Klattasine
Encyclopedia
Klattasine was the young chief of the Chilcotin (Tsilhqot'in
) tribe who became famous during the British Columbia
gold rush.
He understood that more and more white people searching for gold meant less animals to feed on for the native tribes. He also understood that building the Bute Inlet
route could worsen the whole thing.
In the spring of 1864, Klattasine along with another chief Tellot led a small group of Chilcotin warriors against the builders of the road. The fighting spread over several months and was later named the Chilcotin War
. 20 white workers were killed.
On August 11, 1864, Klattasine, Tellot and their warriors were captured. Five of them received the death penalty and another six life in prison.
Klattasine died with his son Pierre on the scaffold at Quesnellemouth (Quesnel
, B.C.) on October 26, 1864. But who was he, where did he come from, and how did he manage to lead the largest resistance to colonialism in British Columbia history? In the Chilcotin language, Klattasine means “We do not know his name”.
Tsilhqot'in
The Tsilhqot'in are a Northern Athabaskan First Nations people that live in British Columbia, Canada...
) tribe who became famous during the British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
gold rush.
He understood that more and more white people searching for gold meant less animals to feed on for the native tribes. He also understood that building the Bute Inlet
Bute Inlet
Bute Inlet is one of the principal inlets of the British Columbia Coast. It is 80 km long from its head at the mouths of the Homathko and Southgate Rivers to the continental headlands at its mouth, where it is nearly blocked by Stuart Island, and it averages about 4 km in width...
route could worsen the whole thing.
In the spring of 1864, Klattasine along with another chief Tellot led a small group of Chilcotin warriors against the builders of the road. The fighting spread over several months and was later named the Chilcotin War
Chilcotin War
The Chilcotin War, Chilcotin Uprising or Bute Inlet Massacre was a confrontation in 1864 between members of the Tsilhqot'in people in British Columbia and white road construction workers...
. 20 white workers were killed.
On August 11, 1864, Klattasine, Tellot and their warriors were captured. Five of them received the death penalty and another six life in prison.
Klattasine died with his son Pierre on the scaffold at Quesnellemouth (Quesnel
Quesnel, British Columbia
-Demographics:Quesnel had a population of 9,326 people in 2006, which was a decrease of 7.1% from the 2001 census count. The median household income in 2005 for Quesnel was $54,044, which is slightly above the British Columbia provincial average of $52,709....
, B.C.) on October 26, 1864. But who was he, where did he come from, and how did he manage to lead the largest resistance to colonialism in British Columbia history? In the Chilcotin language, Klattasine means “We do not know his name”.
See also
- Chilcotin WarChilcotin WarThe Chilcotin War, Chilcotin Uprising or Bute Inlet Massacre was a confrontation in 1864 between members of the Tsilhqot'in people in British Columbia and white road construction workers...
- William George CoxWilliam George CoxWilliam George Cox was Gold Commissioner for the Cariboo and Boundary Districts in the Colony of British Columbia, Canada during the Rock Creek Gold Rush....
- Frederick SeymourFrederick SeymourFrederick Seymour was a colonial administrator. He served as the second Governor of the Colony of British Columbia from 1864 to 1866, and the first governor of the union of the two colonies, also named the Colony of British Columbia from 1866 to 1869.Seymour was the son of Henry Augustus Seymour,...
- Chartres BrewChartres BrewChartres Brew was a Gold commissioner, Chief Constable and judge in the Colony of British Columbia, later a province of Canada....
- Donald McLeanDonald McLean (fur trader)Donald McLean was a Scottish fur trader and explorer for the Hudson's Bay Company and who later became a cattle rancher near Cache Creek in British Columbia's Thompson Country . McLean was the last casualty of the Chilcotin War of 1864...
- Alfred WaddingtonAlfred WaddingtonAlfred Penderell Waddington was born in 1801 in the Brompton, Kensington, district of London, England. During his later years, Waddington was actively involved in the Colony of Vancouver Island in what later became the province of British Columbia, Canada....
- Nicola (chief)Nicola (chief)Nicola , also Nkwala or N'kwala, was an important First Nations political figure in the fur trade era of the British Columbia Interior as well as into the colonial period...
- Chief Hunter JackChief Hunter JackChief Hunter Jack was a 19th C. chief of the Lakes Lillooet . His name in St'at'imcets, the Lillooet language, is cited in one source as Tash Poli....