Archaeology of Early Twentieth-Century Japanese Canadian Logging Camps in British Columbia
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Archaeology of Early Twentieth-Century Japanese Canadian Logging Camps in British Columbia Robert Muckle 1 Accepted: 7 October 2020/ # Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Two Japanese Canadian archaeological sites, initially established as logging camps around 1920, have been excavated in British Columbia. The Suicide Creek site was abandoned after a few years of use. The McKenzie Creek site likely transitioned into a residential settlement occupied by Japanese Canadians until their forced uprooting from the coastal region of western Canada in 1942. The research provides comparative data and insight into maintaining culture in the margins of urban areas and preparations for internment. Keywords Japanese . Canada . Logging . Internment
Introduction Excavations at two archaeological sites in the forests of British Columbia provide glimpses into the experiences of Japanese Canadians during the early twentieth century (Fig. 1). Both sites, the McKenzie Creek Site and the Suicide Creek Site, were initially used as logging camps by Japanese Canadians for a few years around 1920, but it is likely that while the Suicide Creek Site was abandoned immediately after logging ceased, the McKenzie Creek site transitioned to become a residential settlement occupied until 1942. This article describes the features and artifacts from both the McKenzie Creek and Suicide Creek sites located in the Seymour Valley, in the southwest mainland region of British Columbia. They are compared with each other and with other sites in the region which have revealed evidence of Japanese Canadian activities during the early twentieth century. Interpretations are made about abandonment of each site, including preparation for internment, and the article further comments on the potential significance of the finds regarding the maintenance of identity, gender, consumption, and living in the margins of urban areas.
* Robert Muckle [email protected]
1
Department of Anthropology, Capilano University, 2055 Purcell Way, North Vancouver, BC V7J 3H5, Canada
International Journal of Historical Archaeology
Fig. 1. Map of the Seymour Valley, British Columbia.
Background Evidence of early twentieth-century Japanese Canadian logging camps lies scattered throughout the forests of British Columbia in western Canada, but there has been no systematic effort at recording them. At least part of the reason is that most archaeology in British Columbia is focused on the Indigenous past, and the archaeology that does
International Journal of Historical Archaeology
focus on the historic period tends to be more concerned with the activities of European Canadians than others. A notable exception is the substantial work on Chinese sites in the province, recently summarized by Ross (2015). Lack of documentation of Japanese Canadian logging camps may also be explained by lack of legislative protection. Legislation in British Columbia (British Columbia 1996) prioritizes the protection of sites pre-dating 1846. There is little i
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