Simpcw North Thompson Indian Band

The Simpcw First Nation, formerly known as the North Thompson Indian Band, is a First Nations band government based in the Thompson Country of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member of the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council.[1] It is a First Nations government of the Secwepemc (Shuswap) Nation, located in the Central Interior region of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The band's main community is at Chu Chua, British Columbia. It was created when the government of the then-Colony of British Columbia established an Indian Reserve system in the 1860s.

The Shuswap language name for North Thompson Band's community and reserve is 'Simpcw'.

Chief and Councillors

The current chief and council were sworn in on June 1st 2015 at 1:00 pm, they will serve a 3 year term until the next election.

Treaty Process

Simpcw First Nation is currently not involved in the treaty process and has never ceded or surrendered any of their land

History

The Simpcw inhabit Secwepemcúl̓ecw, an area now known in English as the North Thompson. Simpcw lands include an area from McLure to McBride, from Jasper to the headwaters of the Athabasca. The Simpcw collected local plants and animals for survival and employed various methods for fishing. An example of a kind of fishing barrier observed in the Barrière River was described by George Mercer Dawson as "two weirs or fences each of which stretched completely across the stream."[2] The Simpcw interacted with other First Nations in British Columbia and Alberta.[3]

Early interactions with Europeans began around the start of the nineteenth century with fur traders. Alexander Ross wrote that David Stuart came to the area to spend the winter of 1811-12. Stuart's wrote of his visit that after being blocked from a return to Fort Astoria by snow "[we] passed our time with the She Whaps and other tribes in that quarter."[4] Ross came himself in May of 1812 to establish 'Fort Cumcloups' where he "sent messages to the different tribes around who soon assembled bringing with them their furs. Here we stayed for ten days The number of Indians collected on the occasion could not have been less than 2,000."[4]:200 Alexander Ross's account of a journey in about 1815 describes some meetings specifically in the North Thompson.[5] Describing his journey from Kamloops to the Rocky mountains he writes,

"I therefore received orders from head quarters to examine the eastern section, lying between the She-whaps and the Rocky Mountains."[5]:142 He wrote about meeting some families near East Barriere Lake, "We left Fort She-whaps on the 14th day of August...At the outset we proceeded up the North, or Sun-tea-coot-a-coot River, for three days; then turning to the right, we took to the woods, steering our course in the eye of the rising sun, nearly midway between Thompson's River on the south, and Fraser's River on the north. The first day after turning our back on North River, we made but little progress; but what we made was in an easterly direction. The second day our courses per compass were, ESE 6 miles, E 4 miles, SE 2 miles, E by N 5 miles, E 1 mile, NE 2 miles, NNE 4miles: we then encamped. The country through which we passed this day was covered with heavy timber, but having clear bottom and being good travelling, with here and there small open plains. During the third day the face of the country became timberless, with frequently open clear ground, so that we made a long day's journey. In the evening we fell upon a small lake, on the northern margin of which we encamped for the night. Here we found two Indian families, living on fish roots, and berries, which they were all employed in procuring: they belonged to the Sun-tea-coot-a-coot tribe, and seemed...to live very comfortably and happily. One of the men belonging to these families, who pretended to have a perfect knowledge of the country through which we had to pass, volunteered to accompany us as a guide; for which services I promised to reward him with a blanket and some ammunition when we returned...Leaving this place, which we called Friendly Lake..."[5]:143-146

The lake called by Ross "Friendly Lake" is identified as East Barriere Lake by Kenneth A. Spaulding in his edited edition of Ross's account.[6]

Ross also notes the extent of the area with which the guide he met near East Barriere Lake was familiar when he writes after reaching Eagle Hill, "As we journeyed along our guide took us up to another height and pointing out to us the country generally, said he had passed and repassed through various parts of it seven different times, and in as many different places; he seemed to know it well, and observed that the road we had travelled, with all its difficulties, was the very best to be found."[5]:149-150

On the way back to Canoe River and passing 'a considerable lake' they returned to 'Friendly Lake' where the guide's family had departed, but had left behind a stick with a certain notch, stuck in the ground with a certain lean which indicated to their guide where his family had gone.[5]:153 Spaulding identified the 'considerable lake' as Adams Lake.[6]:105

In 1828, Archibald McDonald kept a journal of a trip to from Hudson's Bay to the Pacific Ocean.[7] In an entry for October 3rd he described meeting Chief Cinnitza at 'the Fort' after a traverse of the 'North River'. On October the 4th he wrote, "At Barrier Village by eight." And described a breakfast at eleven "surrounded by the Indians of the Barrier."[7]:33

McDonald lists "Shin-poos (of the north branch of the Thompson)" as one of seven tribes that traded at Fort Kamloops in the reports of his father, Angus McDonald. And writes, "As to the Shin-poos, a mountain race, a remnant of the 'Snare Indians', my father in his report says, that there were but few of them (about 60 families) and that they did not come very regularly to the Fort."[7]:115-116

McDonald also copied the following from his father's report to the Governor and Council reporting on the spring of 1823: "This Tribe (the Shin-poo) inhabits the north branch of Thompsons River. They are good beaver hunters, and go sometimes to and even east of the Rocky Mountains--I had in view to have one or two men to accompany them all summer, so as to endeavor to meet the Gentlemen (that is to say the Express and Passengers coming in by Rocky Mountain Portage) coming to the Columbia next fall, at the little House (which I believe was at the east end of the Portage) which would be by far a nearer and more practicable way of obtaining a knowledge of the country about the heads of the Thompson and N Branch than by sending from the east side, as Mr Annance was, last summer: the Tribe not having come to the Port this Spring prevents my sending with them."[7]:116

In 1909 anthropoligist James Teit recorded "opinions held by the tribe regarding the qualities and average characteristics of their neighbors and also of the several divisions of their own people in former days." Of the 'North Thompson' he wrote that, "The North Thompson division were probably the best hunters and greatest travellers. They were mild, quiet, steady, rather serious, hospitable, rather poor."[8]

In August of 1916, the Simpcw people of the Tête Jeune Cache were foricbly relocated out of the area to Chu Chua and other places. The people were made to travel the 300 kilometres by foot. In August of 2016 events were held to mark the 100th anniversary of that event. The people of the Simpcw First Nation have made applications to the government to have lands at Tête Jeune Cache formally recognized.[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]

The Simpcw have been known in English by different names, "The name of the North Thompson Band, simpxʷwemx...also known in English to traders as people of the North Fork of Thompson River, was spelled Chin-Poo by [John] McLeod (1823) and [Archibald] McDonald (1827), Shinpoo by the Oblate Missionaries...and Nsi'mpxemux̣ by Teit. Their former main village, ciqʷceqʷélqʷ 'red willows' (Cornus stolonifera)...was referred to as Tsuk-tsuk-kwalk, erroneously translated as 'red pine' by Dawson...and as Tcoqtceqwa'llk by Teit. The reserve name Chu Chua is not derived from this but is an anglicization of texʷcwex 'creek running through the bush'."[17]

Demographics

The Simpcw First Nation has 647 members.[18]

Economic Development

The Simpcw First Nation has a highly developed and active economic development organization currently known as the Simpcw Resources Group of Companies (SRG)

Social, Educational and Cultural Programs and Facilities

Simpcw Fisheries manages and operates a hatchery called Dunn Lake Hatchery. Simpcw hosts a special 'Coho Day' in October at the hatchery.[19][20][21]

Neqweyqwelsten School is an elementary school located in Chu Chua. It is open to all Simpcw First Nation and community members, as well as non-members if space is available.[22][23]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Shuswap Nation Tribal Council". Executive Council of British Columbia. 2009. Retrieved July 26, 2009.
  2. 1 2 Dawson, George Mercer (1891). Notes on the Shuswap People of British Columbia. p. 16.
  3. ↑ "Simpcw-Our History". simpcw.com. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
  4. 1 2 Ross, Alexander (1849). Adventures of the first settlers on the Oregon or Columbia River: being a narrative of the expedition fitted out by John Jacob Astor, to establish the "Pacific Fur Company" ; with an account of some Indian tribes on the coast of the Pacific. Smith, Elder and Co. p. 151.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Ross, Alexander (1855). The Fur Hunters of the Far West, vol. 1. Smith, Elder and Co.
  6. 1 2 Ross, Alexander (2001) [1956]. Spaulding, Kenneth A., ed. The Fur Hunters of the Far West. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 100.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 McDonald, Archibald (1872). McLeod, Malcolm, ed. Peace River: A Canoe Voyage from Hudson's Bay to Pacific by the Late Sir George Simpson; in 1828. Ottawa: J. Durie & Son.
  8. 1 2 Teit, James A. (1909). "The Shuswap". In Boas, Franz. Memoir of the American Museum of Natural History: Publications of Jesup North Pacific Expedition. Vol. II, Part VII. New York: G.E. Stechert & Co. p. 471.
  9. ↑ Kurjata, Andrew; Norwell, Jennifer (August 12, 2016). "Simpcw First Nation marking 100th anniversary of forced relocation". cbc.ca/news. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  10. ↑ Daybreak Kamloops (August 11, 2016). "Simpcw First Nation are marking the 100th anniversary of their forced relocation". cbc.ca/news. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Press Release: Simpcw First Nation: Retracing Our Steps" (PDF). simpcw.com. August 13, 2016. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  12. ↑ Clark, Paul (August 17, 2016). "Simpcw First Nation commemorate forced removal 100 years ago". fitzhugh.ca. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  13. ↑ Matthews, Evan (September 1, 2016). "Simpcw efforts in Tête Jaune not finished". therockymountaingoat.com. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  14. ↑ Staff, Goat (July 17, 2016). "Remembering the Simpcw relocation of 1916". therockymountaingoat.com. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  15. ↑ McNeill, Keith (July 27, 2016). "Simpcw plan Tete Jaune Cache commemoration". barrierestarjournal.com. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  16. ↑ Times, Clearwater (August 18, 2016). "Chief Nathan Matthew speaks at Tete Jaune Cache (video)". blackpress.tv. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  17. 1 2 Ignace, Marianne Boelscher (1998). Walker Jr., Deward E., ed. Handbook of North American Indians [Shuswap]. 12. Washington: Smithsonian Institution. pp. 203–219. ISBN 0-14-049514-8 Check |isbn= value: checksum (help).
  18. ↑ "Simpcw First Nation". Government of Canada. Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. 2009. Retrieved July 26, 2009.
  19. ↑ "Simpcw Fisheries". Simpcw.com. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  20. ↑ "Dunn Creek Hatchery - Simpcw First Nation". Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  21. ↑ Doe. "Dunn Lake Hatchery". google.ca/maps. Google Maps. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  22. ↑ "Neqweyqwelsten School". simpcw.com. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  23. ↑ "First Nations School Directory Association of British Columbia". First Nations Schools Association of British Columbia. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  24. ↑ "Secwepemc Resources". sd73.bc.ca. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  25. ↑ Dunford, Muriel Poulton (2002). "The Simpcw of the North Thompson" (PDF). library.ubc.ca/archives. pp. 6–8. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  26. ↑ https://search.proquest.com/openview/351875cea91308da3182df1ff4a6e9ba/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=28071
  27. ↑ "Secwépemc Lands and Resources Law Research Project" (PDF). shuswapnation.com. 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
  28. ↑ Riley, Naomi (July 26, 2016). The New Trail of Tears: How Washington Is Destroying American Indians. New York: Encounter Books. ISBN 9781594038532.
  29. ↑ Teit, James A. (1900). "The Thompson Indians of British Columbia". In Boas, Franz. Memoir of the American Museum of Natural History: Publications of Jesup North Pacific Expedition. Vol. I, Part IV. New York: G.E. Stechert & Co.
  30. ↑ Smith, Harlan I. (1900). "Archaeology of the Thompson River Region". In Boas, Franz. Memoir of the American Museum of Natural History: Publications of Jesup North Pacific Expedition. Vol. I, Part VI. New York: G.E. Stechert & Co.
  31. ↑ Teit, James A. (1912). "The Mythology of the Thompson Indians". In Boas, Franz. Memoir of the American Museum of Natural History: Publications of Jesup North Pacific Expedition. Vol. VIII, Part II. New York: G.E. Stechert & Co.


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