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Abstract
Photography, a rapidly changing discipline during the late part of the nineteenth century, played a pivotal role in the documentation of information, people and places with whom individuals came into contact. In addition to photographs, written texts (archival and published) provide distinctive documentation of events, peoples and places along the Skeena River and at Kitselas between 1850 and 1930. The representations created show the complexity of the context of interaction. The documenters, those being documented and the viewers (or readers) each have a role in the final presentation of a text or photograph.
This thesis employs post-modern concepts and methods in the examination of ethnography as allegory within the scope of visual anthropology. James Clifford's concept of ethnography as allegory is used throughout the analysis. Clifford argues that ethnography presents contextual information and a wider framework to readers. The wider framework consists of a general story with which readers connect. This connection presents the allegory for an understanding of the text. Literature from the field of visual anthropology, such as Edwards' Raw Histories (2001) will be examined to assist in making connections between photographs and texts. Pauline Rosenau's commentary on post-modernism is also explored. These theoretical discussions will be examined in relation to four specific historical themes during this time period: the salmon fishing and canning industry; the construction of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway; the work of anthropologists among the Coast Tsimshian; and the impact of missionaries on the Coast Tsimshian people.
