Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Despatch to London
Kennedy, Arthur to Cardwell, Edward 22 November 1864, CO 305:23, no. 885, 432.
Abstract
Despatch to London.
Minutes (1), Enclosures (transcribed) (1), Enclosures (untranscribed) (4), Other documents
(1).
This document contains mentions of Indigenous Peoples. The authors of these documents
often perpetuate a negative perspective of Indigenous Peoples and it is important
to look critically at these mentions. They sometimes use terminology that is now considered
hurtful and offensive. To learn more about modern terminology pertaining to Indigenous
Peoples, Indigenous ways of knowing, and decolonization, please refer to the Glossary of terms.
Kennedy reports that he visited Seymour for business and visited several ports on the north-east coast of Vancouver Island during his return. He encloses several newspapers that printed addresses given to
Kennedy during his trip.
No. 96, Miscellaneous
22nd November 1864
Sir
I have the honor to inform you that having various matters of
business to transact with the Governor of British Columbia I
proceeded to New Westminster on a visit to Governor Seymour for a few
days and visited several Ports on the North East coast of this Colony
returning.
I transmit the copies of some addresses presented to me on that
occasion.
I
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
Newspaper clipping reporting an address given to Kennedy
by the Municipal Council of New Westminster, and the governor's
reply thereto, 8 November 1864.
Newspaper clipping reporting an address given to Kennedy by
the Literary Society of Nanaimo, 12 November 1864.
Other documents included in the file
Documents enclosed with the main document (transcribed)
From the Natives.
You our Great White‸ Chief:
We, the Nanaimo Indians, have long wanted to see you and speak our hearts to you; and we want Mr. Crosby to translate our words. This day our hearts are made very glad, because we see you.
You, Mr. Kennedy, have come from our great Queen, and we hope you have some good words to speak to us from her. We are poor dark Indians. You white people know more than we do. If all white people who come here were good
it would be better for us; but many teach our people to swear and get drunk. We hope
you, our new‸ Governor, will speak strong words to them. Our hearts are very glad that good white
people have sent Ministers of the Gospel to us, who tell us good things about God,
and teach our children to read. We want them to know more than we do. We want to keep our land here and up the river. Some white men tell us we shall soon have to remove again; but
we don’t want to lose these reserves. All our other land is gone and we have been paid very little for it. God gave it to us a long time ago, and now we are very poor and do not know where
our homes will be if we leave this. We want our land up the river to plant for food.
Mr. Douglas said it should be ours and our childrens, after we are gone. We hope you, our new
chief, will say the same. We have over three hundred people in our tribe, though a
number are away fishing now. Many are old and not able to work and some of our children,
who have neither father nor mother, have no clothes. We hope you will be kind to them.
Our hearts are good to all white people and to you, our great white Chief. We hope
you will send our word to the our great Queen. We pray that the Great Spirit may bless her and you. This is all our hearts to-day.
N.B. — The foregoing is a faithful translation of the addresses of the Chiefs as delivered to me in Council.