Secwépemc
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| Secwépemc | |
|---|---|
| Group | Secwépemc |
| Native name | Secwépemc (Shuswap) |
| Regions | Interior British Columbia |
| Languages | Secwepemctsín |
| Religions | Indigenous spirituality, Christianity |
Secwépemc The Secwépemc are an Indigenous people of the Interior Plateau of what is now British Columbia associated with the Fraser River, Thompson River, and Columbia River watersheds; they are related by language, kinship, and territory to neighboring nations such as the Nlakaʼpamux, Okanagan (Syilx), Ktunaxa, and Tŝilhqot’in. Their communities engage with institutions including the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council, the Secwépemc Cultural Education Society, and the First Nations Summit, and they interact with provincial and federal bodies such as British Columbia and the Government of Canada on matters of rights and recognition.
Overview and People
The Secwépemc people are organized into numerous bands and communities including Kamloops Indian Band, Skeetchestn Indian Band, Whispering Pines/Clinton Indian Band, and T'Kemlúps te Secwépemc, and are connected through clan lines, familial ties, and social institutions like potlatch systems and oral histories preserved by elders such as leaders comparable to figures recorded in the archives of the Royal British Columbia Museum and documented in works by scholars affiliated with University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, and University of Victoria. Interactions with neighboring nations such as the Stʼatʼimc, Secwepemctsin-speaking groups, Carrier (Dakelh), and Cree over trade routes linked to the Gold Rush (1860s), the Hudson's Bay Company, and the Canadian Pacific Railway shaped seasonal movements, marriage alliances, and resource stewardship.
Language and Dialects
The Secwépemc language, Secwepemctsín, belongs to the Northern Interior Salish branch alongside languages of groups represented in linguistic work at Simon Fraser University and archived by the First Peoples' Cultural Council. Dialect variation corresponds to communities such as Cheslatta, Adams Lake Indian Band, Neskonlith Indian Band, and others studied by linguists affiliated with University of Toronto and the Canadian Museum of History, while revitalization efforts involve programs at institutions like Thompson Rivers University and initiatives funded through the Indigenous Languages Act and supported by organizations including the Idle No More movement and Amnesty International campaigns for Indigenous rights.
Territory and Communities
Secwépemc territory spans landscapes recognized by cartographers, historians, and land claim negotiators encompassing the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, Kamloops, Shuswap Lake, Adams Lake, and corridors to the Columbia River headwaters; communities reside on reserves such as Chase, Skeetchestn, Shuswap, and urban populations in cities like Vancouver, Victoria, and Kamloops. Traditional use areas intersect with provincial parks like Rogers Pass and Edge Hills Provincial Park, and resource sites contested in litigation involving bodies such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the British Columbia Treaty Commission, and agencies connected to the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation (British Columbia).
History and Contact with Europeans
Contact-era dynamics involved exchanges and conflicts tied to the fur trade dominated by the Hudson's Bay Company, missionary activity by the Catholic Church and Anglican Church of Canada, and disruptive events associated with the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, smallpox epidemics documented in records at the Royal Ontario Museum, and colonial policies enacted by the Indian Act and officials in Ottawa. Resistance, adaptation, and negotiation are evidenced in legal histories culminating in landmark rulings such as R v Sparrow and cases affecting title clarified in decisions by the Supreme Court of Canada, while political mobilization has engaged organizations including the Allied Tribes of British Columbia, the Native Brotherhood, and modern advocacy via the Assembly of First Nations.
Culture and Society
Cultural life centers on seasonal harvesting of salmon in the Fraser River, hunting in the Interior Plateau, gathering of roots and berries in regions like Shuswap Lake, and material culture including woven baskets, cedar works, and regalia preserved in collections at the Canadian Museum of History and interpreted in exhibitions at the Secwepemc Museum and Heritage Park. Ceremonial practices, storytelling traditions, and contemporary arts connect to festivals such as those hosted by the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council and collaborations with artists associated with Emily Carr University of Art and Design and performers who have participated in events at Carleton University and other cultural institutions.
Governance, Treaties, and Land Rights
Governance structures include elected band councils under the Indian Act framework as well as hereditary and traditional leadership recognized within community protocols; political engagement ranges from participation in the British Columbia Treaty Process administered by the British Columbia Treaty Commission to litigation in courts such as the Supreme Court of Canada to assert Aboriginal title informed by precedents like Delgamuukw v British Columbia and negotiations addressing rights under statutes shaped by the Fisheries Act and agreements with provincial ministries. Organizations such as the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council and the Adams Lake Band pursue self-government arrangements and stewardship models consistent with rulings like Tsilhqot'in Nation v British Columbia.
Contemporary Issues and Economic Development
Contemporary challenges include reconciliation efforts involving the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, responses to residential school legacies linked to institutions like the Kamloops Indian Residential School, health initiatives coordinated with agencies including the First Nations Health Authority, and environmental advocacy in disputes over projects such as pipelines reviewed by the National Energy Board (now Canada Energy Regulator) and mining permits adjudicated by the British Columbia Oil and Gas Commission. Economic development initiatives span forestry partnerships with companies in the Canadian forestry industry, tourism collaborations with regional bodies like Destination BC, renewable energy projects interacting with the Clean Energy Act (British Columbia), and cultural enterprises supported through funding from bodies such as the Canada Council for the Arts and provincial grant programs.