Between July and October 2025, historian Sabrina Schettino conducted research in British Columbia for her dissertation on Fur Seals, Nuu-chah-nulth and Pelagic Sealing in British Columbia between the 1860s to the 1910s.
John S. Lutz, from the University of Victoria’s Department of History, hosted Schettino, a doctoral student at the University of Eastern Piedmont.
She visited the Royal British Columbia Archive, the Maritime Museum of British Columbia, the City Archive of Victoria, the Diocese of Victoria Archive, the University of British Columbia Rare Books and Special Collection, and the Vancouver Maritime Museum.
“In these archives, I consulted a vast range of sources including DIA West Coast Agency’s correspondence and reports, sealing logbooks, the Victoria sealing company records, missionary correspondence, merchant business records, memoirs and photographs,” she shared. As a visiting research student at the University of Victoria, she also had the opportunity to consult the rich ethnographic collections held at the Mearns-McPherson Library.
At the invitation of the Pacheedaht, Mowachat/Muchalaht, and Ka:’yu:’k’t’h/Che:k:tles7et’h First Nations, she organized knowledge-sharing sessions in their communities. These sessions provided opportunities for reciprocal learning and for sharing insights into their history and culture. She also conducted interviews with participants who provide memories and insights that complemented her archival research. She also accompanied members of the Pacheedaht on a boat trip through their marine territory.
“This experience offered valuable perspectives on place and environment, clearly revealing the deep and enduring relationship between them and their surroundings,” she said.
The research visit significantly expanded her access to primary sources and strengthened my academic network. The archival material collected in Canada has become central to several chapters of her dissertation, while the oral histories have opened new analytical perspectives on Indigenous agency, labour and human–animal relations. The connections established with Canadian scholars and Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations will continue to shape her project well beyond the visit.
“I particularly benefited from the support of Dr. John Lutz, whose advice was crucial in shaping my interviews, contextualizing Indigenous–settler relations in British Columbia, and conducting archival research.” She also shared her host institution, which provided a stimulating and supportive environment, offering opportunities for discussion and intellectual exchange.
“This experience deepened my understanding of Indigenous history and environmental history, which highlighted the importance of place-based research. It also allowed me to learn about the culture and history of Nuu-chah-nulth First Nation.”
Looking ahead, she expects this research to lead to comparative work on Indigenous marine economies in the North Pacific and to future collaborations in Canada, both in academic and geographical terms.