Katzie
Katzie was a village named after the Kazie First Nation, who, before the smallpox
epidemic, were one of the largest Indigenous groups in
British Columbia. The traditional Katzie territory expanded around Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge, Coquitlam,
Surrey,
Langley, and
New Westminster. It also had an overlap of shared territory with other Indigenous groups such as
the In-SHUCK-ch, Kwickwetlem, Kwantlen, Musqueam, Squamish, Sto:lō, Tsawwassen, Hul'qumi'num,
and Tsleil-waututh.
The traditional territory of the Katzie was disrupted during the colonial period when
five reserves were established at Pitt Meadows, Barnston Island, on the Fraser at
Langley, Grant Narrows, and a small cemetery located at Maple Ridge. These reserves were
adjusted and confirmed in
1880 and again in
1916. The land that the Katzie now occupy is equivalent to 335.2 hectares for all five
reserves -- significantly less than their traditional territory.
The mapping of Katzie for the
Colonial Despatches is based on this
despatch written by
Governor Douglas in which he describes the 100 acres of land that were given to the Katzie for their
reserve. The 100 acres discussed would be equivalent to the Katzie 1 reserve which
is 43 hectares. It should be noted that today, the Canadian government still outlines the
administrative boundaries
of reserves within the jurisdictional oversight of the federal government. By delineating Indigenous territory within the confines of state-created reserves,
the Canadian government does not fully recognize the traditional non-boundary territories
of Indignous peoples, much like colonial officials did in
1865.