St'at'imc
Encyclopedia
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 potlatch
, clan names, mythology, prestige afforded the wealthy and generous, and totem pole
s in some communities, especially in the Lil'wat First Nation
(Lil'wat7ul), whose tribal lands and trade routes in the Whistler Valley
and Green River Vally
overlapped with those of the Squamish First Nation, an Coast Salish people
.
Today they total about 6000.
Because the terms St'at'imc and Lillooet is in use as a collective term for the main groups and the single bands and First Nations of this Interior Salish people, confusion can arise between the single groupings or bands (especially with regard to historical sources) and so they could and can easily mistaken for one another, therefore it is today no longer clear whether the report refers to one of the main groupings or the entire First Nation.
The tiny and remote communities of Samahquam, Xa'xtsa and Ska'tin Bands collectively, including the Tenas Lake Band, seceded from the larger Lillooet Tribal Council at the same time to join N'quatqua First Nation
at (D'Arcy
) to form the In-SHUCK-ch Nation. Since the 1980 these First Nations call themselves Nsvq’tsmc ('In-SHUCK-ch micw'), derived from Nsvq’ts - 'split like a crutch', the name of the holy mountain, now called In-SHUCK-ch Mountain (also called Gunsight Mountain).
and westward through the valleys of Seton Lake and Anderson Lake to Duffey Lake. The territory of the Upper St'át'imc east of the Fraser River included the Three Lake Valley
(also known as Fountain Valley) and the adjacent mountains and stretched towards the Hat Creek
, a tributary of the Bonaparte River.
The Upper St'át'imc settled in several main settlements on the banks above the Fraser River and on the banks of the Seton and Anderson Lake - probably the word 'St'át'imc' is derived from a former village T'at'lh on Keatley Creek. Previous there were the following communities: Sk'ámqain on the shore of Seton Lake, Sat at the site of present-day city of [Lillooet] [Lillooet (British Columbia)], Nxwísten at the mouth of the Bridge River, Xáxlip (′Fountain′), Slha7äs and Tsal'álh along Seton Lake and Nk'wátkwa on the western shore of Lake Anderson. Beside those significant settlements there have been several smaller villages. In Pavilion
(Tsk'wáylacw), a mainly ethnically and linguistically Secwepemc
settlement in the 19th Century, since the beginning of the 20th Century this community speaks usually St'at'imcets
, but their particular dialect is a hybrid of St'at'imcets and Secwepemctsin, because there had been many mixed marriages between Secwepemc and St'át'imc, know forming the Tsk'weylecw'mc
or Pavilion Indian Band
.
was made in 1911 in Spences Bridge
and is the nation's declaration of ownership over lands that had been seized by non-native settlers at Seton Portage at onset of the 20th Century, and is considered a general statement of principle regarding ownership of all traditional territories of the St'at'imcets-speaking peoples. The Declaration of the Lillooet Tribe is the Lillooet Tribe's first formal declaration to the world of the tribes status as a Country, in International terms, as they understood them at that time. The Declaration is mentioned as the foundation document of all the various organizations of the Lillooet Tribe in place today, such as the St'at'imc Chiefs Council, Lillooet Tribal Council and the In-SHUCK-ch Nation
. The Declaration brings the tribe together at the grassroots level as a Country.
(also known as Lillooet), a member of the Interior Salish
group which includes the languages of the neighbouring Secwepemc
(Shuswap
) and Nlaka'pamux
(Thompson) peoples.
Interior Salish
The Interior Salish languages are one of the two main subgroups of the Salishan language family, the other being Coast Salish. It can be further subdivided into Northern and Southern Interior Salish...
people located in the southern Coast Mountains
Coast Mountains
The Coast Mountains are a major mountain range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, of western North America, extending from southwestern Yukon through the Alaska Panhandle and virtually all of the Coast of British Columbia. They are so-named because of their proximity to the sea coast, and are often...
and 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 Interior
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...
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...
.
St'át'imc culture displayed many features typical of Northwest Coast peoples
Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast
The Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Pacific Northwest Coast, their descendants, and many ethnic groups who identify with those historical peoples. They are now situated within the Canadian Province of British Columbia and the U.S...
: the potlatch
Potlatch
A potlatch is a gift-giving festival and primary economic system practiced by indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of Canada and United States. This includes Heiltsuk Nation, Haida, Nuxalk, Tlingit, Makah, Tsimshian, Nuu-chah-nulth, Kwakwaka'wakw, and Coast Salish cultures...
, clan names, mythology, prestige afforded the wealthy and generous, and totem pole
Totem pole
Totem poles are monumental sculptures carved from large trees, mostly Western Red Cedar, by cultures of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America...
s in some communities, especially in the Lil'wat First Nation
Lil'wat First Nation
The Lil'wat First Nation, aka the Lil'wat Nation or the Mount Currie Indian Band, is a First Nations government located in the southern Coast Mountains region of the Interior of the Canadian province of British Columbia...
(Lil'wat7ul), whose tribal lands and trade routes in the Whistler Valley
Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...
and Green River Vally
Green River (British Columbia)
The Green River is a tributary of the Lillooet River in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Approximately 25 kilometres in length, it begins at the outflow of Green Lake in Whistler and joins the Lillooet River a couple of kilometres above where the river flows into Lillooet Lake...
overlapped with those of the Squamish First Nation, an Coast Salish people
Coast Salish
Coast Salish languages are a subgroup of the Salishan language family. These languages are spoken by First Nations or Native American peoples inhabiting the territory that is now the southwest coast of British Columbia around the Strait of Georgia and Washington state around Puget Sound...
.
Today they total about 6000.
Main Groupings
The St'at'imc are divided linguistically, culturally and geographically into two main groupings of bands or First Nations.- Upper St'at'imc (Upper Lillooet or Fraser River Lillooet, living near the present city of LillooetLillooet, British ColumbiaLillooet 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,...
on the Fraser RiverFraser RiverThe 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...
) - they refer to themselves as STLA'tlei-mu-wh-talk and speak St'at'imcets, the dialect of the Upper St'at'imc
- Lower St'at'imc (Lower Lillooet or Mount Currie Lillooet, living in the vicinity of today's Mount CurrieMount Currie, British ColumbiaMount Currie is a small community in British Columbia, 164 kilometres north-west of Vancouver and 40 kilometres north-west of Whistler along Highway 99....
in the Pemberton ValleyPemberton ValleyThe Pemberton Valley is a valley flanking the Lillooet River upstream from Lillooet Lake, including the communities of Mount Currie, Pemberton, British Columbia and the agricultural district surrounding them and flanking the river as far upstream as the Pemberton Meadows area...
and south to SkookumchukSkookumchuck Hot Springs, British ColumbiaT'sek Hot Springs, near the First Nation community of Skookumchuck and more recently as Skatin is on the historic Harrison Lillooet Gold Rush trail in the Lillooet River valley, south of Lillooet Lake, in British Columbia, Canada...
) - they refer to themselves as LEEL'-wat-OOL - 'The true People', 'The true Lillooet' (of which were the words 'Lillooet' and 'Lilwat' derived) and speak Ucwalmícwts ('oo-Kwale MEWK'), the dialect of the Lower St'at'imc
- Lakes Lillooet (Lexalexamux or Tsala'lhmec - 'Lake People'), a group only sporadically recognized, living between the territories of Upper St'at'imc and Lower St'at'imc around Seton LakeSeton LakeSeton Lake is a freshwater fjord draining east via the Seton River into the Fraser River at the town of Lillooet, British Columbia, about 22 km long and 243 m in elevation and 26.2 square kilometres in area...
and Anderson Lake - whose descendants are today's N'quatqua First NationN'quatqua First NationThe 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...
(also known as Anderson Lake Indian Band) and Seton Lake First NationSeton Lake First NationThe 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...
(also known as Seton Lake Indian Band), historically a group at the foot of Seton Lake, near Lillooet, known as the Skimka'imx were also included in this group.
Because the terms St'at'imc and Lillooet is in use as a collective term for the main groups and the single bands and First Nations of this Interior Salish people, confusion can arise between the single groupings or bands (especially with regard to historical sources) and so they could and can easily mistaken for one another, therefore it is today no longer clear whether the report refers to one of the main groupings or the entire First Nation.
Lower St'at'imc
- Lil'wat First NationLil'wat First NationThe Lil'wat First Nation, aka the Lil'wat Nation or the Mount Currie Indian Band, is a First Nations government located in the southern Coast Mountains region of the Interior of the Canadian province of British Columbia...
, their traditional territory extended south to Rubble Creek, north to just below Anderson Lakes, east to the Upper Stein Valley and west to the coastal inlets of the Pacific Ocean, in total approximately 780,000 ha, the current community Mount CurrieMount Currie, British ColumbiaMount Currie is a small community in British Columbia, 164 kilometres north-west of Vancouver and 40 kilometres north-west of Whistler along Highway 99....
(or Lilwat'ul) is the heart of the Lil’wat Nation territory - Xa'xtsa First Nation (also known as Douglas First NationDouglas First NationThe Douglas First Nation, aka the Douglas Indian Band or Douglas Band, are a band government of the In-SHUCK-ch Nation, a subgroup of the larger St'at'imc people, also referred to as Lower Stl'atl'imx. The Douglas, Skatin and Samahquam communities are related through familial ties as well as...
), Xa’xtsa (pronounce: ‘ha-htsa’ or ‘hahk-cha’) is made up of two communities: Port DouglasPort Douglas, British ColumbiaPort Douglas, sometimes referred to simply as Douglas, is a remote community in British Columbia, Canada at the head of Harrison Lake, which is the head of river navigation from the Strait of Georgia...
at the northern end of Little Harrison LakeHarrison LakeHarrison Lake is the largest lake in the southern Coast Mountains of Canada, being about 250 square kilometres in area. It is about 60 km in length and at its widest almost 9 km across. Its southern end, at the resort community of Harrison Hot Springs, is c. 95 km east of...
, about 90 km northeast of Vancouver, and their main community Tipella, on the west side of the Lillooet River, southernmost of the In-SHUCK-ch communities, and also of the entire St’atl’imx linguistic group (ˈ) - Skatin First Nations (pronounce: ‘ska-TEEN’), at Skookumchuck Hot Springs on the Lillooet RiverLillooet RiverThe 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...
, the community is located on the east side of the Lillooet River, on the 19-Mile Post of the old Harrison-Lillooet wagon road (about 35 kilometres from the head of Harrison Lake), before the arrival of European settlers, this community was considered to be the largest on the lower Lillooet River, comparable in size to the pre-contact village of present-day Mount Currie of the Lil'wat First Nation (pron. s) - Samahquam First NationSamahquam First NationSamahquam First Nation, aka the Semahquam First Nation are a band of the In-SHUCK-ch Nation, a subgroup of the larger St'at'imc people . The Douglas, Skatin and Samahquam communities are related through familial ties as well as culturally and linguistically...
(ʃ) (‘warm place out of the cold’, pronounce: 'shah-MAH-kwumon'), returned to their reservation lands in the early 1990s and constructioned Baptiste Smith community at the southwest end of Little Lillooet Lake (aka Tenas Lake, derived from the Chinook JargonChinook JargonChinook Jargon originated as a pidgin trade language of the Pacific Northwest, and spread during the 19th century from the lower Columbia River, first to other areas in modern Oregon and Washington, then British Columbia and as far as Alaska, sometimes taking on characteristics of a creole language...
tenass - 'little') on the Lillooet RiverLillooet RiverThe 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...
system, once occupied both sides of the Little Lillooet Lake
The tiny and remote communities of Samahquam, Xa'xtsa and Ska'tin Bands collectively, including the Tenas Lake Band, seceded from the larger Lillooet Tribal Council at the same time to join 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 (D'Arcy
D'Arcy, British Columbia
D'Arcy is an unincorporated community in the Canadian province of British Columbia, approximately 150 kilometres northeast of the city of Vancouver...
) to form the In-SHUCK-ch Nation. Since the 1980 these First Nations call themselves Nsvq’tsmc ('In-SHUCK-ch micw'), derived from Nsvq’ts - 'split like a crutch', the name of the holy mountain, now called In-SHUCK-ch Mountain (also called Gunsight Mountain).
Upper St'at'imc
The tribal territory of the different groups of the Upper St'át'imc extended west of the Fraser River from the mouth of the Pavilion Creek (′Sk'elpáqs′) to the Texas Creek in the mountains above the Bridge RiverBridge River, British Columbia
Bridge River was used to describe three separate towns or localities in the Lillooet Country of the Interior of British Columbia connected with the river and valley of the same name.-1858-60:...
and westward through the valleys of Seton Lake and Anderson Lake to Duffey Lake. The territory of the Upper St'át'imc east of the Fraser River included the Three Lake Valley
Fountain Valley (British Columbia)
The Fountain Valley, officially named the Three Lake Valley and also known as the Fountain Lakes Valley, is a valley and rural community located on the east flank of Fountain Ridge, just east of the town of Lillooet, British Columbia, Canada and immediately south of the First Nations reserve...
(also known as Fountain Valley) and the adjacent mountains and stretched towards the Hat Creek
Hat Creek (British Columbia)
Hat Creek is a tributary of the Bonaparte River in British Columbia, Canada, joining that stream at Carquile, which is also known as Lower Hat Creek and is the site of the Hat Creek Ranch heritage museum and visitor centre...
, a tributary of the Bonaparte River.
The Upper St'át'imc settled in several main settlements on the banks above the Fraser River and on the banks of the Seton and Anderson Lake - probably the word 'St'át'imc' is derived from a former village T'at'lh on Keatley Creek. Previous there were the following communities: Sk'ámqain on the shore of Seton Lake, Sat at the site of present-day city of [Lillooet] [Lillooet (British Columbia)], Nxwísten at the mouth of the Bridge River, Xáxlip (′Fountain′), Slha7äs and Tsal'álh along Seton Lake and Nk'wátkwa on the western shore of Lake Anderson. Beside those significant settlements there have been several smaller villages. In Pavilion
Pavilion, British Columbia
Pavilion is a ranching and Indian Reserve community in the Fraser Canyon area of British Columbia, Canada. Most of the community is the population of the Pavilion 1 Indian Reserve of the Pavilion Indian Band, aka the Ts'kw'aylaxw First Nation but there are also a number of ranches in the...
(Tsk'wáylacw), a mainly ethnically and linguistically Secwepemc
Secwepemc
The Secwepemc , known in English as the Shuswap people, are a First Nations people residing in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Their traditional territory ranges from the eastern Chilcotin Plateau and the Cariboo Plateau southeast through the Thompson Country to Kamloops and the Shuswap...
settlement in the 19th Century, since the beginning of the 20th Century this community speaks usually St'at'imcets
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...
, but their particular dialect is a hybrid of St'at'imcets and Secwepemctsin, because there had been many mixed marriages between Secwepemc and St'át'imc, know forming the Tsk'weylecw'mc
Tsk'weylecw'mc
The Tsk'weylecw'mc or Tsk'waylaxw'mx are a First Nations people in the Central Fraser Canyon area of the Canadian province of British Columbia...
or Pavilion Indian Band
Pavilion Indian Band
The Pavilion Indian Band or Ts'kw'aylaxw First Nation or Tsk'waylacw First Nation or Tsk'weylecw First Nation, and also known in the plural e.g. Ts'kw'alaxw First Nations, is a First Nations government, located in the Fraser Canyon region of the Central Interior of the Canadian province of British...
.
- N'quatquaN'quatquaN'Quatqua, variously spelled Nequatque, N'quat'qua, is the proper historic name in the St'at'imcets language for the First Nations village of the Stl'atl'imx people of the community of D'Arcy, which is at the upper end of Anderson Lake about 35 miles southeast of Lillooet and about the same...
in D'ArcyD'Arcy, British ColumbiaD'Arcy is an unincorporated community in the Canadian province of British Columbia, approximately 150 kilometres northeast of the city of Vancouver...
. Also known as the Anderson Lake Band and one of the original members of the breakaway In-SHUCK-ch Nation, although now on its own from that organization and from the Lillooet Tribal Council, despite close family ties to the various bands of that organization. Located at the head of Anderson Lake, northeast of PembertonPemberton, British ColumbiaPemberton is a village north of Whistler in the Pemberton Valley of British Columbia in Canada, with a population of 2,192. Until the 1960s the village could be accessed only by train but that changed when Highway 99 was built through Whistler and Pemberton.-Climate:The climate of Pemberton is...
. Historically the N'Quatqua and Tsalalh bands were one group, the Lakes Lillooet or Lexalexamux, and included a group at the foot of Seton Lake, near Lillooet, known as the Skimka'imx. - Tsaľálh (ShalalthShalalth, British ColumbiaShalalth, pop. c. 400, is one of the main communities of the Seton Lake Band of the St'at'imc Nation and location of the two main powerhouses of the Bridge River Power Project....
), Skeil, Ohin, Lh7us (Slosh) and Nquayt (Nkiat). Lh7us and Nquayt are at Seton PortageSeton Portage, British ColumbiaSeton 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...
, Skeil, Ohin and Shalalth farther east along Seton Lake. All of these are collectively self-governed within the Lillooet Tribal Council as the Seton Lake First NationSeton Lake First NationThe 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...
. - Sekw’el’wás in LillooetLillooet, British ColumbiaLillooet 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,...
(Cayoose Creek/Pashilqua Reserves) - T'ít'q'etT'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...
in LillooetLillooet, British ColumbiaLillooet 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,...
, also spelled Tl'itl'kt (Lillooet Reserve) - Nxwísten in LillooetLillooet, British ColumbiaLillooet 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,...
(Bridge River Indian BandBridge River Indian BandThe 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...
) - Cácl'ep near LillooetLillooet, British ColumbiaLillooet 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,...
(pron. ˈ and also spelled Xa'xlip) Fountain Indian Band. - Tsk'weylecw (in an older spelling used in St'at'imcets called Tsk'waylaxw, also known as the Pavilion Indian BandPavilion Indian BandThe Pavilion Indian Band or Ts'kw'aylaxw First Nation or Tsk'waylacw First Nation or Tsk'weylecw First Nation, and also known in the plural e.g. Ts'kw'alaxw First Nations, is a First Nations government, located in the Fraser Canyon region of the Central Interior of the Canadian province of British...
and located at PavilionPavilion, British ColumbiaPavilion is a ranching and Indian Reserve community in the Fraser Canyon area of British Columbia, Canada. Most of the community is the population of the Pavilion 1 Indian Reserve of the Pavilion Indian Band, aka the Ts'kw'aylaxw First Nation but there are also a number of ranches in the...
, which is between LillooetLillooet, British ColumbiaLillooet 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 Cache CreekCache Creek, British ColumbiaCache Creek is a junction community northeast of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. It is on the Trans-Canada Highway in the province of British Columbia at its junction with northbound Highway 97...
on the lip of the Fraser CanyonFraser CanyonThe 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...
and at the outlet of the karst landscapeKARSTKilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
forming Marble CanyonMarble Canyon (British Columbia)Marble Canyon is a small canyon in the south-central Interior of British Columbia, Canada a few kilometres east of the Fraser River and the community of Pavilion, British Columbia, approximately midway between the towns of Lillooet and Cache Creek. A collapsed karst formation, the canyon's name...
, beyond which are the territories of the Bonaparte Band of the Secwepemc (Shuswap) peoplesSecwepemcThe Secwepemc , known in English as the Shuswap people, are a First Nations people residing in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Their traditional territory ranges from the eastern Chilcotin Plateau and the Cariboo Plateau southeast through the Thompson Country to Kamloops and the Shuswap...
, who are part of the Shuswap Nation Tribal CouncilShuswap Nation Tribal CouncilThe Shuswap Nation Tribal Council is a First Nations Tribal Council in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Based in the Thompson and Shuswap Districts of the Central Interior, although including one band on the upper Columbia River in the East Kootenay region...
.
History
They had several types of dwellings—long plank houses, winter earthlodges, and summer bark- or mat-covered lodges. Salmon and other fish were the basis of the economy, and numerous animals (bear, sheep, caribou, deer, and small mammals) were hunted and trapped, and berries and fruit were gathered. Warfare with other groups was unusual, with intensive intertribal trade the more typical state of affairs.Declaration of the Lillooet Tribe
The declaration of the Lillooet TribeDeclaration of the Lillooet Tribe
The Declaration of the Lillooet Tribe is an important document in the history of relations between First Nations and the governments of the Dominion of Canada and the Province of British Columbia...
was made in 1911 in Spences Bridge
Spences Bridge, British Columbia
Spences Bridge is a community in the Canadian province of British Columbia, situated 23 miles north east of Lytton and 32 miles from Ashcroft. In 1892, the population included 32 people of European ancestry and 130 First Nations people. There were 5 general stores, 3 hotels, one Church of England...
and is the nation's declaration of ownership over lands that had been seized by non-native settlers at Seton Portage at onset of the 20th Century, and is considered a general statement of principle regarding ownership of all traditional territories of the St'at'imcets-speaking peoples. The Declaration of the Lillooet Tribe is the Lillooet Tribe's first formal declaration to the world of the tribes status as a Country, in International terms, as they understood them at that time. The Declaration is mentioned as the foundation document of all the various organizations of the Lillooet Tribe in place today, such as the St'at'imc Chiefs Council, Lillooet Tribal Council and the 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...
. The Declaration brings the tribe together at the grassroots level as a Country.
Language
The language of the Sťaťimc people is St'at'imcetsSt'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...
(also known as Lillooet), a member of the Interior Salish
Interior Salish
The Interior Salish languages are one of the two main subgroups of the Salishan language family, the other being Coast Salish. It can be further subdivided into Northern and Southern Interior Salish...
group which includes the languages of the neighbouring Secwepemc
Secwepemc
The Secwepemc , known in English as the Shuswap people, are a First Nations people residing in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Their traditional territory ranges from the eastern Chilcotin Plateau and the Cariboo Plateau southeast through the Thompson Country to Kamloops and the Shuswap...
(Shuswap
Shuswap
Shuswap *Secwepemc - an indigenous people in British Columbia, Canada, also known in English as the Shuswap*Shuswap language - a language spoken by the Secwepemc...
) and Nlaka'pamux
Nlaka'pamux
The Nlaka'pamux , commonly called "the Thompson", and also Thompson River Salish, Thompson Salish, Thompson River Indians or Thompson River people) are an indigenous First Nations/Native American people of the Interior Salish language group in southern British Columbia...
(Thompson) peoples.
External links
- USLCES webpages(USLCES webpages)
- map of Northwest Coast First Nations (including St'at'imc)
- History Of The Stl'atl'imx People
- The Sťáťimc Chiefs Council(St'at'imc Chiefs Council(SCC) )
- Lil'Wat Nation website (Lower Lillooet/Mt. Currie)
- Photos
Language
- Bibliography of Materials on the Lillooet Language (YDLI)
- The Lillooet Language (YDLI)
- St'at'imcets - The Lillooet Language
- The Sťáťimcets Language(Native Language, Font, & Keyboard)