Squamish
The Squamish, known as the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, are an Indigenous group located in British Columbia, Canada, with a population of approximately 3,699 as of 2021. Historically, they lived in permanent winter villages and practiced a maritime and river-oriented lifestyle, relying on fishing, hunting, and gathering for sustenance. Their social structure was characterized by bilateral kinship and trade, with resource redistribution ceremonies known as potlatches playing a significant role in their culture. The arrival of European traders in the late 18th century and the subsequent introduction of diseases had a profound impact on their population and way of life.
In recent decades, the Squamish Nation has actively worked towards reclaiming their traditional lands and revitalizing their culture, including their language, Sḵwx̱wúʔmesh sníchim. Economic initiatives include large-scale real estate projects aimed at generating revenue and providing housing for community members. The Úxwumixw 2050 Generational Plan reflects their commitment to self-sufficiency, cultural preservation, and environmental stewardship. Today, many Squamish individuals engage in various skilled labor positions, while cultural revitalization efforts continue to foster a connection to their heritage.
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Squamish
- CATEGORY: Tribe
- CULTURE AREA: Northwest Coast
- LANGUAGE GROUP: Salishan
- PRIMARY LOCATION: British Columbia
- POPULATION SIZE: 3,699 (2021 Squamish Census)
The Squamish, who self-identify as Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, were both maritime and river-oriented, living in politically autonomous permanent winter villages with rectangular dwellings of split and hewn cedar. Hunting of land animals and gathering of food plants supplemented a diet of many different fish and sea mammals. Kinship was bilateral with patripotestal authority. Intervillage socioeconomic relations were maintained by trade and marriage. Life was regulated by an annual round of moving to areas in search of food, according to the season. Concurrently, there were ceremonies of redistribution of resources, known as potlatches.
Charles Barkley may have established contact with the Squamish in 1787; he was followed by land-based fur traders. Fort Langley on the Fraser River was established as a trading post in 1827. Consequently, the drastic effects of introduced disease and forced deculturation demoralized and greatly reduced Indigenous populations. By the 1880s, the Indian Shaker Church helped to ameliorate cultural deprivation and aid in the curing of some diseases. In 1993, the Squamish began the process of reclaiming traditional lands from British Columbia, a process that is ongoing. In the twenty-first century, Squamish work as anglers, loggers, and in various skilled labor positions. They have worked to undertake large-scale real estate projects on their lands, both to generate revenue and provide housing for members. There have been numerous efforts to revitalize traditional language, myth, and crafts. There has been a specific effort to revitalize the Sḵwx̱wúʔmesh sníchim language amongst the younger generation. The Squamish also developed the Úxwumixw 2050 Generational Plan, which focuses on self-sufficiency, cultural preservation, environmental stewardship, and addressing intergenerational trauma. The majority of the remaining Squamish live in the nation's reservation.
Bibliography
"About Our Nation." Squamish Nation, www.squamish.net/about-our-nation. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.
Artibise, Alan F. J., and Ken Favrholdt. "Squamish." The Canadian Encyclopedia, 8 July 2022, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/squamish. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.
Culbert, Lori. “Squamish Nation Has Big Plans for Land near Lions Gate, Ironworkers Bridges.” Vancouver Sun, 12 Nov. 2024, vancouversun.com/business/real-estate/big-developments-planned-on-indigenous-land-by-both-north-shore-bridges. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.
“Eslhílhkw’iws Chet Census Key Takeaways.” Squamish Census, census.squamish.net. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.
Johnston, Kay. The Amazing Mazie Baker: The Story of a Squamish Nation's Warrior Elder. Caitlin Press, 2016.
Muckle, Robert James. The First Nations of British Columbia: An Anthropological Survey. 3rd ed., University of British Columbia Press, 2014.
Where Rivers, Mountains, and People Meet: Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre, Stories, History and Art of two Canadian First Nations. Squamish Cultural Centre and Community Society, 2010.