Photograph: Beaver Camp on the Beaverlodge River, 1911. SPRA 0024.01.05.01
The South Peace Regional Archives initiated a survey of the region’s holdings in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) call to actions to locate records within their holdings related to Indian Residential Schools. We found very few records related to residential schools, but we did find several records related to Indigenous people and communities in our region. We decided to expand the scope of our research to look for any records related to Indigenous peoples within our holdings.
Thanks to the efforts of staff and volunteers, we now have a small database of material to share. While we pursue avenues of access, we would like to start sharing some of these images and documents.
The original caption for this image reads: “Three men and a child in front of three teepees at a Beaver First Nations Camp on the Beaverlodge River. Lovering.”
George Lovering filed for land in the region in July 1911 and drove from Edson over the Long Trail with Fred Saul and his family in November of that year. Snow appears in the foreground of this image so possibly it was taken during that winter drive. According to the community history book, Pioneers of the Peace, the Saul family celebrated Christmas with decorated trees, a pine-bough laden tent and candles “… to the wide-eyed amazement of some 75 Indians who came to view the glittering spectacle.” Were these three tents part of that group? Who were the Beaver families that were camped at this location?
If you have any stories you would like to share that might help us add to our knowledge about this photograph and the people it represents, please contact us at info@southpeacearchives.org or 780-830-5105. We would love to hear from you.