Joseph William McKay: From Fur Trader to Chief Factor

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This biography explores the life of Joseph William McKay, a prominent Métis figure and founder of Nanaimo, BC, who navigated the colonial landscape of the late nineteenth century. Born in Quebec in 1829, McKay began his career in Oregon during a boundary dispute and later moved to British Columbia, where he became a protégé of James Douglas. At just twenty-three, he was tasked with building Nanaimo and establishing its coal mines. His explorations during the Gold Rush and his surveying of the Overland Telegraph route further solidified his influence. Rising to the rank of Chief Factor at the Hudson's Bay Company, McKay achieved a rare status for an Indigenous person in that era, as most were limited to lower positions. After leaving HBC in 1878, he transitioned to the Department of Indian Affairs, serving as a federal Indian Agent and later as Assistant Commissioner. While he advocated for Indigenous rights, including efforts to protect ancestral lands from encroachment and inoculating over a thousand Indigenous people against smallpox, he also operated within a system that caused significant harm to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities. This complex portrayal highlights McKay's dual legacy as both a successful individual and a product of his time.