St’át’imc History
St’át’imc Gathering “Unity Riders” near N’Quat’qua. Each Year, the St’át’imc gather to celebrate the 1911 signing of the “Declaration of the Lillooet Tribe.”
Making ts'wan on the Bridge River fish rocks, circa 1910
Artifacts found at Keatley Creek and many other archeology sites indicate that St’át’imc have occupied their land for at least 8,000-10,000 years. The land the St’át’imc occupy is highly varied, ranging from lush rainforest to desert. Thus the St’át’imc could obtain many products by trading within their Nation. The 11 communities of the St’át’imc Nation remain strong and united in their desire to care for the land and promote a sustainable economy.
1808 - 1820’s – Contact: In 1808, Simon Fraser, exploring water routes to the Pacific for the North West Company, passes through St’at’imc territory.
1820’s - 1850’s – Fur Trade Boom: Fur traders pass through St’át’imc territory buying furs and dried salmon, and seek easier routes to the Pacific.
1858 - 1865 – Gold Rush Era: Fur trade trails and canoe routes are replaced by wagon roads and paddle wheel steamers as tens of thousands of gold seekers invade St’át’imc territory. Smallpox, flu, chicken pox, and other epidemics decimate the estimated 10,000 St’at’imc people.
1860’s – 1880’s – Homesteaders, having received 145 hectares each, settle St’át’imc territory. St’át’imc people receive only 4 hectares per family. Colonial governments establish “Indian Reserves” around some traditional winter villages and summer fishing grounds. St’át’imc assert they never sold, gave away or lost their land and vow to regain control of their territory.
1880’s - 1990’s – Railroad construction, mining, river damming and logging eras. These projects wipe out hunting and fishing grounds that sustained the St’át’imc Nation for countless generations.
1911 – St’át’imc Declaration: Chief’s confirm sovereignty over traditional territory that was never ceded, sold, nor negotiated away.
1990’s – Present: St’át’imc strive for economic development based on traditional values that respect the concept of stewardship.
St’át’imc Communities
1. Lil’wat (leel-wat) [Mt Currie] Meaning: where the rivers meet. Located at the confluence of three famous salmon rivers: Birkenhead, Lillooet and Green Rivers. One of Canada’s largest native communities.
2. Samahquam (shah-MAH-kwum) [Baptiste-Smith] Meaning: warm place out of the cold. Located on the southern end of Lillooet Lake near the historic gold rush town of 29 Mile House.
3. Skatin (ska-teen) [Skookumchuck] Meaning: below rough water. Located on the shore of the Lillooet River at Skookumchuck Hot Springs.
4. Xa’xtsa (hahk-cha) [Douglas] Located near the northern end of Little Harrison Lake. This is the southern-most community.
5. N’Quat’qua [D’arcy area] Located on the western shore of Anderson Lake. This community is part of the Lake People group of St’át’imc who settled along Seton and Anderson Lakes in ancient times.
6. Tsal’alh (cha-lalth) [Shalalth] and Lh7us (Slaoosh) [Seton Portage] Communities of Tsala’lhmec (Lake People) on the shores of Seton and Anderson Lakes, where a old landslide split the lake in two.
7. Xwisten (n-hoy-shten) [Bridge River] Meaning: smiling place. Three villages near the confluence of the Bridge and Fraser Rivers – the best place in the world to make wind-dried salmon (ts’wan).
8. Xaxl’ip (ha-clip) [Fountain] Meaning: brow of the mountain. Located on a ridge above the mighty Fraser River Canyon 10 km northeast of Lillooet, near beautiful Fountain Lake.
9. Ts’kw’aylacw (tis-kwhy-lagh) [Pavilion] A Shuswap Nation word meaning frosty ground. This village is near spectacular Pavilion Lake and Marble Canyon.
10. Sek’wel’wás (shook-il-wash) [Cayoose Creek] Meaning: broken in half, and refering to a large rock. Located on a scenic ridge above Lillooet where giant frogs the size of buffalo were once hunted.
11. T’it’q’et (tleet-kit) [Lillooet] Meaning: alkaline earth. An ancient community of Frog Clan members on a picturesque ridge above the newer village of Lillooet that was founded in 1860 at the so-called “mile 0” on the wagon road leading to the Caribou and Barkerville Gold Fields. Lillooet was one of two main “urban” centres of the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush of 1858-59 (the other was Yale).
