Revising Cowichan history: How Thomas Quamtany actually lost his arm
Historian Kelly Black gets to the bottom of a persistent myth about a one-armed Hudson’s Bay Company employee.
Kelly's Latest Articles
What Ye’yumnuts teaches us about ongoing efforts to protect ancient sites
Historical records show that for 150 years, First Nations have called on colonial governments to protect ancient sites as they do their own.
The role of animals in Vancouver Island’s early logging and mining history
Animals were key to resource extraction operations on Vancouver Island throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Revising Cowichan history: The story of Thomas Quamtany
How one historian’s interpretation of Thomas Quamtany’s story shaped the telling — and retelling — of an important moment in Cowichan’s colonial history.
How Lake Cowichan’s 100 Houses helped solve a housing crisis
This wartime development in Lake Cowichan could point to housing solutions for the modern day.
Finding ‘Cowichan’: How colonization redefined local landscapes
It was the settlers, not the people of this land, who interpreted and applied the place names we commonly see on maps today, writes historian Kelly Black. And that can lead to confusion.
Twists and turns: Establishing early roads in the Cowichan Valley
Why are the roads so winding? These streets tell a story of history, geography and colonization.