Photo Gallery

The first set of photographs in the following series is a panorama view of the Snuneymuxw village on the Nanaimo Harbour taken by George Robinson in 1858. This village, known as xwasaluxwul , was situated where the present day Harbour Park Mall Shopping Centre now stands. The photograph reveals a long line of shed roof longhouses along the point with individual longhouses scattered throughout the area surrounding Commercial Inlet. The Snuneymuxw were forced to leave this village in 1862 when the Vancouver Coal and Land Mining Company built a coal tramway and wharf on this site.

 

 

 

Three types of canoes used by the Snuneymuxw are shown in these pictures. The first was used for local fishing and gathering of foods and plants in the small bays and coves. The second is a picture of the "Patricia" an eleven man racing canoe that became popular after the 1900's. Eleven man canoes are still made today and racing canoes by both men and women are an important part of Snuneymuxw recreation during the summer months. The third photo is of a large canoe used by Snuneymuxw families to travel from seasonal villages and resource sites during the summer and fall months. Often several canoes were lashed together for greater stability when they crossed the Georgia Strait to the Fraser River. The last picture is of a fishing boat used by one of the Snuneymuxw families during the 1930's. Families would travel and live together on such boats for several months during the fishing season.

 

 

 

The traditional style of villages began to change in the later half of the 19th Century. Here are several photographs showing how small European style houses with milled planks, windows and doors were built alongside the traditional longhouses. The platform built in front of the longhouse was used for summer potlatching when goods were thrown out to the crowd during the event.

 

 

 

 

 

James M. Alden visited Nanaimo in 1857. Included here are his watercolour painting of the village on the Nanaimo Harbour and two sketches of grave figures at Departure Bay. Sketches #57 shows a carved post with an owl like bird on top and human figure underneath. Sketch #58 shows a human figure holding a rifle and supported on his head a grave box decorated with carved mink or fisher and a seated human figure with outstretched arms. (This painting and his sketches are held by the Washington State Historical Society Museum and Archives, Tacoma, Washington.)