Subsistence and Resistance on the British Columbia Coast : Kingcome Village’s Estuarine Gardens as Contested Space Douglas Deur, Nancy J. Turner, Clan Chief Adam Dick ( K WAXSISTALLA ), Daisy Sewid-Smith ( M AYANILTH ), and Kim Recalma-Clutesi ( O QWILOWGWA ) INTRODUCTION F rom the very beginnings of exploration and settlement, the North American continent presented a vast pool of resources for European newcomers and unprecedented new opportunities for amassing wealth and power. Exploration of the “New World” was driven by national interests – in western Canada, principally British interests – as well as a thirst for new goods for commerce. During the earliest phases of colonial occupation in British Columbia, First Nations were often seen as gatekeepers to furs, food, and other provisions sought by newcomers (Fisher ). However, as colonial power was consolidated, in British Columbia (as across the continent) newcomers started moving in to permanently resettle the landscape. In this milieu, Indigenous peoples were increasingly regarded as impediments to the colonial project, and colonizers applied various mechanisms to bring about ter- ritorial displacement and resource dispossession, the deep consequences of which are still with us. he traditional resource claims and practices of First Nations were among the targets of this resettlement efort. heir traditional harvesting places – camas prairies, berry patches, root gardens, and other plant production areas – were frequently reclaimed and reoccupied by colonial peoples, often settlers from Britain or eastern North America. In turn, these places were degraded and changed by livestock, agricultural production, and urban development, thus un- dermining First Nations ecological, economic, social, and ceremonial 13 bc studies, no. , Autumn 