The majority of the file contains historical images of the Tsilhqot'in, Secwepemc, Stl'al'lmx, and the Nlaka'pamux peoples. The photographs depict village life, including images of building structures in the BC interior, fish processing techniques such as fish drying, and carvings such as mortuary poles. Some of the images also depict First Nations people, some in regalia. The other images are official photographs taken by various museums in Canadian and American museums of Tsilhqot'in, Secwepemc, Stl'al'lmx, or Nlaka'pamux artifacts. The textual records contained in this file consist of a photocopy of a magazine article titled "Upstairs, downstairs: the early years," written by Heather Pringle, and published in the June 1996 (Volume 111, number 5) edition of the magazine Saturday Night.

View of several totem poles located on a hill, with a cross visible nearby.

Image of an unidentified totem pole in Alert Bay. A cross stands in the ground next to the pole, possibly indicating that this is a gravesite or graveyard.

Item is an image of a tombsone for William Wastesecoot. According to annotations, photograph was taken at the Indigenous Peoples Graveyard, York Factory, Manitoba.

View of several totem poles in Nimpkish Band Cemetery. Totem on the far right of image is a memorial to Billie Moon, carved by Willie Seaweed and Joe Seaweed in 1931. The pole second from the right, carved by Doug Crammer, Richard Hunt, Bruce Alfred, Donna Ambers, Fish Ambers, and Richer Sumner, is a memorial to Dan Crammer.

View of an unnamed totem pole located at the Namgis Burial Grounds. It features an eagle at the top, which is distinguished by having only one arm.

Image depicts memorial poles in an Alert Bay cemetery. Some buildings and mountains visible in the distance.

Fonds consists of negative images of petroglyphs largely from the Pacific west coast of North America. Most of the images are from sites located in British Columbia, but there are also images from sites in Washington State, New Mexico, and other areas of the United States and Mexico. There are also images of artifacts, masks, totem poles, wood carvings, and graveyards. Images of family travels, landscapes, wild animals, and house cats are interspersed within the collection.

View of the Kwakiutl totem poles standing in a cemetery. The two poles stand adjacent to graves marked with crosses, which are identified Chief J .Aul Sewid and Mrs. Lucy Sewid. The presence of flowers at this gravesite suggest that this photo may have been taken in 1988 when Chief Sewid died. Photo is attributed to Eric J. Cooke, Photo Productions, Sidney, B. C.