slaves provided essential labor but these captives turned into an even more valuable asset for the haida they became a commodity raiding wasn't just opportunism it was the essential driving force of the haida economy these were a people who believed in wealth and appreciated its power violence was the most effective means of fueling trade this wasn't war it was just smart business a view the haida shared with the strange newcomers who appeared in their waters by the mid-18th century is a supernatural it appears out of the sea it's part of a story and then when they first came you know the white sails and these boats appearing out of the sea uh part of that we thought it was like that and so we when we when they did come in we were quite amazed by that and so i'm told that they dressed up really put on our finery to go out and meet them and then and then they they spotted us with our robes like the sea otter pelts right it wasn't long it wasn't it didn't take much before we started trading that's what they wanted from us the europeans had arrived in 1775 a spanish ship appeared on the pacific coast of north america seeking new souls and lands to claim in the name of their crown and church within 10 years they would be followed by american and british ships with an entirely different objective their massive power posed the first real threat to hide a control of the pacific coast these guys would come and trade and we'd get all the trinkets for our sea otter palace across the pacific ocean merchants trading in china discovered a high demand for the thick luxurious pelts of marine mammals like the northern sea otter with seemingly limitless populations of the animals and a hunger for chinese goods back in europe all the variables were present for an economic explosion [Music] caught between the ambitions of rival empires the haida decided to play all sides against each other for their own benefit it was a recipe for bloodshed the trade which had made the haida a powerhouse would come with a terrible price threatening to destroy everything they'd fought and died for [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] in the 1800s european and american ships arrive in the pacific northwest looking to strike it rich in the maritime fur trade but any hopes of profit meant dealing with the local naval power relations between the haida and visiting traders began friendly enough the haida had an abundance of pelts in which they placed little value while the europeans had a ready supply of manufactured goods the haida had never imagined but misunderstandings and distrust on both sides quickly led to insults and violence in 1789 nonstint's chief koya led a trading mission aboard the ship of american captain john kendrick but when the haida were accused of stealing trinkets from his ship kendrick had coya seized shackled to a gun carriage and whipped in front of his men to kendrick it was a warning to the haida it was an unforgivable insult believing he had made his point kendrick arrogantly returned to trade not long after [Music] seething from the humiliation koya and his men wasted no time teaching kendrick a lesson of their own in a stunning attack the haida war party overran kendrick's ship only a hail of gunfire at point-blank range killing 50 warriors forced the haida to call off their revenge when we have documented wars like she between chief koya and captain kendrick right that's a documented conflict the government can say oh there's no history and it didn't happen and yet there's records in violent clashes the foreigners had the technological edge their ships were larger with thick hulls and modern gunpowder technology while their crews could defend themselves with smooth bore muskets the powerful 55-caliber shot could punch through haida armor at close range but if the newcomers thought the haida would be intimidated they were wrong the ships had more powerful weapons for sure but they didn't have the numbers right remember these are fairly simple weapons too you can only fire them once and then it takes a long time to reload indigenous people have arrows and spears they can they can volley one after another using surprise numbers and speed the haida destroyed six foreign vessels in the waters of haida guay between 1794 and 1853 the american ship the resolution was destroyed at anchor after the haida of kamshwa inlet attacked the ship killing all but one of the crew who was enslaved despite bloodshed and suspicion trade flourished profits earned in the maritime fur trade meant the europeans were here to stay the spanish were driven out britain was now the dominant player the outsiders insatiable demand for furs meant that the haida were now in a position to ask for one particular good in payment guns the haida wasted no time unleashing them on the battlefield a musket became a symbol of status and prestige warriors would decorate the stalks with designs and crests in battle they gave a warrior a deadly accurate projectile able to penetrate enemy armor with far greater power than bows some haida leaders were even shrewd enough to secure cannons and swivel guns before long ida war canoes mounted with swivel guns and cedar mats sails scoured the waters of haidaguai emulating the strengths of the european vessels these haida gunships represented the pinnacle of first nations naval power with firearms to protect their autonomy and trade connections stretching from the coasts of china to the capitals of europe the haida were at the height of their influence [Music] [Music] with firearms to protect their autonomy and trade connections stretching from the coasts of china to the capitals of europe the haida were at the height of their influence their growing wealth fueled the golden age of high to art and culture totem pole carving increased exponentially the monumental artworks were a symbol of their nation's might [Music] what i do also is carving and so i carve i carve big monumentals totem poles big sculptures so i come from that and it's in the blood but this golden age came at a terrible price the desire for wealth and status fueled ancient rivalries between the haida and their neighbors war and slave raiding increased dramatically we've wiped out the sea otters here around the islands because of that we got greedy we wanted all these axes and metal and things like that we wanted so bad we wiped out our sea otter the northern sea otter was hunted into near extinction by 1850 the fur trade collapsed but the british who had first come only to trade had found a lot to be desired in this distant land they began to establish more colonies and forts throughout the northwest their increasing numbers carried with them the seeds of destruction smallpox then it starts spreading around and start wiping us out and it wiped out ah just about all of us [Music] how does genocide feel how does colonization feel how does biochemical warfare feel [Music] social darwinism this idea that the strongest survive if that is true then you know we come from the strongest that we're able to to exist even till today from 20 000 the mighty hayden nation dwindled in numbers to mere hundreds the few survivors consolidated in two communities masset and skitigate wave after wave of disease and each wave cost you know 30 percent of the population to to die but you can imagine i mean we have a modern counterpart with the effect of aids in africa and how that's devastated many african societies dozens of once vibrant villages were abandoned left to be reclaimed by nature [Music] the hyde's ability to adapt save them from defeat only after the haida had been decimated by disease were the british able to force them to accept their control of british colombia while they would never regain their local dominance the haida refused to disappear into the mist of history they endured tenaciously on haida gwaii their numbers recovered even in the face of growing european settlements it's a real interesting time for us because uh we're understanding more about our history and where we come from and it's just getting stronger and stronger and stronger for us today thousands of haida once again call the islands home [Music] the arts spawned in their golden age is a symbol of the west coast recognized around the world testament to the legacy of north america's greatest indigenous naval power [Music] 1858 the california gold rush has ended but the fever for gold still rages when word spreads of a major strike in the fraser river canyon of bc prospectors from around the world arrive to find their fortunes but their hunt for gold will spark a war between the outsiders and the first nations willing to fight for their homeland conquer surrender victory defeat these deadly battles shaped continents these are nations at war [Music] throughout human history fewer things have driven people to commit terrible acts than the pursuit of gold it had been the search for a new route to the spice markets of asia which compelled the first transatlantic voyage in 1492 but it was the lure of gold which brought them back the vast wealth they looted in their campaigns fueled the rise of the spanish empire and led to the colonization of latin america bands of spanish conquistadors brought chaos and death to the glorious empires of inca aztec and maya destroying some of the most sophisticated civilizations in the americas in search of a mythical el dorado the europeans desire for wealth was so strong hernan cortes told the aztec his people suffered from a disease of the heart cured only by gold in 1858 this disease would spark a vicious guerrilla war as the inclicapma of fraser canyon fought to save their homeland from an ecological disaster and the trigger-happy foreigners making it happen [Music] the invasion which provoked the fraser canyon war had its roots further south in 1848 the discovery of gold in the mountains of northern california sparked a mad rush for riches by dreamers frontiersmen and would-be tycoons over 300 000 people poured into the territory from across the united states and around the world communities like san francisco grew from sleepy towns to thriving and chaotic urban centers towns sprung up from out of the wilderness to serve the needs of the miners by the 1850s the population explosion and economic jump start the gold rush gave to california earned its entry into the united states as the 31st state motivated by greed scalp bounties and armed with cheap firearms vigilante miners waged a private war to destroy the indigenous population resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and massive environmental destruction when the easily mined gold deposits were exhausted a worldwide search for the next big score began in 1858 the arrival of 800 ounces of gold in san francisco quick spawned rumors from veteran miners to ambitious dreamers word was out there was gold up north [Music] over 1500 kilometers north in the rocky mountains gold had been discovered in 1857 victoria in the colony of vancouver island was a sleepy town of only 800 when the promise of gold drew tens of thousands its population exploded prospectors and entrepreneurs arrived from around the world from across canada europe china and the united states many of the first wave were out of work miners from california they arrived heavily armed and desperate for opportunity thirteen hundred kilometers long the fraser river flows through the heart of the canadian northwest from the fraser pass in the rockies to where it empties into the salish sea the stretch between the towns of lillauet and yale was the miners ultimate destination but the thousands of foreigners who flocked to this new land of opportunity were bringing with them a very different way of life than the people who had been there for thousands of years the inclicotma called the thompson salish by outsiders depended on the fraser river and its tributaries for their survival yes there is a lifeblood of our at that time and it still is today the massive salmon runs which begin in the pacific and traveled north to spawn were the cornerstone of their culture so it's very migratory we had temporary shelters and homes all over the nation and many of our people used them for different times of the year in the summer months the inklakotma lived in tent villages pitched along the rich salmon streams they retreated to winter camps of timber roof pit houses and then spent the season hunting and trapping the survival of the incla capma was intimately linked to the rhythms of nature now they faced an invasion which threatened to destroy this delicate balance initially we tried to co-exist with them but their value system was a lot different from ours opposite to our our respectful nature for the miners who risked everything to reach the gold fields any threat to the dream of riches would be met with force blood would flow in the fraser canyon july 1858 first blood has been drawn in a vicious war to decide the fate of fraser canyon headless bodies of two miners floated down the fraser river for their comrades to find their deaths had been an act of retribution for grievous wrong as well as a warning to the miners working downstream the inclicapma would answer outrage and destruction with blood in the past the inclicopa had enjoyed friendly interactions with settlers they had struck up a beneficial trading relationship with the hudson's bay company and the british crown these positive connections helped protect british commerce and territorial claims the discovery of gold had changed all of this and with the experience we had with the hudson's bay company i think it was a positive experience from like from what i heard from my elders and we just wanted to continue that type of relationship with other traders rather than a small number of traders and settlers the inclicotma faced an onslaught of change it's a real um shame that it came to that point but the numbers of miners that were coming up and the attitudes and their mission was to get as much gold as possible and get rich in a short time and most of the outsiders had been shaped by their experiences in the cutthroat california mining industry then all of a sudden this foreign mining population crosses the international divide essentially takes the law into their own hands goes for the gold and marginalizes the indigenous peoples they were driven by greed and ambition hardened by years of suffering and many were armed to the teeth multi-shot revolvers like the colt dragoon gave the miners a massive advantage in a firefight compact enough to be holstered at the waist light enough to be fired with one hand they became the personal weapon of the gold rush the american miners in particular were hell-bent on defending their chance at riches with little respect for british authority their influence raised fears of an attempt by the united states to annex the lucrative territory making them a threat to british and aboriginal alike [Music] well the 49th parallel had not even been marked out on the ground at this time and so many in america were actually hoping and many of them thinking that the fraser river was actually in the united states territory using his authority as governor james douglas ordered a british warship to blockade the mouth of the fraser river in an attempt to control the most direct route to the gold the british plan was only partly successful the overland routes through america's oregon territory remained open and there were already thousands of miners working along the river the explosive increase in population had an immediate impact they brought with them this mining mentality if you will that really treated indigenous peoples as inferior citizens forests were cleared for building material fish stocks were depleted to feed the miners and the outsiders had other destructive effects but once gold was found in certain areas they would come in and overtake it quite horrifically in terms of beating up our people and killing them and raping our women aside from the survival and safety the incla capma had another reason to oppose the newcomers they knew the value of what was being taken from their land the inclicotma were members of an international trading system which connected victoria to london and beyond with the fur trade declining gold would have guaranteed the foreign commerce they had come to enjoy our attitude was more of a protection attitude we wanted to defend our land and protect our people to enforce their control over the land the include copman would have to meet the gun-toting miners with weapons designed for hunting not warfare the firearms available to the include faced the same shortcomings the hudson's bay trade gun was a small caliber muzzle loader with an outdated flintlock mechanism and at best powdered rifles which may only be effective to 50 yards these black powder guns couldn't hope to compete with a revolver's rate of fire or a rifle's high accuracy and longer range despite the miners superior firepower the inclucma were determined to hold their ground conflict was inevitable the inclicotma robbed supply trains and launched night raids miners responded by ransacking nearby communities killing almost a dozen including in the process by july of 1858 the fraser canyon was on the brink of war after an inkling woman was raped by minors her people were incensed and sought revenge our practice as in cup people are not to be head people and i think that demonstrates the type of violence that we had on our people it was a terrifying enough image to drive thousands of miners from the river to the relative safety of towns like spasm and yale we just wanted to make a statement to try and stop it but unfortunately it didn't occur the way we wanted it to these beheadings were an act of retribution for the injustices the first nations had suffered but to the american miners it was a declaration of war august 1858 an army is assembling along the fraser river miners drawn to the canadian rockies by the promise of gold have provoked a war with the inclacapma a salish nation fighting back against violence and theft at the hands of the newcomers driven off the riverbanks by the sight of two decapitated bodies the miners created a militia to intimidate the inklakotma and drive them from their land 200 miners assembled in six companies of militia each with their own captain and unique identity outside the conflict zone another party had been watching the rising tensions with concern the governor of vancouver island james douglas was the most powerful british official in the region but with few troops or officials to enforce british authority douglas's influence was limited governor douglas had warned the british government that there would be collisions that there would be war if these four miners weren't kept out now he faced a potential war of extermination along the fraser by a private army that answered to no government and who stood to gain from an american annexation of the region douglas was forced into action using his crown authority douglas reformed the new caledonia district into the colony of british columbia on august 2 1858 declaring himself governor to enforce this new edict douglas himself led a small force of british troops up the fraser to restore order but douglas's actions had come too late to prevent the outbreak of violence the mob's destination was campchin an important inclicapma center located in the heart of their homeland where the fraser and thompson rivers meet the miners robert interior territories are like they're already up to canada which is almost too litten the miners sent out a message to all first nations communities that lay between them and their target let the militia pass and their homes would be spared when the include kapma proved unwilling to submit the so-called peace offer was discarded on august 14th the miners and inclicotma met in a bloody clash the battle of boston bar using their superior firepower 150 miners unleashed a hail of bullets it was a route 150 miners unleashed a vicious barrage of revolver and rifle fire which killed at least seven including who only managed to wound one attacker with their outdated weaponry despite proving their strength the miners militia had failed to enforce the inclicotma surrender and now faced a dilemma move deeper into hostile territory and risks destruction by an enemy who could use the terrain against them or withdraw back to the safety of spasm and yale the militia commanders chose caution the terrain that we have is a very narrow canyon we have lots of cliffs lots of hills that the miners had to traverse and they weren't familiar with the land they weren't dressed appropriately for for the the terrain that we had and the weather we have is quite rainy and stormy at some times of our our summer months as they retreated order among the militia began to break down the miners savagely attacked include my villages looting what they could burning the rest killing men women and children alike discipline deteriorated so badly among the miners that one of the companies effectively destroyed itself when an accidental rifle discharge sparked a bloody night of friendly fire as order within the militias began to break down the inclicapma regrouped at campcheen the incla kapma and allied salish leaders met in council to coordinate a response to the miner's savagery despite bitterness and a thirst for revenge among the hinckley kapma their chief spitlam spoke in favor of peace many of the young chiefs were had the war spirit they wanted to go out and fight and but teachers penton was more of a peacemaker though the salish alliance would have the strength to wage a defensive war against the miners an outright victory was impossible there were thousands of foreigners now living along the fraser far too many to drive out or kill any assault on the mining towns like gale and spasm would have ended in a bloodbath and both sides had already suffered dearly during the fighting the best that could be hoped for was a stalemate the miners militia had used surprise to attacking klacapma villages and the terror they inflicted turned neutral and friendly first nations against them their enemy was now ready for war the prospect of thousands of angry aboriginal warriors threatened to undermine the mining business peace was the only positive result available to both sides militia captain henry snyder traveled to camp cheen to broker peace with the salish allies by september 13th when governor james douglas and a party of 20 royal marines arrived to restore order in the fraser canyon the fighting had already ended having failed to stop the initial violence douglas made sure to prevent it from ever happening again by extracting a promise from the miners to obey british laws in order to continue harvesting gold [Music] to restore the trust of the inglicatna douglas used his authority to establish reserve land and ban the sale of alcohol in the end neither side of the fraser canyon war could truly claim victory the miners destructive behavior had reduced them from being a law unto themselves to operating under british rules the enclave kapma had survived the onslaught but the british arrival didn't mean a return to the past the era of colonization and industry had arrived it would never be reversed in fact the only people who truly gained from the war were james douglas and the british the violence had given douglas the justification to cement british control over a large section of the pacific northwest ending any threat of american annexation he just took advantage of the situation and it's really one of those unfortunate things that's a part of our history and we have to live with that it's the very roots of uh land claims today in the province of british columbia the great wealth derived from the fraser river and subsequent gold rushes helped spark the transformation of british columbia into what it is today [Music] my [Music] you

Channel: Timeline - World History Documentaries

Views: 763,657

Keywords: Ancient architecture, Artistic expression, Exploration of culture, First Nations culture, Historical discoveries, Historical remains, Historical storytelling, History, Indigenous architecture, Indigenous languages, Indigenous perspective, Indigenous resilience, Native artistry, Native craftsmanship, Native documentaries, Native empowerment, Native rights activism, Native storytelling, Timeline - World History Documentaries, Traditional practices, Untold stories

Id: WqSIXgLcg_0

Length: 43min 0sec (2580 seconds)

Published: Sun Nov 07 2021