author
Harlan Ingersoll Smith
1872–1940
An early archaeologist and anthropologist, he helped document Indigenous cultures and archaeological sites across Canada and the North Pacific Coast. His fieldwork, photographs, and collections still matter to researchers today.
1 Audiobook
The Archaeology of the Yakima Valley
by Harlan Ingersoll Smith
About the author
Born in East Saginaw, Michigan, on February 17, 1872, he became interested in archaeology while still young and studied for a time at the University of Michigan. He gained practical museum experience in the United States before building a career through fieldwork and collecting.
In 1911, he joined the Geological Survey of Canada as head of its Archaeology Division, later associated with the National Museum of Canada. His work included excavations in eastern Canada and major research on Vancouver Island, Haida Gwaii, the Bella Coola region, and other parts of British Columbia, where he also carried out ethnographic work and photography.
Remembered as both an archaeologist and anthropologist, he helped preserve records of communities, objects, and sites at a time when much was poorly documented by institutions. He died in Ottawa on January 28, 1940.