Teaching the country to speak : settling and establishing place in the central north Thompson
Date
1996
Authors
Walther, Thomas
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Abstract
This thesis looks at the Euro-American approach to the Central North Thompson valley, a region in the southern interior of British Columbia. An analysis of land surveys and landscape names sheds light on the conceptual framework with which Western culture disclosed place. On another, but philosophically related level, the chosen historiographical approach is critical of the implicit belief in progress which often underlies the historical narratives. The chronological approach of the thesis points to the fragmentary nature of various episodes, such as the rupture in native culture or the miners' brief search for wealth, rather than emphasising the continuity and seamless progress of History in the Central North Thompson.