Joseph William McKay - A Métis Business Leader in Colonial British Columbia

by Greg N. Fraser

256 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Cherop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative history of the early beginnings of economic activity and governance in the early colonization of what is now known as British Columbia. In particular a good history of the impact and breadth of impact of the Metis known as Joseph William McKay. I never learned any of this in social studies classes as a student of the British Columbia school system, nor was I aware until recently of the important role played by the Metis people in the development of British Columbia. All in all, this book is an important contribution to the historical knowledge base of Canadians and British Columbians in particular.

[Mary S]

We enjoyed the book. Well written story telling with many sources. Well researched from historical archives. A good flowing narrative, the story of McKay's life, plus interesting and useful side stories about the history of BC including businesses and government, with other leaders - as well as other regular people - involved in the early colonization of BC. The establishment of Nanaimo. Inter-relationships between the indigenous nations, Metis and new arrivals. The difficulty of early trails and routes from Hudson's Bay posts at James Bay, across the prairies, through the Columbia River to Oregon. A good read !

[Corben Laidler · Rating 4 out of 5]

really enjoyed, well sourced and great engaging details. Good accounting of First Nations perspective in my humble opinion, for instance I really enjoyed the detailed examination of the Douglas "treaties".