In the year British Columbia stood on the brink of falling to the Americans, a fur trader's map to BC's gold was published in San Francisco with a glaring omission. Pulling from explorers' narratives, fort journals, and over 7,000 kilometres of travel, Randy Klassen weaves a narrative of ambassadors and alliances, fat fish and furs, and revenge and reconciliation on unexpected trails in the long-forgotten Oregon Country. An alternate history emerges of Indigenous Peoples graciously hosting the first European traders, leading their fur brigades on ancient trading routes, and integrating them into their diverse and dynamic world, both economically and relationally. Exploring the mazelike geography and untold history of the Pacific Northwest, the book reveals what vanished in a cataclysm of change when the region was charted. Ultimately, it challenges foundational beliefs about the province's history, delving into the genesis of First Nations unceded land claims in British Columbia and explaining how a portion of Canada became wedged between the states of Washington and Alaska.
