Nations at War

For generations, the First Nations of the northwest coast lived in fear of the Haida raiders. From their island strongholds, they took slaves and won wealth and glory by the point of a dagger, giving rise to a dazzling golden age of art and architecture.

In 1858, rumours of gold drew thousands of gun-toting American miners into the heart of the Fraser Canyon, a wave of greed which threatened the local Nlaka'pamux's very way of life. What followed was a forgotten war that decided the fate of British Columbia.

In 1885, Louis Riel and the Métis stunned the upstart Canadian government with a violent uprising. Dismissed and dispossessed, the Métis fought to secure a place in their own homeland.

In 1812, the two biggest corporations in North America went to war over the riches of the west. Caught between them are two desperate groups: the young Métis Nation and the Highland Scots, driven to Canada by poverty and ethnic cleansing.

Once, the Cree and their allies dominated the western fur trade. By 1885, with the buffalo’s decline, they faced starvation. Betrayed by Ottawa, who offered peace and food for land, the Cree made a valiant last stand to save their People's future.

From their original home in Europe's far north, the Vikings carved out a kingdom with the point of the sword. But their dreams of a Canadian colony met a violent end at the hands of the mysterious Skrælings, who refused to surrender to this foreign invasion.