The D'Arcy Island leprosarium, located in Haro Strait
off the east coast of southern Vancouver Island, B.C., was
first established in 1891. During its thirty-four years of
operation it was administered by three governments: the
Victoria municipal government from 1891 to 1904, the B.C.
provincial government during the year 1905, while the
federal government was in charge until closure of the
institution in 1924. The colony now comprises three
archaeological sites, the earliest phase DdRt 29 on Little
D'Arcy Island, where predominantly Chinese males were
incarcerated, DdRt 28 the remains of the caretakers'
facilities built in 1907 on D'Arcy Island, and the latest
phase of the colony DdRt 31, located to the south of the
caretakers.
The purpose of this research is to examine why and how
social inequality is created and how it is maintained.
Specifically, it will evaluate the historical sociopolitical
circumstances surrounding the establishment of the
colony, explain why it was created, and why and how the form
of the institution changed over its thirty-four years of
existence.
Archaeological investigations are employed to
illuminate the ongoing material and social conditions of the
unfortunate lepers, in contrast to those of the colony
caretakers. Historical research is used to provide a meaningful context to understand colony developments.
Historical data are also used to complement the gaps in the
archaeological record.
In my research, I combine aspects of two theoretical
approaches employed in contemporary archaeological theory.
Processual archaeology is used to provide a framework for
evaluating the relationship between racist ideology and the
material manifestations of the D'Arcy Island leper colony.
Changes in both the location and the architectural form and
function are linked to changes in government policy and
legislation to exclude Chinese immigrants. Apparently
deliberate actions of the medical community to ignore
available knowledge about leprosy are also associated with
changes in the colony.
Symbolic archaeology is employed to illustrate how
portable material culture, cultural landscape and
architectural form are utilized to symbolically reinforce the
ideology of White dominant society. Inferior status based on
perceived racial and social difference are reinforced by the
cultural manifestations of the facilities.
It is my contention that racist ideology is the prime
mover in the creation and evolution of the D'Arcy Island
leprosarium. It was fueled by stereotypical views of the
Chinese immigrants held by White dominant society of the
late 19th and early 20th century. The unwarranted fear of
leprosy was seized upon by those in power to further
incite racism in the general public. It was also used to support the belief that Chinese should further be excluded
from mainstream Canadian society.
The timing of the establishment of the colony followed
a decade of strong anti-Oriental agitation. Other
developments in the colony may be directly linked to federal
and provincial actions or changes in immigration
legislation. Further proof that racism was involved is that
there were alternate means available to deal with the issue
of the Chinese lepers: care in the Victoria Chinese
Hospital, deportation, or transfer to the leprosarium at
Tracadie, New Brunswick. Differential care of non-Chinese
lepers also indicates that the provision of appropriate
medical care was not a consideration in the maintenance of
the colony.
The D'Arcy Island leper colony was part of an historic
process which contributed to racist ideology. The location,
landscape, and architectural design all reflected the
perceived inferior and outcast status of the Chinese lepers.
They also reinforced the power and dominance of
Euro-Canadians, maintaining social distance and creating
social inequality. / Arts, Faculty of / Anthropology, Department of / Graduate
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UBC/oai:circle.library.ubc.ca:2429/7285 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | French, Diana Elizabeth |
| Source Sets | University of British Columbia |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis/Dissertation |
| Format | 16505331 bytes, application/pdf |
| Rights | For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use. |
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