Squamish people
 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Canada (British Columbia), | |
| Languages | |
| English, Sḵwxwú7mesh, Chinook Jargon | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity, Indian Shaker Church, Animism, other | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| other Coast Salish peoples, Shishalh, Tseil-waututh |
The Sḵwxwú7mesh (IPA [sqʷχʷuʔməʃ]) or Squamish are an Indigenous nation, part of the Salishan-speaking people of southwestern British Columbia. When translated, Sḵwxwú7mesh renders into the people of the sacred water, referencing what they believe is the water in their territory and its spiritual healing properties. Their main communities/villages are near the town of Squamish, British Columbia and at the mouths of the Capilano River, Mosquito Creek, and Seymour Creek on Burrard Inlet in North Vancouver, British Columbia. This makes them one of the few Indigenous nations with communities to exist inside a metropolitan center in Canada.
Historical rendering of Sḵwxwú7mesh is Sko-ko-mish but this should not be confused with the name of the Skokomish people of Washington state.
History
The Sḵwxwú7mesh have a long history that goes back thousands of years. In their history, they origins come from Chekwelhp and Schenks, where the first Sḵwxwú7mesh man, along with his brother, repopulated the Sḵwxwú7mesh peoples after the Flood. As some regard this as the salt-water origin story, another story comes from the village of Chiyakmesh, where they originated from the wolf people.
The Sḵwxwú7mesh were the first mainland Indigenous in British Columbia known to have met Europeans, who first came to the head of Howe Sound in 1792 near St'a7mes, the village near the town of Squamish. The Sḵwxwú7mesh society is separated into many different facets of a complex culture and history. Stretching back thousands of years, Sḵwxwú7mesh customs, traditions and stories make up a very ancient culture still extant to this day, still observing the potlaching in the summer and winter seasons, with the sacred ceremonies taking place in the winter months.
The Sḵwxwú7mesh were the first recorded people on the mainland Indigenous in British Columbia to have met Europeans, who entered Howe Sound in 1792 near St'a7mes, the village near the town of Squamish. St'a7mes is where the English name Stawamus is derived from and is also where the name of St'a7mes Siy'am (The Stawamus Chief) comes from. A few other place names in the Vancouver and Howe Sound area are derived from Squamish words or names. Kitsilano neighbourhood, for example, of Vancouver is named after a Squamish chief, Xats'alanexw, also known as August Jack Khatsahlano.
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Creation
Passed down through oral history, the Sḵwxwú7mesh belief they come from the village of Chekwelhp and Schenks, located at Gibsons, British Columbia. The story takes place after the known Great Flood, and when the water lines recieded, the first Sḵwxwú7mesh came to be. He built his longhouse in the village, and later on a man appeared on his longhouse roof and sent by the Creator, or in their language keke7nex siyam. It was from these two men that the population began to rise and the Skwxwu7mesh spread back through their territory.
As some consider this the salt-water origin story, many Sḵwxwú7mesh also originated from the village of chiyakmesh, along the Cheakmus River. The story passed down from this village is that these people, also Sḵwxwú7mesh came from the Wolf people. This is considered the fresh-water origin story.
First contact
The Sḵwxwú7mesh were the first mainland Indigenous in British Columbia known to have met Europeans, who first came to the head of Howe Sound in 1792 near St'a7mes, the village near the town of Squamish. Along the Burrard Inlet, where numerous villages existed, Spanish Captain Jose Maria Narvaez was the first European to explore the this area in 1791. In the following year, 1792, the British naval Captain George Vancouver (1757-1798) met the Spanish expedition in Burrard Inlet.
In the history passed down through the Sḵwxwú7mesh families, first contact between the natives and the explorers resulted in Captain Vancouver's shoulder being dislocated. A common game, where two players would try to play a sort of tug-o-war with their arms, a warrior ripped George Vancouver's arm out of it's socket, with George thinking of shaking hands.
Colonization
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Residential School
Like many Indigenous communities across Canada, the Skwxwu7mesh also have a history of residential schools. The one residential school for this people was St. Paulls Residential School in North Vancouver. Some children were also forced to attend school in Sechelt. Some children would attend the school for 10 years at time. The children would be at the school 10 out or 12 months, seeing their parents of grandparents during the summer. Recently many elders are taking the Residential School package being offered by the Federal government.
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Post-colonization
At this time, the Sḵwxwú7mesh are under the Indian Act and are subjected to band council governments. It is through the Squamish Nation, that partnerships and economic development as made. Among many Indigenous communities through out Canada, these imposed governments have caused resentment among community members, as they feel, they do no represent the people, but are an imposed system of governance.
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Territory
The Sḵwxwú7mesh unceded territory stretches from English Bay, False Creek, Burrard Inlet, Howe Sound, Roberts Creek on the Sunshine Coast, then Squamish, Cheakamus, Elaho and Mamquam Rivers, and Whistler, British Columbia. On the corner of their territory, the Shishalh share a boarder at Roberts Creek. The Sḵwxwú7mesh share family connections to a number of other nations around them. They are culturally similar, but politically different from their kin, the Tseil-waututh. Then they also have family connections with their neighbours to the south, the XwMuthkwium. Along with these nations, they also have over-lapping territory with their neighbours on the north, the Lil'wat, also known as the Lower Lillooet, the main southern branch of the St'at'imc (also known as the Lillooet).
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Villages
Numerous Sḵwxwú7mesh villages within their traditional territory.
| Sḵwxwú7mesh snichim name | International Phonetics Alphabet spelling | IR location | Location | Other information | Anglicized, archaic variants or adaptations | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| eslha7an | /əsɬaʔan/ | Mission I.R No. 1 | North Vancouver | Uslawn, Ustlawn, Uslahawn | ||
| xwemelch'stn | /xʷəməltʃ’stn/ | Capilano I.R#3 | North Vancouver (Lions Gate) | Homulchesan, Whulmechosan | ||
| chi'ch'elxwikw' | /tʃiʔtʃ’əlxʷikʷ’/(?) | Seymour I.R. No.2 | Second Narrows, North Vancouver | (No local "English" name) | ||
| xwayxway | /xʷajxʷaj/ | Lumbermans Arch, Stanley Park | Vancouver | Qwhy-qwhy, whoi whoi, kwoi-kwoi | ||
| senakw | /sənakʷ/ | Vanier Park (Reserve lands located under Burrard Street Bridge) | Kitsilano | Snauq, Snawk | ||
| schenks | /stʃənks/ | Gibsons Landing I.R#26 | Gibsons, British Columbia | (No local "English" name) | ||
| chekwelhp | /tʃəkʷəɬp/ | Gibsons Landing I.R | Gibsons, British Columbia | (No local "English" name) | ||
| k'ik'elxn | /k’ik’əlxn/ | Port Mellon I.R. No.24 | (No local "English" name) | |||
| kywetin | /kjwətin/ | Kowtain I.R. No.17 | Garibaldi Highlands (Squamish, British Columbia) | Kowtain | ||
| yekw'apsem | /jəkʷ’apsəm/ | I.R. No.18 | (No local "English" name) | |||
| wiwkem | /wiwkəm/ | Brackendale, British Columbia I.R. No.14 | Brackendale, British Columbia (Squamish, British Columbia) | (No local "English" name) | ||
| chiyakmesh | /tʃijakməʃ/ | Cheakmes I.R. No.11 | Brackendale, British Columbia (Squamish, British Columbia) | Cheakamus (IPA /ˈtʃikəməs/) | ||
| t'ekw'takwemey | /t’əkʷ’takʷəməj/ | ((No local "English" name) | ||||
| ch'wkech'ekts | /tʃ’wkətʃ’əkts/ | ((No local "English" name) | ||||
| puyam | /pujam/ | (No local "English" name) | ||||
| tsitsusem | /tsitsusəm/ | Potlatch Creek, (Howe Sound) | (No local "English" name) | |||
| sta7mes | /staʔməs/ | Stawamus |
Culture and Society
The leadership is grouped with each family having a siyam, which translates to, a highly respected person. This person would act in the best interest of his family, and make decision based on the group consensus of the family he represented. Then through potlatching, his status among the villages, and other Indigenous nations, would rise in respect based on how many characteristics of a noble person. These characteristics would be humbleness, respect, generosity, and wisdom. The wealth of these individuals, and their family, is based on how resources they give away, not how much they collect.
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Language
The Squamish language, written Sḵwxwú7mesh snichim in the official writing system of the Squamish Nation, is of the Coast Salish linguistic group, most closely related to Sháshíshálh (Sechelt), and Sḵ'emin'em (Halkomelem) and Xwsa7km, which is called in its own language Nowxs'a7aq (Nooksack). Many anthropologists and linguists have worked with these people and their language including Franz Boas, Charles Hill-Tout, Homer Barnett, and Aert J. Kuipers. In 1968 the BC Language Project undertook more documentation of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh language and culture. Randy Bouchard and Dorthy Kennedy were the main collaborators on this project. They devised the present writing system that is used for the Sḵwxwú7mesh language.
Potlatch
The potlatch was an important part of Sḵwxwú7mesh, playing a part in economic, political and social lifestyle of the people. Still continued today in their ceremonial longhouses, the potlatches would usually be the festival form for celebrations or memorials. Things like births, coming of age, weddings, funerals, or spiritual ceremonies would take place during the potlatches. On some occasions, houses would be built specifically for their feasts and potlatches. Many of these ceremonious events still take place in their villages,.
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Art
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Music
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War
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Mythology
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Food
As with many Northwest Coast Indigenous peoples, the main staple of the Sḵwxwú7mesh was salmon. The numerous rivers and creeks in their territory gave them vast quantities of salmon to ensure livelihood. As well as salmon, game such as deer and elk provided sustenance. Within the salt-water diet, sea lion and other sea creatures helped for a diverse diet. Plants and herbs from the territory also added to the food diet.
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See Also
- Squamish Nation
- August Jack Khatsahlano
- Joe Capilano
- Harriet Nahanee
- Sḵwxwú7mesh language
- Tsleil-Waututh First Nation