Catalog of British Columbiana and Pacific Northwest Americana

Up the Capitol Steps is a personal and political memoir by Oregon’s first (and only) woman governor, one of only thirty-four women who have served as state chief executives in the history of the United States. Barbara Roberts offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of a woman’s life in politics and aims to “demystify” leadership by telling the story of her own unlikely rise to power. The mother of an autistic child before the advent of special education, Roberts began her life in public service as an advocate for the rights of children with disabilities. She documents her expanding political career from school board member to legislator to Secretary of State and finally, Governor. In this gripping and poignant memoir, hotly contested elections and tough policy decisions are interspersed with intimate details of personal ups and downs. Throughout, Roberts reveals the warmth and humor that show the “real” person behind the politician. Only the third published autobiography by an American woman head of state, Up the Capitol Steps is “a very significant contribution to Oregon history, the history of women in politics, and especially the history of women governors,” according to series editor Melody Rose. The book captures a period of our nation’s political history and a view of women’s expanding role in government that brings new understanding to the term, “social revolution.”

x, 438 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm.

Orcas Island, Washington has long been celebrated for its rare beauty and colorful history—but for many visitors and locals alike, the feeling that something strange lurks beneath the surface is all too real. Does Sasquatch really stalk the remote woods? Did pirates bury a fortune on Turtleback Mountain? Is there a portal to a hidden world in Mount Constitution, and an Atlantean energy vortex in East Sound? With scores of articles, first-hand accounts, and historical photographs, Unusual Orcas Island attempts to shed light on these legends, and to uncover others that have never been collected before.

"A collection of fascinating stories of the extraordinary and astonishing in BC's history. Daniel Marshall uncovers the stories of BC you've never heard. The award-winning Marshall captivates readers with intriguing and unknown stories, everything from Indigenous rights to Native gold; political intrigue to daring feats; the remarkable, mysterious traveller Harry (Harriet) Collins; the forgotten origin of Canada's oldest Chinatown; mysterious artifacts and confounding tales of the obscure and mysterious. Rigorously researched with interpretations that offer inclusive narratives while exploring surprising tales of great adventure."-- Provided by publisher

330 pages : illustrations, maps ; 23 cm

Inseparable from its communities, Northwest Coast art functions aesthetically and performatively beyond the scope of non-Indigenous scholarship, from demonstrating kinship connections to manifesting spiritual power. Contributors to this volume foreground Indigenous understandings in recognition of this rich context and its historical erasure within the discipline of art history. By centering voices that uphold Indigenous priorities, integrating the expertise of Indigenous knowledge holders about their artistic heritage, and questioning current institutional practices, these new essays "unsettle" Northwest Coast art studies. Key themes include discussions of cultural heritage protections and Native sovereignty; re-centering women and their critical role in transmitting cultural knowledge; reflecting on decolonization work in museums; and examining how artworks function as living documents. The volume exemplifies respectful and relational engagement with Indigenous art and advocates for more accountable scholarship and practices.

334 pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 27 cm.

"Historian Cassandra Tate proposes to assemble the story of the Whitman Massacre from the many accounts while including the native point of view to provide a greater context to the event"-- Provided by publisher

xx, 283 pages : illustrations, maps ; 23 cm

"In 1914, the SS Komagata Maru arrived in Vancouver Harbour and was detained for two months. Most of its 376 passengers were then forcibly returned to India. "Unmooring the Komagata Maru" challenges conventional Canadian historical accounts by considering the international colonial dimensions of the incident. By situating South Asian Canadian history within a global-imperial context, the contributors offer a critical reading of Canada's multicultural credentials. Ultimately, they caution against narratives that present the incident as a dark moment in the history of an otherwise redeemed nation. A hundred years later, the voyage of the Komagata Maru has yet to reach its conclusion."-- Provided by publisher

xix, 329 pages : illustrations, map ; 24 cm

47 pages : illustrations ; 34 cm

Chroniclers have deemed the University of Idaho “The Beacon for Mountain and Plain” and “This Crested Hill”—both are apt monikers for Idaho’s land grant and comprehensive research university. For over 125 years, the University of Idaho has served the people of Idaho, the nation, and the world. As the state’s first university, the University of Idaho looks to a bright future of serving students and contributing to economic and social progress for Idaho and beyond. This book commemorates the proud heritage and innovative spirit of students, faculty, and staff who have shaped the history of the University of Idaho, featuring images from the library’s extensive Special Collections and Archives department. Erin Passehl-Stoddart is an associate professor and head of Special Collections and Archives. Katherine G. Aiken is a professor of history and a proud University of Idaho alumna.

127 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

167 pages : illustrations, maps ; 28 cm

Union Zindabad focuses on the history of South Asian immigrants as workers, and their relationship to the labour movement in BC. It also explores the evolving attitudes of unions towards South Asian immigrant labour.--page xi

xii, 118 pages : illustrations ; 21 x 21 cm

Authored by railroad historian Thornton Waite, Union Pacific Rails to the Mines: The Boise, Nampa & Owyhee Railway details the ambitious and financially volatile history of the late 19th-century rail line that connected southwestern Idaho's rich mining districts and agricultural valleys to the broader transcontinental network. The book traces the corporate maneuvers, engineering challenges, and economic battles required to construct and operate tracks through the rugged terrain between Nampa, Boise, and the Owyhee mountains. Drawing heavily on corporate archives, vintage maps, and historical photographs, the text illustrates how steel infrastructure dictated the survival and decline of regional boomtowns. A keen insight drawn from the work is how regional feeder railways acted as economic gatekeepers rather than mere public utilities; by holding a monopoly over mineral and crop transportation, independent lines like the Boise, Nampa & Owyhee held the ultimate power of life or death over local commerce, frequently leaving isolated communities at the mercy of distant corporate boardrooms.

64 pages : illustrations ; 28 cm

315 pages illustrations 22 cm

A collection of poems by Moscow resident and long-time Latah County Historical Society volunteer Kenneth B. Platt. It includes a section of sheet music to accompany various poems.

92 pages, 11 unnumbered leaves of plates, [18] pages (folded) : illustrations, music ; 22 cm

Undercurrents recounts the life and career of John Byrne, who started as a geologist at an oil company and retired as president of a major land grant university. He came to Oregon State in 1960 as a faculty member, later becoming department chair, dean, director of the Hatfield Marine Science Center, and vice president for Research and Graduate Studies. Along the way, he took leave from the university to serve the US government, first as a program director for oceanography at the National Science Foundation, and later as the administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, before returning to OSU in 1984 as its twelfth president. As president of OSU, John Byrne used the lessons learned in industry and government to guide the university through a period of turbulence caused by severe state budget restrictions. During this period of economic contraction, OSU continued under Byrne’s leadership to grow in programs, facilities, and external funding. Byrne was one of the first to introduce Total Quality Management techniques to higher education. He emphasized the importance of international education and was a supporter of significant academic reform in higher education. While focusing on his professional career, Byrne’s memoir also shares personal stories of a childhood and youth shaped by the Great Depression and World War II. Undercurrents demonstrates on every page the curiosity, intellect, and humanity that made John Byrne successful as a scientist, educator, and administrator. Anyone pursuing a career in science or academia, and anyone interested in the history and legacy of land grant universities will welcome this richly detailed and warmly written account of Byrne’s career.

1 online resource

Greg Girard's photographs of Vancouver from the 1970s and early 1980s show us the city's final days as a port town at the end of the railway line. Soon after Vancouver began to be noticed by the wider world (Expo 86 is generally agreed on as the pivotal moment), the city began refashioning itself as an urban resort on nature's doorstep and attracting attention as a destination for real estate investment. At that time, long before post-9/11 security concerns sealed off the working waterfront from the city, many of Vancouver's downtown and east side streets ended at the waterfront, an area filled with commercial fishing docks, cargo terminals, and bars and cafes for waterfront workers and sailors. Pawn-shop windows downtown displayed outboard motors, chainsaws and fishing gear. Wandering these streets, living in cheap hotels, Girard photographed the workaday (and night) world of the city where he grew up. The photographs in Under Vancouver 1972-1982 were made before Girard began earning a living as a magazine photographer, later establishing a formal practice as an artist. They reveal an early interest in the hidden and the overlooked, the use of color film at night, and the extended photographic inquiry of a specific place, all of which became signature features of later books such as City of Darkness and City of Darkness Revisited (about the infamous Kowloon Walled City), Phantom Shanghai and Hanoi Calling. Under Vancouver 1972-1982 is the first comprehensive collection of Girard's early photographs of Vancouver. Made in and of the moment, a young photographer's earliest engagements (often featuring the underside of the city), the pictures now form an unintended photographic record of a Vancouver that has all but disappeared

196 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm

xii, 90 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Authored by Michael Burgess and illustrated by Steve McLeod, Uncle Mike's Guide to the Real Oregon Coast offers an unconventional, highly personal travelogue that strips away polished resort gloss to reveal the quirky characters, hidden tide pools, and gritty working-waterfront towns of the Pacific Northwest shore. The book combines irreverent local lore, practical backroads navigation, and offbeat commentary to direct travelers toward authentic, uncommercialized coastal experiences. Through its humorous and direct prose, the text highlights the idiosyncratic cultural texture that survives just off the beaten highway. A keen insight drawn from the work is how true regional identity often exists in the overlooked margins between major tourist attractions; by celebrating the weathered fish shacks, eccentric locals, and forgotten roadside stops, the guide exposes how authentic coastal culture thrives precisely where commercial tourism fears to tread.

xiii, 87 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm

"Jim McDowell's new biography of the little-known Spanish explorer José María Narváez, reveals his significant discoveries during the European exploration of what is now Canada's Pacific Northwest Coast. Narváez was the first European to investigate a Russian fur-trading outpost in the Gulf of Alaska in 1788. The following year he became the first Spaniard to reconnoitre Juan de Fuca Strait. In 1791, he charted the interiors of three large inlets on Vancouver Island's West Coast, discovered a vast inland sea to the east (today's Salish Sea), mapped the entire gulf, made first contact with Aboriginal peoples in the area, and found the site of what became western Canada's largest city -- Vancouver, British Columbia. Narváez also undertook diplomatic missions around the Pacific Ocean, charted the waters of the Philippines, and engaged extensively in the political upheaval that transformed New Spain into Mexico between 1796 and his death in 1840"--Publisher's description

1 online resource

A major contribution to the study of Indian-white relations in the Pacific Northwest, Uncertain Encounters provides a comprehensive view of relations in southern Oregon over a 50-year period beginning in the fur-trade era and ending with the Rogue River War and its aftermath. Nathan Douthit's meticulously researched study offers a complex view of Indian-white relations in the region. Rather than focus mainly on well-documented incidents of conflict and federal Indian policy as other historians have done, Douthit directs attention to peaceful interactions as well. He shows that in the years leading up to the Rogue River War, Indians and whites interacted with uncertainty, alternating between acts of friendship and hostility. Uncertain Encounters begins with a critical investigation of the Hudson's Bay Company's fur-trade relations with southern Oregon Indians, emphasizing its responsibility for Indian hostility. It turns next to exploration of the region by white Americans and to early encounters between Indians and white miners and settlers. It re-examines the tragic Rogue River War, providing the first detailed picture of Indian casualties and the war's impact on the Indian population. Finally, it describes the removal of Indians to the Siletz and Grand Ronde reservations as told from the perspective of Indian oral narratives as well as white accounts. As a major aspect of the story, Douthit highlights the development of a little-known middle ground of relationships between Indian women and white men during and after removal.

viii, 248 pages : illustrations, maps ; 23 cm

As a Gitxsan teenager navigating life on the streets, Angela Sterritt wrote in her journal to help her survive and find her place in the world. Now an acclaimed journalist, she writes for major news outlets to push for justice and to light a path for Indigenous women, girls, and survivors. In her brilliant debut, Sterritt shares her memoir alongside investigative reporting into cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada, showing how colonialism and racism led to a society where Sterritt struggled to survive as a young person, and where the lives of Indigenous women and girls are ignored and devalued. 'She could have been me,' Sterritt acknowledges today, and her empathy for victims, survivors, and families drives her present-day investigations into the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women. In the end, Sterritt steps into a place of power, demanding accountability from the media and the public, exposing racism, and showing that there is much work to do on the path towards understanding the truth. But most importantly, she proves that the strength and brilliance of Indigenous women is unbroken, and that together, they can build lives of joy and abundance." -Inside front cover

xv, 279 pages ; 24 cm

290 pages illustrations, map (on lining papers), portraits 23 cm

Authored by local historian Jerry Winterbotham, Umpqua: The Lost County of Oregon chronicles the short-lived history of a vast territorial district established in 1851 that eventually vanished from the map through political reorganization and county consolidation. The book details the struggles of early homesteaders, miners, and river merchants who attempted to build permanent communities along the rugged Umpqua River basin before the shifting political tides of the Oregon Territory absorbed their jurisdiction. Through legislative records and pioneer accounts, the text resurrects the forgotten administrative history of a frontier region swallowed by bureaucratic evolution. A keen insight drawn from the work is how county boundaries in the American West were ephemeral political constructs that often bore little relation to actual human geography; by tracing how a once-proud political entity was erased by administrative decree, the book reveals how early state-building frequently treated historic communities as mere ink on a map to be redrawn at the whim of distant territorial lawmakers.

iv, 156 pages : illustrations, maps ; 22 cm

ix, 126 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm

Umatilla Dictionary documents the language of the Umatilla people east of the Cascade Mountains in Oregon and Washington. Working for many years with the accumulated scholarship of linguists and anthropologists as well as with elders on the Umatilla Reservation, tribal linguist Noel Rude has painstakingly recorded and rationalized words, pronunciations, phrases, and other elements of the Umatilla language. The dictionary includes a grammar and comparative information that places the Umatilla language in its linguistic and historical context and compiles all of its known words, phrases, and constructions. Umatilla Dictionary is an important work for people of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Yakama Nation, and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and adds to the growing linguistic work being done by tribes and scholars on endangered languages.

xi, 622 pages : illustrations ; 27 cm

‘The evening is closing in; the sun has set, leaving a hot, red glow, where his copper disk has just sunk beyond the Pacific horizon; and the eye wanders out from the infant waves, at foot just tinged with red, and reflecting the light as they move up in turn to catch it, to the blue and still darker blue water beyond, out to the sharp indigo line where sky and water meet.' And so Wallis Nash concludes his brief passage on his brief expedition to hack off rock oysters, along the coast toward the Yaquina Head lighthouse. For anyone interested in the early history of Oregon, Wallis Nash's Two Years in Oregon is a mine of information. In an easy and highly readable narrative, Nash provides extensive detail on society, farming, hunting, fishing and community life. He wrote the book in 1882 after his first two years of residence whilst the initial impressions were still sharp in his mind.

[2], 311 pages, 8 unnumbered leaves of plates + 9 pages press notes : frontispiece, illustrations (plates) ; 20 cm