Bridge River Indian Band
Encyclopedia
The Bridge River Indian Band also known as the Nxwísten First Nation, the Xwisten First Nation, and the Bridge River Band, is a First Nations government located in the Central Interior
-Fraser Canyon
region of the Canadian province of British Columbia
. It is a member of the Lillooet Tribal Council
(also known as the St'at'imc Nation), which is the largest grouping of band governments of the St'at'imc
people (aka the Lillooet people).
The Bridge River Indian Band's offices are located on BC Highway 40 in the lower Bridge River
valley, a few miles outside of Lillooet, British Columbia
, which is about 150 miles northeast of Vancouver, British Columbia, on the northern end of the town of Lillooet
. Its residential areas are scattered through its reserve, one of the largest in British Columbia, with a newer residential subdivision adjacent to Highway 40 near the band offices, about 15 kilometres from Lillooet. It is one of the three main band communities of "metropolitan Lillooet", the others being the Cayoose Creek Indian Band (Sekwelwas First Nation) and the T'it'kt First Nation Lillooet Band), all of which border on the District of Lillooet.
, known as Sxetl in the St'at'imcets language and also known locally as Six Mile Rapids, are on the reserves of the Bridge River Band and their original "modern" post-Contact rancherie
is on the bench above the fishing
grounds, which are also known as the Lower Fountain or Lower Fountains and which lie at the junction of the Bridge and Fraser River
s.
Other St'at'imc
governments include the smaller In-SHUCK-ch Nation
on the lower Lillooet River
to the southwest, and the independent N'quatqua First Nation
at the farther end of Anderson Lake from Seton Portage
, which is the location of three of the reserve communities of the Seton Lake First Nation
, another member of the Lillooet Tribal Council.
in the St'at'imcets language
. Early documents and before formalized St'at'imcets spelling was defined various spellings were used Nxo'isten, Hoystein, and more recently 'Xwisten. The band's official website uses a variant of the proper St'at'imcets name Nxwísten in its domain name.
in the 1870s and '80s
, and one of the few cases where the wishes of the local chief went unopposed by land claims commissioner Peter O'Reilly
. The mining
activity, which washed away at the river's steep, sandy banks with huge hoses and scoured the riverbed, hurt the salmon run
s in the river, and these were further damaged and virtually wiped out by the construction of the Bridge River Power Project
in the 1940s and '50s
.
The Xwisten people are one of the three reserve communities which directly surrounding Lillooet
and many of their community have had an important role in the history of the native political movements in BC.
British Columbia Interior
The British Columbia Interior or BC Interior or Interior of British Columbia, usually referred to only as the Interior, is one of the three main regions of the Canadian province of British Columbia, the other two being the Lower Mainland, which comprises the overlapping areas of Greater Vancouver...
-Fraser Canyon
Fraser Canyon
The Fraser Canyon is an 84 km landform of the Fraser River where it descends rapidly through narrow rock gorges in the Coast Mountains en route from the Interior Plateau of British Columbia to the Fraser Valley...
region of the Canadian province of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. It is a member of the Lillooet Tribal Council
Lillooet Tribal Council
The Lillooet Tribal Council is the official English name of the largest tribal council of what is also known as the St'at'imc Nation, though not including all governments of St'at'imc peoples - the term St'at'imc Nation has another context of all St'at'imc peoples, not just those within this tribal...
(also known as the St'at'imc Nation), which is the largest grouping of band governments of the St'at'imc
St'at'imc
The St'át'imc are an Interior Salish people located in the southern Coast Mountains and Fraser Canyon region of the Interior of the Canadian province of British Columbia.St'át'imc culture displayed many features typical of Northwest Coast peoples: the...
people (aka the Lillooet people).
The Bridge River Indian Band's offices are located on BC Highway 40 in the lower Bridge River
Bridge River
The Bridge River is, or was, a major tributary of British Columbia's Fraser River, entering that stream about six miles upstream from the town of Lillooet.-Name:Its name in the Lillooet language is Xwisten , sometimes spelled Nxwisten or Nxo-isten)...
valley, a few miles outside of Lillooet, British Columbia
Lillooet, British Columbia
Lillooet is a community on the Fraser River in western Canada, about up the British Columbia Railway line from Vancouver. Situated at an intersection of deep gorges in the lee of the Coast Mountains, it has a dry climate- of precipitation is recorded annually at the town's weather station,...
, which is about 150 miles northeast of Vancouver, British Columbia, on the northern end of the town of Lillooet
Lillooet, British Columbia
Lillooet is a community on the Fraser River in western Canada, about up the British Columbia Railway line from Vancouver. Situated at an intersection of deep gorges in the lee of the Coast Mountains, it has a dry climate- of precipitation is recorded annually at the town's weather station,...
. Its residential areas are scattered through its reserve, one of the largest in British Columbia, with a newer residential subdivision adjacent to Highway 40 near the band offices, about 15 kilometres from Lillooet. It is one of the three main band communities of "metropolitan Lillooet", the others being the Cayoose Creek Indian Band (Sekwelwas First Nation) and the T'it'kt First Nation Lillooet Band), all of which border on the District of Lillooet.
Bridge River Fishing Grounds
The important and age-old Bridge River Fishing GroundsBridge River Rapids
The Bridge River Rapids, also known as the Six Mile Rapids, the Lower Fountain, the Bridge River Fishing Grounds, and in the St'at'imcets language as Sat or Setl, is a set of rapids on the Fraser River, located in the central Fraser Canyon at the mouth of the Bridge River six miles north of the...
, known as Sxetl in the St'at'imcets language and also known locally as Six Mile Rapids, are on the reserves of the Bridge River Band and their original "modern" post-Contact rancherie
Rancherie
A Rancherie is a First Nations residential area of an Indian Reserve in colloquial English throughout the Canadian province of British Columbia...
is on the bench above the fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
grounds, which are also known as the Lower Fountain or Lower Fountains and which lie at the junction of the Bridge and Fraser River
Fraser River
The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia at the city of Vancouver. It is the tenth longest river in Canada...
s.
Other St'at'imc
St'at'imc
The St'át'imc are an Interior Salish people located in the southern Coast Mountains and Fraser Canyon region of the Interior of the Canadian province of British Columbia.St'át'imc culture displayed many features typical of Northwest Coast peoples: the...
governments include the smaller In-SHUCK-ch Nation
In-SHUCK-ch Nation
The In-SHUCK-ch Nation, also known as Lower Lillooet people, are a small First Nations Tribal Council on the lower Lillooet River south of Pemberton-Mount Currie in the Canadian province of British Columbia...
on the lower Lillooet River
Lillooet River
The Lillooet River is a major river of the southern Coast Mountains of British Columbia. It begins at Silt Lake, on the southern edge of the Lillooet Crown Icecap about 80 kilometres northwest of Pemberton and about 85 kilometres northwest of Whistler...
to the southwest, and the independent N'quatqua First Nation
N'quatqua First Nation
The N'Quatqua First Nation, also known as the N'quatqua Nation, the N'Quatqua Nation, the Nequatque First Nation, the Anderson Lake Indian Band, the Anderson Lake First Nation and the Anderson Lake Band , is a First Nations government of the St'at'imc people, located in the southern Coast...
at the farther end of Anderson Lake from Seton Portage
Seton Portage, British Columbia
Seton Portage is a historic rural community in British Columbia, Canada, that is about 25 km west of Lillooet, located between Seton Lake and Anderson Lake. "The Portage" was formed about 10,000 years ago when the flank of the Cayoosh Range, which is the south flank of the valley, let go and...
, which is the location of three of the reserve communities of the Seton Lake First Nation
Seton Lake First Nation
The Seton Lake First Nation, aka the Seton Lake Indian Band, is a First Nations government located in the Central Interior-Fraser Canyon region of the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is a member of the Lillooet Tribal Council, which is the largest grouping of band governments of the...
, another member of the Lillooet Tribal Council.
Name
Nxwísten or Xwisten is the name of the Bridge RiverBridge River
The Bridge River is, or was, a major tributary of British Columbia's Fraser River, entering that stream about six miles upstream from the town of Lillooet.-Name:Its name in the Lillooet language is Xwisten , sometimes spelled Nxwisten or Nxo-isten)...
in the St'at'imcets language
St'at'imcets language
Lillooet or Lilloet, also known as St’át’imcets , is the Interior Salishan language of the St’át’imc, spoken in southern British Columbia, Canada around the middle Fraser and Lillooet rivers. The dialect of the Lower Lillooet people uses the name Ucwalmícwts as St’át’imcets properly means "the...
. Early documents and before formalized St'at'imcets spelling was defined various spellings were used Nxo'isten, Hoystein, and more recently 'Xwisten. The band's official website uses a variant of the proper St'at'imcets name Nxwísten in its domain name.
History
The Bridge River Reserves are some of the largest by area in British Columbia, and date from the days of the chief of the Bridge River people's licensing and taxing of hydraulic miners on the Bridge RiverBridge River
The Bridge River is, or was, a major tributary of British Columbia's Fraser River, entering that stream about six miles upstream from the town of Lillooet.-Name:Its name in the Lillooet language is Xwisten , sometimes spelled Nxwisten or Nxo-isten)...
in the 1870s and '80s
1880s
The 1880s was the decade that spanned from January 1, 1880 to December 31, 1889. They occurred at the core period of the Second Industrial Revolution. Most Western countries experienced a large economic boom, due to the mass production of railroads and other more convenient methods of travel...
, and one of the few cases where the wishes of the local chief went unopposed by land claims commissioner Peter O'Reilly
Peter O'Reilly
Peter O'Reilly was a prominent settler and official in the Colony of British Columbia, now a province of Canada who held a variety of positions, most notably as the head of a commission struck to revise and allocate Indian Reserves throughout the province.O'Reilly was criticized in his time and by...
. The mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
activity, which washed away at the river's steep, sandy banks with huge hoses and scoured the riverbed, hurt the salmon run
Salmon run
The salmon run is the time at which salmon swim back up the rivers in which they were born to spawn. All Pacific salmon die after spawning. While most Atlantic salmon die after their first spawn, about 5-10% return to the sea to feed between spawnings. The annual run is a major event for sport...
s in the river, and these were further damaged and virtually wiped out by the construction of the Bridge River Power Project
Bridge River Power Project
The Bridge River Power Project is a hydroelectric power development in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located in the Lillooet Country between Whistler and Lillooet...
in the 1940s and '50s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
.
The Xwisten people are one of the three reserve communities which directly surrounding Lillooet
Lillooet, British Columbia
Lillooet is a community on the Fraser River in western Canada, about up the British Columbia Railway line from Vancouver. Situated at an intersection of deep gorges in the lee of the Coast Mountains, it has a dry climate- of precipitation is recorded annually at the town's weather station,...
and many of their community have had an important role in the history of the native political movements in BC.
Indian Reserves
Indian Reserves under the administration of the Bridge River Band are:- Bridge River Indian Reserve No. 1 - on both sides of the Bridge River upstream from the confluence to Antoine Creek, c. 14 miles, 3845.50 ha.
- Bridge River Indian Reserve No. 2 - on the right (west) bank of the Fraser River about 4 miles upstream/north of FountainFountain, British ColumbiaFountain is an unincorporated rural area and Indian Reserve community in the Fraser Canyon region of British Columbia, Canada, located at the ten-mile mark from the town of Lillooet on BC Highway 99, which in that area is also on the route of the Old Cariboo Road and is located at the junction of...
, 56.70 ha. - Lillooet Indian Reserve No. 1A - on the right (west) bank of the Fraser River one mile northwest of the town of Lillooet, 797.20 ha. (this reserve is shared with the T'it'q'et First NationT'it'q'et First NationThe T'it'q'et First Nation also known as the T'it'k't First Nation, the Tl'itl'ikt First Nation and as the Lillooet Indian Band, is a First Nations government located in the Central Interior-Fraser Canyon region of the Canadian province of British Columbia...
(Lillooet Band)
External links
- Bridge River Indian Band website
- Profile of the Bridge River Indian Band by the Government of CanadaGovernment of CanadaThe Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
's Department of Indian and Northern Affairs - Aerial view down Bridge River valley, Xwisten Rancherie at centre
