'It Happened to Me in Barkerville': Aboriginal identity, economy, and law in the Cariboo Gold Rush, 1862--1900

"It Happened to Me in Barkerville" argues that aboriginal people were participants in many aspects of gold rush life in Barkerville and the surrounding region. Despite the fact that many of the records of aboriginal participation are restricted to the areas in which they came into contact with the British-influenced social elite, a critical examination of the existing documents partially reconstructs the experiences of aboriginal people living there. Letters and correspondence, mining company ledgers, newspaper accounts, and court records suggest that aboriginal experiences were complex and diverse. This was especially true of their integration into Barkerville society, opportunistic participation in the gold rush economy, and relationships with colonial administrators at the Richfield courthouse. These conclusions help provide a more complete history of the Cariboo gold rush at Barkerville, and contribute to a better understanding of the history of indigenous people in British Columbia.