Storying the “Indians” out of Town: Racial Discourse and Racial Space in Victoria, B.C. 1860-1915

with UVic History professor Dr John Lutz.

We invite you to join us at the Villa on Thursday, March 16 for an in-person lecture with Dr. John Lutz.  Reservations in advance are required.

Do the stories we tell impact other communities? How can we know? This illustrated lecture discusses the findings of a recent project to determine if the way Victoria’s fledgling press characterized Indigenous People, affected or was reflected in how native people lived in the city. The changing stories and ideas about “Indians” and their place in the urban community can be charted by analyzing early reportage in the Daily Colonist and Victoria Daily Times.

Using a Geographic Information System built on census data, Dr. Lutz and his team have been able to determine, at 10 year junctures, the numbers of native people who lived in the city, as well as where they lived and who they lived with. As Dr. Lutz and his team analyze newspapers between 1860 & 1915, along with mapping information, we can learn whether the stories told about racialized minorities in the media can literally have an effect “on the ground”.

This presentation looks at the power of stories to incorporate and exclude people from community.

This illustrated lecture begins at 7:30pm.  Space is limited and you must register in advance by going to https://tinyurl.com/4k7k2ftu .  The fee for this lecture is $10.