The shíshálh Nation (also spelled Shishalh) is a
First Nation located on the
Sunshine Coast of
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
, Canada. Their ''swiya'' (world, 'Territory’) comprises 515,000 hectares that stretches from xwesam (
Roberts Creek) in the southeast, to x̱enichen (
Jervis Inlet
Jervis Inlet ( ) (''lekw'emin'' in she shashishalhlem) is one of the principal inlets of the British Columbia Coast, about northwest of Vancouver, and the third of such inlets north of the 49th parallel, the first of which is Burrard Inlet, V ...
) in the north, to kwekwenis (
Lang Bay) in the southwest.
Language
The language of the shíshálh people is ''
she shashishalhem'' or Sechelt, a Coast Salish language most closely related to
Squamish,
Halkomelem
Halkomelem (; in the Upriver dialect, in the Island dialect, and in the Downriver dialect) is a language of various First Nations peoples of the British Columbia Coast. It is spoken in what is now British Columbia, ranging from southeastern ...
, and
Nooksack.
In the 1970s, nation elders began efforts to revive the she shashishalhem language. The band collaborated with
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...
linguist Ron Beaumont to create a Sechelt Dictionary.
Culture
tems swiya Museum
The
tems swiya Museum is a cultural heritage museum owned and operated by the shíshálh Nation and located within their administrative complex in ''ch’atlich'' (
Sechelt
Sechelt (, Sechelt language, shíshálh Language: ch'atlich) is a district municipality located on the lower Sunshine Coast (British Columbia), Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. Approximately northwest of Vancouver, it is accessible from ma ...
), British Columbia.
History
Historically, there were four main shíshálh settlements at
''ḵalpilin'' (Pender Harbour), ''ts’unay'' (Deserted Bay), ''x̱enichen'', and ''tewankw'' near ''alhtulich'' (
Porpoise Bay).
As the Europeans arrived in the region, the shíshálh people experienced numerous changes. Disease (especially smallpox) became rampant, and resulted in a severe decrease of the shíshálh population at their various ancestral settlements.
Governance
Chief & Council
shíshálh Nation is governed by an elected Chief and Council. In ''
she shashishalhem'', the word for "chief" is ''hiwus'', and the word for councilor is ''hihewus''. The Nation holds an election every three years.
Self-Government Act
In 1986, shíshálh Nation became the first
indigenous government in Canada to regain
self-government
Self-governance, self-government, self-sovereignty or self-rule is the ability of a person or group to exercise all necessary functions of regulation without intervention from an external authority. It may refer to personal conduct or to any ...
under the ''shíshálh Nation Self-Government Act'' (formerly known as the ''Sechelt Indian Self-Government Act)''. The Act established the
shíshálh Nation Government District (sNGD), a First Nations government district comprising 33 former "
Indian Reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve () or First Nations reserve () is defined 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." ...
" parcels, now known as 'shíshálh Nation Lands' or 'SNL'. The Act further enabled the sNGD to qualify for municipal benefits available to other municipalities in BC, such as to enact laws, bylaws, and taxes.
BC Treaty Process
shíshálh Nation entered into negotiations independently with Canada and British Columbia under the
BC Treaty Process in 1994, and reached Stage 3, Negotiation of a Framework Agreement, by August, 1995. Negotiations stalled thereafter in Stage 4 and the Nation is listed as "Not Currently Negotiating" by the BC Treaty Commission.
shíshálh-B.C. Foundation Agreement
On October 4, 2018, shíshálh Nation and the
Province of British Columbia signed a landmark reconciliation agreement that supports
self-determination
Self-determination refers to a people's right to form its own political entity, and internal self-determination is the right to representative government with full suffrage.
Self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international la ...
and shíshálh self-government. The agreement is a commitment to working together to protect the environment, as well as promote economic opportunity and growth for the shíshálh Nation and the entire Sechelt region.
The agreement included the transfer of lands, as well as commitment to a framework of shared decision-making for forestry, moorages, and other land and resource authorizations within the shíshálh swiya.
Demographics
* Number of Band Members: 1,237
See also
*
shíshálh Language
*
shíshálh Nation Government District
Members
Pat John (1953–2022), actor in ''
The Beachcombers
''The Beachcombers'' is a Canadian comedy drama television series that ran on CBC Television from October 1, 1972, to December 12, 1990. With over 350 episodes, it is one of the longest-running dramatic series ever made for Canadian English-langu ...
''
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:shishalh_Nation
First Nations in British Columbia
Ethnic groups in Canada