Squamish people
The Squamish or Skwxwú7mesh ( pronunciation / i [ sq ʷ χ ʷ úʔməʃ ]; ? Occasionally also written Skewamish ) is a Canadian First Nations in the southwest of the province of British Columbia. They live in the Metro Vancouver region and claim a traditional territory of 6732 km ². Culturally and linguistically they belong to the group of coastal Salish.
Their language, Squamish / Skwxwu7mesh or Sḵwxwú7mesh snichim ( snichim means "language" ), is one of the Central Coast Salish (Central Coast Salish ) of the Salish languages and is closely related to the ɬəčələsəm / ɬəčælosəm ( Lhéchalosem ) of the Nooksack ( Noxws ' áʔaq ) and the Sháshíshálh / She Sháshíshálhem ( šášíšáɬəm ) of Sechelt ( Shishalh ).
Today ( September 2013 ) belong to the Squamish Nation ( Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw ) 4,062 recognized tribal members, of which 2,245 live in their own reserves, which are scattered between Howe Sound, Gibson 's Landing and North Vancouver. 165 more live in other reserves, 1,651 live outside Squamish. From their former tribal areas of approximately 6732 km ² today's reserves comprise only 28.28 km ².
History
Early History
After the oral tradition, the Sḵwxwú7mesh came from the places Chekwelhp and Schenk at Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast north of Vancouver. After the Great Flood, the people of the Squamish had arisen. Other traditions call Chiyakmesh on Cheakamus River as a place of origin.
The traditional territory of the Sḵwxwú7mesh ranges from English Bay and False Creek on Burrard Inlet, Howe Sound, Roberts Creek on the Sunshine Coast. Then there is the place Squamish, Cheakamus River of, the Elaho and Mamquam River and Whistler. These overlapping territories come with the Lillooet. Like most tribes in British Columbia, so too have the Squamish - in contrast to many parts of Canada - no contract concluded with the United Kingdom or Canada, in which they ceded their land. Therefore, their territory appears frequently than never checked or ceded territory ( unceded territory ).
Epidemics, contact with Europeans
Even before Europeans came into contact with the Squamish, reached a severe smallpox epidemic around 1775 the region. It was followed by another smallpox epidemic in the years 1800-1801, this flu wave of 1836-1837, then 1847-1848 measles, smallpox again 1862. These heavy population losses led to a significant change in the culture.
The initial contacts with Europeans took place in the late 18th century. The first encounter took place in which located near the present town of Squamish Village St'a7mes. From this place-name, the English name Stawamus was derived. When the Hudson 's Bay Company in 1827 Fort Langley was built, the Sḵwxwú7mesh in the following decade began increasingly to grow potatoes.
However, the first Europeans was the Spanish Captain Jose Maria Narvaez. Only in the next year, 1792, George Vancouver came to Burrard Inlet. Vancouver not only made on various occasions the effects of the smallpox epidemic fixed, but stated for the Squamish, that in them the copper stood in much higher esteem than iron.
The European traders who came to the Pacific Coast came first because the otter furs, which they could sell in China with huge profit margins. They provided for metals and other commodities, to weapons. The income and the muskets altered the balance of power between the tribes very clear. Thus, the Nanaimo, Saanich, Songhees, Esquimalt, Musqueam and Squamish allied against the Indian tribes that went out to hunt prey and slaves, as the Lekwiltok. In the Maple Bay lured them into a trap. The largest tribal alliance in history of western Canada also attacked Fort Victoria in 1843. Their leader Tzouhalem, chief of the Cowichan, however explained to a peace agreement ready.
During the Crimean War, the British turned back into the territory of the Squamish. They concluded a defensive alliance with the tribe, which should defend the north shore of Burrard Inlet in the case of a Russian attack. The British wanted to take over the south shore. The expected attack did not materialize.
Gold Rush, proselytizing, reserve
The Cariboo Gold Rush from 1858, which brought tens of thousands of prospectors into the region, the comparatively peaceful coexistence broke off. This was with a certain delay for the territory of the Squamish, where in 1873 the first settlers arrived. " Navvy Jack" Thomas built the first house in what is now West Vancouver and married the daughter of a Squamish - chief. The transplanted and heavily remodeled house is now located at 1768 Argyle Street.
1876, the first census under the Squamish was carried out in today's Stanley Park. It revealed a number of around 80 members of the tribe living there. Their chief was called Khaytulk, Supple Jack, the son of the chief Khahtsahlanogh. On November 27, 1876 as a reserve in these years was the Squamish, all the Indian tribes of Canada, assigned. The chief was baptized on 12 February 1879 by Father N. Gregane. 1884 a Catholic church was consecrated in Ustlawn village, the Indian Mission Village, North Vancouver. The Church "Sacred Heart" replaced an existing chapel since 1868, the ones who built Squamish, who had converted to Catholicism. Since 1910, it is called St. Paul's.
In 1892 there were new negotiations on the Kahpil -lak -no Creek Indian reserve on the Burrard Inlet. 1895 smaller changes at Capilano Indian reserve were made 5. In 1900, Chief Jack Khahtsahlano gave a potlatch, in which he distributed among numerous other gifts 100 blankets to the transfer of the chieftainship to remember him, which had taken place a few years earlier.
Meanwhile, was from the 400 - strong town Vancouver in just six years ( 1885-1891 ), a town of 13,000 inhabitants become. The logging began in the late 1890s, but the horse-drawn carts were little wood deliveries to. That changed in 1926, when Merrill & Ring, an American company with great use of machinery brought the timber industry in the area of Squamish.
Meanwhile, parts of the Squamish - Lands have been sold. Only in 1923 amalgamated the various home groups to a tribe.
Forced assimilation
As elsewhere in Canada, so we urged the children of the Indians in boarding schools like. The envisaged for the Squamish Residential School was St. Paul's Residential School in the village Eslha7an in North Vancouver, where the oldest church in British Columbia is that St. Paul's Church. Some children, however, also went to school in Sechelt. The school in Eslha7an was inaugurated in 1898 and was initially an Indian Boarding School. It was demolished in 1959.
Su -á -pu -luck (Joseph Capilano )
The most famous Squamish chief was Su -á -pu -luck, better known under the name Jo Capilano. Su -á -pu -luck, born about 1854 in Yekw'ts ( in Squamish ), was the son of Letekwámcheten. He was born in one of the Catholic missions and had together with his wife Mary Agnes Líxwelut, twelve children. When he married on May 21, 1872 he was baptized. The two lived in the Catholic Mission North Vancouver.
As chief Lawa died in 1895, Father Paul Durieu began that Su -á -pu -luck became his successor. However, part of the tribe resisted the Christian chief and moved into the westernmost Capilano Reserve. Su -á -pu -luck converted some of the Squamish and built a church. He traveled soon on the Vancouver Island and preached there.
But at the same time he struggled increasingly against land expropriations and the restrictions that make hunting and fishing ever more difficult. But success was low. Therefore, he decided in 1906, at the head of a delegation - along with Basil David of the Shuswap and Chillihitza of the Okanagan - to travel to England to meet with King Edward VII, and to present him with a petition. The three were chosen on joint meeting of the First Nations. Very traditional, the leader of the delegation was given the name Capilano - in the anglicised version - which is awarded to an outstanding leader in the Squamish and Musqueam. Therefore, he has become known under the name of Joe Capilano. The Squamish he was still Su -á -pu -luck. The delegation traveled to Ottawa, where she met Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier, from there to London. The Canadian High Commissioner, Lord Strathcona arranged the audience on July 3.
The petition mentioned that, for the right of the Indians had never gone to their land that settlers pushed to their land without asking for permission to make claims on the Canadian government were fruitless, and that the Indian Agents the Indians - the no vote had - not even then questioned if it went directly to their affairs.
On his return, was Su -á -pu -luck enthusiastically received. Apart from the visibility, the friendly reception by the king, the handover of the petition, but he had to announce that the negotiations with Ottawa had to be done, not with the king. Nevertheless, the First Nations had first put the protest against her ill treatment into their own hands. Su -á -pu -luck himself retired from the lack of support of the Catholic clergy the consequence that he told them that they were no longer welcome in his field.
1908 traveled Su -á -pu -luck again to Ottawa, but also campaigned on the Skeena River that the local tribes had to take matters into their own hands. The newspapers in Canada increasingly viewed him as a troublemaker and demanded his punishment. When he died on March 10, 1910, all tribal leader of the Lower Mainland's and Vancouver Iceland appeared to his funeral in the Capilano Reserve.
1911 appeared in the Vancouver Legends of Vancouver by Emily Pauline Johnson ( 1861-1913 ), a poet and daughter of the Six Nations Chief George Henry Martin Johnson ( Onwanonsyshon ). She had "Joe Capilano " met during his trip to London and in 1907 there began to work for the cause of the Indians.
Despite some successes, the Kitsilano - Squamish had to leave their reserve in Vancouver. Meanwhile, the places now grew north of Vancouver on rapidly. North Vancouver in 1910 had been around 5,000 inhabitants.
The emergence of the Squamish Nation
The 16 Squamish speaking tribes agreed after ten years of negotiations, on 23 July 1923 merger. The rapid growth of the city of Vancouver increasingly threatened their livelihoods, led to displacement processes, and therefore it became clear that only a joint effort could ensure survival. Significant parts of the tribal region are leased, but remain themselves are not leased areas at risk. They are cut up by roads, bridges, power stations and railway lines.
Since the 60s, a project of the revival began, first of all language. The so-called BC Language Project under the direction of Randy Bouchard and Dorothy Kennedy began to document the language and to develop an adequate system of writing. Meanwhile, the language is taught from kindergarten again, and begins the second language French to displace.
1982 adopted by the provincial government a management plan for the congested Squamish River, but did not consult again the Squamish. The expansion of the deepwater harbor from Vancouver presented another challenge in 1992 developed the Squamish Squamish Estuary own Development Plan. 1996 began negotiations with BC Rails, one of the operators of the port and the provincial government, which eventually led to a contract. The Squamish received in some places one-third of the country - for a symbolic price - to the right later to acquire more of it.
Since 1993, the Squamish stand with British Columbia in contract negotiations (BC Treaty Process). In 1995, she reached the third of six stages.
Under the Settlement Agreement, the state offered the Squamish Canada to a compensation of 92.5 million CAD. Robert Nault, Minister of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development was in charge of the presentation in 2000.
2001 included the Squamish with their former neighbors, Lil Wat People ( Lillooet ) an agreement for mutual assistance. However, in order to represent their interests to the government, they first had to - be elicited through interviews - according to their own way of communicating. As part of an Aboriginal Interests Use Study the elderly were asked about traditions, but also the way the current use (fishing, hunting, gathering, spiritually significant places, etc.) was written down. The resulting map is now compatible with a type of land use plan of the government.
Overall, Squamish, who live in the booming region of Metro Vancouver in the middle, are considered relatively successful economically. They now employ about 350 people.
Given the planned on their territory and that of the St'at'imc and other Salish tribes of the 2010 Winter Olympics, defends itself a part of the tribe, especially the Native Youth Movement, against the expropriation of the claimed area of them ("No Olympics on Stolen land " ). The leaders of the so-called four host strains, the Lil'wat, Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil - Waututh, however, support the Olympics and hope to draw profits from it.
Reserve
The Squamish live mainly in the Reserve Mission 1, which is only 59.6 hectares. Cheakamus 11 at the confluence of the Cheakamus and Squamish River on the other hand covers 1639.4 ha There are also 22 other sanctuaries, especially on Burrard Inlet ( over 250 ha), on the banks of the Squamish and Howe Sound, and on the islands Iceland and Defence Keats Iceland.