Sḵwxwú7mesh

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ə	This article contains only non-IPA pronunciation information which should be expanded with the International Phonetic Alphabet. For assistance, see Wikipedia:Manual of Style (pronunciation).

Sḵwxwú7mesh
Longhouse at Xwemelch'stn village c. 1890

Total population
3'500 aprox.
Regions with significant populations
Canada (British Columbia),
Languages
English, Sḵwxwú7mesh, Chinook Jargon
Religions
Christianity, Indian Shaker Church, Animism, other
Related ethnic groups
other Salishan peoples

(For details of the Indian Act government, see Squamish Nation)

The Sḵwxwú7mesh (or Squamish) are a major Salishan-speaking people of southwestern British Columbia. When traslated, Sḵwxwú7mesh renders into the people of the amazing 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.

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 neigbors 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).

Historical rendering of Sḵwxwú7mesh is Sko-ko-mish but this should not be confused with the name of the Skokomish people of Washington state.

1 History
2 Culture
- 2.1 Pre-contact
- 2.2 Modern
3 Language
4 Villages
5 See Also
6 External links

[edit] History

Sḵwxwú7mesh elder woman spinning wool on spindle-whorl c. 1893

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 neighborhood, for example, of Vancouver is named after a Squamish chief, Xats'alanexw, also known as August Jack Khatsahlano.

[edit] Culture

[edit] Pre-contact

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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[edit] Modern

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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[edit] Language

Main article: Sḵwxwú7mesh language

The Squamish language, written Sḵwxwú7mesh snichim in the official writing system of the Squamish Nation, is a Coast Salish language most closely related to sháshíshálh (Sechelt), and Sḵ'emin'em (Halkomelem) and Xwsa7km, which is called in its own language Nowxs'a7aq (Nooksack).

[edit] Villages

Numerous Sḵwxwú7mesh villages within their traditional territory.

Sḵwxwú7mesh snichim name	IPA	Location/IR	Location/town/city	anglicized/archaic variants/adaptations
eslha7an	"--IPA form here--"	Mission I.R No. 1	North Vancouver	Uslawn, Uslahawn
xwemelch'stn	"--IPA form here--"	Capilano I.R#3	North Vancouver (Lions Gate)	Homulchesan, Whulmechosan
chi'ch'elxwikw'	"--IPA form here--"	Seymour I.R. No.2	Second Narrows, North Vancouver	(No local "English" name)
xwayxway	"--IPA form here--"	Lumbermans Arch, Stanley Park	Vancouver	Qwhy-qwhy, whoi whoi, kwoi-kwoi
senakw	"--IPA form here--"	Vanier Park (IR lands now located under Burrard Street Bridge)	Kitsilano	Snauq, Snawk
schenks	"--IPA form here--"	Gibsons Landing I.R#26	Gibsons, BC	(No local "English" name)
chekwelhp	"--IPA form here--"	Gibsons Landing I.R	Gibsons, BC	(No local "English" name)
k'ik'elxn	"--IPA form here--"		Port Mellon I.R. No.24	(No local "English" name)
kywetin	"--IPA form here--"	Kowtain I.R. No.17	Garibaldi Highlands (Squamish)	Kowtain
yekw'apsem	"--IPA form here--"	I.R. No.18		(No local "English" name)
wiwkem	"--IPA form here--"	Brackendale I.R. No.14	Brackendale (Squamish)	(No local "English" name)
chiyakmesh	"--IPA form here--"	Cheakmes I.R. No.11	Brackendale (Squamish)	Cheakamus (IPA form here,"CHEEK-a-mus"
t'ekw'takwemey	"--IPA form here--"			((No local "English" name)
ch'wkech'ekts	"--IPA form here--"			((No local "English" name)
puyam	"--IPA form here--"			(No local "English" name)
tsitsusem	"--IPA form here--"		Potlatch Creek, (Howe Sound)	(No local "English" name)
sta7mes	"--IPA form here--"			Stawamus