The Squamish Nation, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw () in Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim (Squamish language), is an

Indian Act The ''Indian Act'' (, long name ''An Act to amend and consolidate the laws respecting Indians'') is a Canadian act of Parliament that concerns registered Indians, their bands, and the system of Indian reserves. First passed in 1876 and still ...

government originally imposed on the Squamish (''Sḵwx̱wú7mesh'') by the

Federal Government of Canada The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown-in-C ...

in the late 19th century. The Squamish are

Indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. Their band government comprises 8 elected councillors, serving four-year terms, with an elected band manager. Their main reserves are near the town of

Squamish, British Columbia Squamish (; Squamish language, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim: Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, ; 2016 census population 19,512) is a community and a district municipality in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, located at th ...

and around the mouths of the

Capilano River The Capilano River flows from north to south through the Coast Mountains on Vancouver's North Shore between West Vancouver and North Vancouver (district municipality) and empties into Burrard Inlet, opposite Stanley Park. The river is one of three ...

, Mosquito Creek, and Seymour River on the north shore of

Burrard Inlet french: Baie Burrard , image = Burrard Inlet 201807.jpg , image_size = 250px , alt = , caption = Aerial view of Burrard Inlet , image_bathymetry = Burrard-Inlet-map-en.svg , alt_bathymetry ...

in North Vancouver, British Columbia.

History

The 'Squamish Nation', is an amalgamation of different villages, which became reserves under the

which the Canadian government imposed on the Squamish people. The origin of the Squamish Nation dates back to the late 19th century, when missionaries and Canadian government officials created a

puppet government A puppet state, puppet régime, puppet government or dummy government, is a state that is ''de jure'' independent but ''de facto'' completely dependent upon an outside power and subject to its orders.Compare: Puppet states have nominal sovere ...

under the Indian Act within the Squamish, with the goal of blocking access to resources and

cultural geography Cultural geography is a subfield within human geography. Though the first traces of the study of different nations and cultures on Earth can be dated back to ancient geographers such as Ptolemy or Strabo, cultural geography as academic study first ...

. The main goal of the Indian Act was the eventual assimilation of the indigenous people into the settlers' colonial socio-political structures and lifestyle. The Canadian government created a system of governing the Squamish (and other indigenous peoples) through selected "chiefs". These "chiefs" were selected based on factors such as their compliance, professed religious affiliation and sobriety. After passing of the Indian Act, these chiefs became the Indian Act government. The Squamish people were categorized and placed into numerous small reserves, established by the settler government. Each reserve was originally in the ownership of specific Squamish families. As land was being acquired, partitioned and allocated by the Federal Government without sufficient consent or consultation with the Squamish people, the separate villages formed into one Squamish Nation. On July 23, 1923, a political amalgamation agreement was signed by 16 chiefs. This amalgamation signage became the nation known as the Squamish, and each chief had a seat at the council table. After decades, the hereditary system for the band council changed into an elected council, for which elections occurred every four years. The number 16 reflected onto the 16 signatures on the original amalgamation agreement. Presently, the council is made up of eight members, with one serving as chairperson. Prior to British Columbia's hosting of the 2010 Olympic Games, the Squamish Nation engaged in negotiations with the Provincial Government of British Columbia and

Lil'wat First Nation The Lil'wat First Nation ( lil, líl̓watǝmx), a.k.a. the Lil'wat Nation or the Mount Currie Indian Band, is a First Nation band government located in the southern Coast Mountains region of the Interior of the Canadian province of British Col ...

. Numerous agreements were signed prior to and following the announcement of the host city for the Games, regarding issues such as Squamish land to be used for hosting the Games. Issues regarding the leasing of land, Nation-owned or operated businesses and other ventures currently account for much of the Squamish Nation's band council government business. The Squamish Nation recently announced the purchase of a Tree Farm License (License 38), which covers the Elaho Valley near

. This is one of the rare instances of an

Nation buying forfeited land, as no agreement was ever signed between the Crown and the Squamish during colonization of the

Lower Mainland The Lower Mainland is a geographic and cultural region of the mainland coast of British Columbia that generally comprises the regional districts of Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley. Home to approximately 3.05million people as of the 2021 Canadia ...

. The Nation has been criticized as doing little for its people despite its economic growth. The Squamish Nation has close ties with the Burrard Band or

Tsleil-Waututh First Nation The Tsleil-Waututh Nation ( hur, səlilwətaɬ ), formerly known as the Burrard Indian Band or Burrard Inlet Indian Band, is a First Nations band government in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The Tsleil-Waututh Nation ("TWN") are Coa ...

, who reside further east on

. They have family connections to the

Musqueam The Musqueam Indian Band ( ; hur, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm ) is a First Nations in Canada, First Nations band government in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is the only First Nations band whose reserve community lies within the boundari ...

who reside on the southern edge of the city of

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

. Squamish communities were seriously affected by the 2005 CN Rail

Cheakamus River derailment The Cheakamus River derailment occurred on August 5, 2005, when nine cars that were from a Canadian National Railway freight train derailed and crashed into the Cheakamus River in British Columbia. The cars contained approximately 40,000 litres o ...

. About 40,000 litres of

caustic soda Sodium hydroxide, also known as lye and caustic soda, is an inorganic compound with the formula NaOH. It is a white solid ionic compound consisting of sodium cations and hydroxide anions . Sodium hydroxide is a highly caustic base and alka ...

were accidentally released into the Cheakamus, killing 500,000 fish. Squamish communities around the river were advised by the

Vancouver Coastal Health Authority Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) is a regional health authority that provides health services including primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary care, home and community care, mental health services, population and preventive health and addictio ...

not to consume water from local wells, or local wildlife who use the river. The Squamish Nation Band Council is now taking legal action against

CN Rail The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I railroad, Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern United States, M ...

Government

The elected councillors make up the executive political body of this government. They operate on a four-year term with elections occurring around in December. They also elect a band manager. The most recent Council was elected September 26, 2021. * Stewart "Sempúlyan" Gonzales * Shayla "Sumkwaht" Jacobs (North Shore) * Dustin "Khelsilem" Rivers (chairperson) * Kristen "Tiyáltelut" Rivers (Regional) * Ann "Syexwáliya" Whonnock * Joyce Williams (Squamish Valley) * Wilson "Sxwíxwtn" Williams * Richard "Xwélxwelacha" Williams The elected Band Manager is Bianca "Tsiyaliya" Cameron.

Treaty reserves

Existing reserves

Indian reserve In Canada, an Indian reserve (french: réserve indienne) is specified by the '' Indian Act'' as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." Ind ...

s under the administration of the Squamish Nation are: } , In the City of Vancouver, near English Bay, on the south side of the mouth of False Creek , 4.4 ha , , , - , Mission Indian Reserve No. 1 , squ, Slhá7an̓ , North shore of Burrard Inlet on Wagg and Mosquito Creeks, bounded on the north and east by the City of North Vancouver , 59.6 ha , , , - , Seymour Creek Indian Reserve No. 2 , squ, Ch'ich'éx̱ wí7ḵw , North shore of Burrard Inlet, on right bank of Seymour Creek, near the mouth of Second Narrows , 45.5 ha , , , - , Capilano Indian Reserve No. 5 , squ, X̱wemelch'stn , North shore of Burrard Inlet at First Narrows, north end of Lions Gate Bridge , 155.6 ha , , , - , Skowishin Indian Reserve No. 7 , squ, Skawshn , Left bank of the Squamish River , 29.6 ha , , , - , Skowishin Graveyard Indian Reserve No. 10 , , Left bank of the Squamish River near the mouth of Ashlu Creek , 0.40 ha , , , - , Chukchuk Indian Reserve No. 8 , squ, Ch’eḵ’ch’eḵ’ts , , 0.1 ha , , , - , Poyam Indian Reserve No. 9 , , Left bank of the Squamish River , 0.3 ha , , , - , Cheakamus Indian Reserve No. 11 , squ, Xwakw’áyak’in , At and to the north of the junction of the Squamish and Cheakamus Rivers , 1639.4 ha , , , - , Yookwitz Indian Reserve No. 12 , squ, Yewk’ts , Right bank of the Squamish River, opposite mouth of the Cheakamus River , 9.3 ha , , , - , Poquiosin & Skamain Indian Reserve No. 13 , squ, Pukway̓úsm-Skemín , Left bank of the Squamish River at the mouth of the Cheakamus River , 45.2 ha , , , - , Waiwakum Indian Reserve No. 14 , squ, Wiwḵ’m , Left bank of the Squamish River 2 miles below the mouth of the Cheakamus River , 15.0 ha , , , - , Aikwucks Indian Reserve No. 15 , , Left bank of the Squamish River , 11.1 ha , , , - , Seaichem Indian Reserve No. 16 , squ, Siyích’m , East bank of Kowtain Slough of the Squamish River, 3 miles below the mouth of the Cheakamus River , 27.5 ha , , , - , Kowtain Indian Reserve No. 17 , squ, Kaw̓tín , Left bank of Kowtain Slough of the Squamish River, 4 miles from the river mouth on Howe Sound , 20.8 ha , , , - , Yekwaupsum Indian Reserve No. 18 , squ, Yekw’ápsm , Near left bank of the Squamish River, 3 miles from its mouth on Howe Sound , 2 ha , , , - , Yekwaupsum Indian Reserve No. 19 , squ, Pn’p’áni , Right bank of the Squamish River, 3 miles north of its mouth on Howe Sound , 1 ha , , , - , Stawamus Indian Reserve No. 24 , squ, Stá7mes , At the mouth of the Stawamus River at the head of Howe Sound, 1 mile southeast of downtown Squamish , 22.1 ha , , , - , Kaikalahun Indian Reserve No. 25 , squ, Ḵ’iḵ’élx̱n , West shore of Howe Sound south of Port Mellon , 11.5 ha , , , - , Chekwelp Indian Reserve No. 26 , squ, Ch’ḵw’elhp , West shore of Howe Sound, to the west of Keats Island , 11.3 ha , , , - , Chekwelp Indian Reserve No. 26A , , West shore of Howe Sound northwest of Keats Island , 0.2 ha , , , - , Schaltuuch Indian Reserve No. 27 , squ, Ch’ḵw’elhp , On a small island north of Shelter Island in Shoal Channel of Howe Sound, west of Keats Island , 5 ha , , , - , Defence Island Indian Reserve No. 28 , squ, Nínich Ḵw’émḵw’em , In Howe Sound, northeast from

Anvil Island Anvil Island, is the third-largest of the islands in Howe Sound, British Columbia, Canada, and the northernmost of the major islands in that sound. The island is part of West Howe Sound, Electoral Area F within the Sunshine Coast Regional Distric ...

(Hat Island), the easterly of two islands called

Defence Islands The Defence Islands are two small islands in Howe Sound, British Columbia, Canada, located northeast of Anvil Island and in the northern reaches of that sound near Porteau Cove. The easterly and smaller of the two comprises Defence Island Indian ...

, 1.7 ha , , , - , Kwum Kwum Indian Reserve , squ, Ḵw’émḵw’em , The westerly of the two Defence Islands northeast of Anvil Island , 6.20 ha , ,

Treaty negotiations

The Squamish Nation is currently in stage 3 of the

BC Treaty Process The British Columbia Treaty Process (BCTP) is a Indigenous land claims in Canada#Comprehensive claims, land claims negotiation process started in 1993 to resolve outstanding issues, including claims to un-extinguished indigenous rights, with Br ...

but negotiations have not proceeded further in recent years.

Economic and resource development

The Squamish Nation owns land in the Lower Mainland in areas that have some of the highest real estate values in the province. Some of these lands and properties are leased out with rents returning to the Squamish Nation. Additional revenues are earned through businesses owned by the Squamish Nation, such as marinas, a driving range and a gas bar. In a recently concluded business arrangement, digital

billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

s were erected on Squamish Nation lands in North Vancouver,

West Vancouver West Vancouver is a district municipality in the province of British Columbia, Canada. A member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District, West Vancouver is to the northwest of the city of Vancouver on the northern side of English Ba ...

, Vancouver and Squamish, including at the approaches to Vancouver's

Burrard Street Bridge The Burrard Street Bridge (sometimes referred to as the Burrard Bridge) is a four-lane, Art Deco style, steel truss bridge constructed in 1930–1932 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The high, five part bridge on four piers spans Fal ...

Lions Gate Bridge The Lions Gate Bridge, opened in 1938 and officially known as the First Narrows Bridge, is a suspension bridge that crosses the first narrows of Burrard Inlet and connects the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, to the North Shore municipali ...

and

Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing The Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing, also called the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge and Second Narrows Bridge, is the second bridge constructed at the Second (east) Narrows of Burrard Inlet in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Origi ...

. That contract has been projected to bring approximately $60 million in revenue to the Squamish Nation over three decades. The Squamish Nation also recently completed an agreement that will see a large gaming facility built on the highway leading into Squamish. The Squamish Nation, the Lil’wat Nation,

Bell Canada Bell Canada (commonly referred to as Bell) is a Canadian telecommunications company headquartered at 1 Carrefour Alexander-Graham-Bell in the borough of Verdun in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is an ILEC (incumbent local exchange carrier) in t ...

and the Province of BC joined in the development of the Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Museum in Whistler BC. The purchase of a Tree Farm Licence by the Nation generated public protest. In recent years the Squamish Nation has been involved in energy development, including the development of private hydro power projects on public rivers, including the Furry Creek and Ashlu hydro projects. It takes a share of the private revenue scheme developed by the BC Liberal Government under Gordon Campbell in a closed-door policy called the BC Energy Plan.

2010 Olympic Games

The Squamish Nation joined with the

Tsleil-Waututh The Tsleil-Waututh Nation ( hur, səlilwətaɬ ), formerly known as the Burrard Indian Band or Burrard Inlet Indian Band, is a First Nations band government in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The Tsleil-Waututh Nation ("TWN") are Coa ...

, and

Lil'wat The Lil'wat First Nation ( lil, líl̓watǝmx), a.k.a. the Lil'wat Nation or the Mount Currie Indian Band, is a First Nations in Canada, First Nation band government located in the southern Coast Mountains region of the British Columbia Interio ...

through the Four Host First Nations Society to coordinate with the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC), representing their interests in preparation for the

2010 Winter Olympics )'' , nations = 82 , athletes = 2,626 , events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = February 12, 2010 , closing = February 28, 2010 , opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean , cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gretz ...

. These 'Four Host First Nations' shared in hosting the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. Fourteen of the 20 Olympic and Paralympic events took place in the Nation's shared territories, primarily in and around Whistler, BC.

Social, educational and cultural programs and facilities

In July 2008, the Squamish Nation partnered with their neighbours the Lil'wat First Nation to open the multimillion-dollar Squamish Lilwat Cultural Centre in Whistler. The two nations, whose territories traditionally overlapped around the Whistler area, had signed a Protocol Agreement in 2001 to work together on such opportunities. The centre features traditional art, cultural and historical displays, wood carvings, an 80-seat theatre,

longhouse A longhouse or long house is a type of long, proportionately narrow, single-room building for communal dwelling. It has been built in various parts of the world including Asia, Europe, and North America. Many were built from timber and often rep ...

pit-house A pit-house (or ''pit house'', ''pithouse'') is a house built in the ground and used for shelter. Besides providing shelter from the most extreme of weather conditions, these structures may also be used to store food (just like a pantry, a larder ...

, outdoor forest walk, cafe and gift shop.

References

External links

Squamish NationSquamish Lilwat Cultural Centre
{{Authority control

Nation A nation is a community of people formed on the basis of a combination of shared features such as language, history, ethnicity, culture and/or society. A nation is thus the collective identity of a group of people understood as defined by those ...

Coast Salish governments