Historic ties between BC First Nations and Chinese workers unearthed

Gabriel Yiu, left, Jenny Kwan, MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant, centre; and Bill Chu, founder of the Canadians For Reconciliation Society stand at the end of a CPR tunnel, which abounded during construction. (John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail)

The Globe and Mail reports that researchers along the Fraser River are unearthing details of the long-established historic relationships between BC First Nations and Chinese immigrants. The gold rush brought many Chinese to BC and, in order to survive, they forged ties with the First Nations, who were also subjected to much discrimination. The Chinese built gold-mining operations among First Nations communities and engaged in fair trade. Some remained there. Later, during the construction of the railway, First Nations people bore witness to the dangerous conditions which Chinese workers endured. These shared histories are now helping to fill in the blanks of otherwise unrecorded accidents and events. Read the fascinating full story here.

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