CPR steamer the Tees in Quatsino Sound

Canadian Pacific Railway steamer the Tees, entering Quatsino Sound in the early 1900s.

For most of the last 150 years, the main method of transport around the Northern Vancouver Island was by ship. The Canadian Pacific Railway's fleet of steamers were a lifeline and a highway for coastal communities.
Built in 1893 in England, the steamer Tees was first used to transport gold prospectors back and forth to Alaska. In 1903 she was reassigned to the West Coast of Vancouver Island, a route which she plied until 1913 when she was replaced by the Princess Maquinna.

"Dancing to Restore an Eclipsed Moon - Qagyiuhl"

Photo by Edward S. Curtis - 13 November 1914

This photograph is a part of the Edward S. Curtis collection. Taken in November 1914 it depicts a number of Kwakiutl men dancing in traditional clothing. The photo is captioned "Dancing to restore and eclipsed moon - Qagyiuhl." Curtis was an American ethnographer who took numerous photos as well as film of Indigenous people around North America.