The Nlaka'pamux or Nlakapamuk ( ; ), also previously known as the ''Thompson'', '' Thompson River Salish'', ''Thompson Salish'', ''Thompson River Indians'' or ''Thompson River people'', and historically as the ''Klackarpun'', ''Haukamaugh'', ''Knife Indians'', and ''Couteau Indians'', are an Indigenous First Nations people of the

Interior Salish The Interior Salish languages are one of the two main branches of the Salishan language family, the other being Coast Salish. It can be further divided into Northern and Southern subbranches. The first Salishan people encountered by American exp ...

language group in southern

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...

. Their traditional territory includes parts of the

North Cascades The North Cascades are a section of the Cascade Range of western North America. They span the border between the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington and are officially named in the U.S. and Canada as the Casca ...

region of

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

Other names

Frontier-era histories and maps transliterate the name Nlaka'pamux as ''Hakamaugh'' or ''Klackarpun''; they were also known as the ''Kootomin'', or ''Couteau'' (Knife). or ''Knife Indians''. In the dialect of the

Thompson language The Thompson language, properly known as Nlaka'pamuctsin, also known as the Nlaka'pamux ('Nthlakampx') language, is an Interior Salishan language spoken in the Fraser Canyon, Thompson Canyon, Nicola Country of the Canadian province of British ...

used by the Ashcroft Indian Band, the variant ''Nl'akapxm'' is used. The Nlaka'pamux of the

Nicola Valley The Nicola Country, also known as the Nicola Valley and often referred to simply as The Nicola, and originally Nicolas' Country or Nicholas' Country, adapted to Nicola's Country and simplified since, is a region in the Southern Interior of British ...

, who are all in the

Nicola Tribal Association Nicola may refer to: People * Nicola (name), including a list of people with the given name or, less commonly, the surname **Nicola (artist) or Nicoleta Alexandru, singer who represented Romania at the 2003 Eurovision Song Contest * Nicola people ...

reserves refer to themselves as Scw'exmx and speak a different dialect of the

. Together with the

Spaxomin The Upper Nicola Band is a First Nations band government in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located near the town of Merritt in the Nicola Country at Douglas Lake. Known in the Okanagan language as the Spaxomin, they are a member of b ...

people, a branch of the

Okanagan people The ''Syilx'' () people, also known as the Okanagan, Okanogan or Okinagan people, are a First Nations and Native American people whose traditional territory spans the Canada–US boundary in Washington state and British Columbia in the Okanaga ...

(Syilx) who live in the upper Nicola valley and also belong to the Nicola Tribal Association, they are collectively known as the Nicola people, or Nicolas.

Ethnobotany

Blueberries ('' Vaccinium myrtilloides'') are traditionally used by them in pies. They have used the leaves of sedge (''

Carex ''Carex'' is a vast genus of more than 2,000 species of grass-like plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges (or seg, in older books). Other members of the family Cyperaceae are also called sedges, however those of genus ''Carex'' ...

'') as brushes for cleaning things and also as

forage Forage is a plant material (mainly plant leaves and stems) eaten by grazing livestock. Historically, the term ''forage'' has meant only plants eaten by the animals directly as pasture, crop residue, or immature cereal crops, but it is also use ...

for their livestock.

Religion

The Nlaka'pamux were the object of both

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of t ...

and

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

missionary efforts in the nineteenth century, resulting in the vast majority belonging to one of the two denominations by the beginning of the twentieth century.

Governments

The Nlaka'pamux Nation Tribal Council despite its name does not include all Nlaka'pamux people, but is one of two main tribal bodies within the region, the other being the

. The Lytton First Nation or Lytton Band, focussed on the town of the same name, which is named Camchin or Kumsheen in the Nlaka'pamux language and is one of the largest Nlaka'pamux communities, does not belong to any of the three tribal associations. While the Upper Nicola Band is affiliated with the Scw’exmx Tribal Council it is a

Syilx The ''Syilx'' () people, also known as the Okanagan, Okanogan or Okinagan people, are a First Nations and Native American people whose traditional territory spans the Canada–US boundary in Washington state and British Columbia in the Okanagan ...

community and part of the

Okanagan Nation Alliance The Okanagan Nation Alliance is a First Nations Tribal Council in the Canadian province of British Columbia, spanning the Nicola, Okanagan and Similkameen Districts of the Canadian province of British Columbia and also the Colville Indian Reserv ...

it is not Nlaka'pamux and has a different traditional territory than the other Nlaka'pamux Bands. None of the Nlaka'pamux governments are in the

British Columbia Treaty Commission The British Columbia Treaty Process (BCTP) is a land claims negotiation process started in 1993 to resolve outstanding issues, including claims to un-extinguished indigenous rights, with British Columbia's First Nations. Two treaties have been ...

process at present.List of First Communities in BC, BC Treaty Commission
/ref>

Nlaka'pamux Nation Tribal Council

Boothroyd Indian Band The Boothroyd First Nation ( thp, k̓emus, historically spelt as ''Kahmoose'') is a First Nations government Fraser Canyon area of the Central Interior of the Canadian province of British Columbia. Located near Boston Bar, it is a member of the N ...

Boston Bar Indian Band The Boston Bar First Nation ( thp, Tqʷiyáwm or Tqʷyáwm)Laforet, Andrea Lynne, and Annie York. ''Spuzzum: Fraser Canyon Histories, 1808-1939'', Pg. 258. Vancouver, BC: UBC Press published in association with the Canadian Museum of Civilization, ...

Oregon Jack Creek Indian Band The Oregon Jack Creek Band is a First Nations government in the Thompson Canyon area of the Southern Interior of the Canadian province of British Columbia. Its Indian Reserves and offices are located near the town of Ashcroft, it is a member ...

Spuzzum Indian Band Spuzzum First Nation ( thp, Spô’zêm) is a Nlaka'pamux First Nations government located near Spuzzum, British Columbia. It is a member of the Fraser Canyon Indian Administration, one of three tribal councils of the Nlaka'pamux people. Othe ...

* Lytton Indian Band *

Skuppah Indian Band The Skuppah Indian Band ( thp, Sképeʔ) is a First Nations band government located near Spuzzum, British Columbia. It is a member of the Fraser Canyon Indian Administration, one of three tribal councils of the Nlaka'pamux people. Other members ...

Scw’exmx Tribal Council
(Originally Nicola Tribal Association or NTA)

Shackan Indian Band The Shackan Indian Band ( thp, Sx̣íx̣nx) is a Nlaka'pamux First Nations in Canada, First Nations government located in the Nicola Country of the British Columbia Interior, Southern Interior region of the Canadian province of British Columbia. It ...

(Original NTA) *

Nooaitch Indian Band Nooaitch First Nation is a Nlaka'pamux First Nations government in the Southern Interior region of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member of the Scw’exmx Tribal Council. The Nooaitch First Nation reserve community and offices are located ...

(Original NTA) * Upper Nicola Band (Original NTA)(A member of the

) *

Coldwater Indian Band Coldwater First Nation ( thp, C'eletkwmx) is a Nlaka'pamux First Nations government located in the Central Interior region of the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is a member of the Scw’exmx Tribal Council, which are two of three trib ...

(Original NTA) *

Lower Nicola Indian Band Lower Nicola Indian Band ( thp, Nʔeʔiyk) is a Nlaka'pamux First Nations government, located in the Central Interior region of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The Lower Nicola Indian Band reserve community and offices are located at ...

(Affiliated)

Unaffiliated

* Ashcroft Indian Band *

Kanaka Bar Indian Band Kanaka Bar First Nation (Thompson language: T'eqt'aqtn'mux) is a First Nations in Canada, First Nations government located at Kanaka Bar, British Columbia, Canada, between the towns of Boston Bar, British Columbia, Boston Bar and Lytton, British Co ...

Siska Indian Band The Siska Indian Band ( thp, sísqeʔ) is located in the Fraser Canyon region of the Canadian province of British Columbia. It was previously a member of the Scw’exmx Tribal Council, which is a tribal council of the Nlaka'pamux people. Other Nla ...

Cook's Ferry Indian Band The Cook's Ferry First Nation is a Nlaka'pamux First Nations government, located in the Central Interior region of the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is no longer a member of the Scw'exmx Tribal Council, because they were voted out ...

Nicomen Indian Band Nicomen First Nation ( thp, Nq’áwmn) is a Nlaka'pamux First Nations government located near Lytton, British Columbia. It is a member of the Fraser Canyon Indian Administration as well as of the Scw’exmx Tribal Council, which are two of three ...

(Former member of the

Fraser Canyon Indian Administration The Fraser Canyon Indian Administration is a First Nations tribal council government composed of five bands in the Fraser Canyon and Thompson Canyon areas of the Canadian province of British Columbia. Other Nlaka'pamux governments belong to eit ...

)

Language

The Nlaka'pamux speak an

an language named ', usually transliterated as Nlaka'pamuxtsn and known in English as the

. The Scw'exmx of the

speak a dialect also called ''Scw'exmx''.

Notable people

G. A. Grisenthwaite Gordon Grisenthwaite is a Nlaka'pamux writer from Canada, whose debut novel ''Home Waltz'' was a shortlisted finalist for the Governor General's Award for English-language fiction at the 2021 Governor General's Awards. A member of the Lytton Fi ...

, writer *

Kevin Loring Kevin Loring (born November 24, 1974) is a Canadian playwright and actor. As a playwright, he won the Governor General's Award for English-language drama, the Herman Voaden Playwriting Competition and the Jessie Richardson Award for Outstanding O ...

, writer *

Terese Marie Mailhot Terese Marie Mailhot (born 15 June 1983) is a First Nation Canadian writer, journalist, memoirist, and teacher. Early life and education Mailhot grew up in Seabird Island, British Columbia, on the Seabird Island First Nation reservation. Her ...

, writer *

Sharon McIvor Sharon Donna Mclvor (born October 9, 1948) is a leading Aboriginal women's rights activist, a member of the Lower Nicola Band and is a Thompson Indian. She challenged the government of Canada in a landmark case regarding sex-based discrimination am ...

, activist * Ilona Verley, drag queen and make-up artist * Annie York, writer

Notes

Bibliography

* ''Thompson River Salish Dictionary'' Compiled by Laurence C. Thompson and M. Terry Thompson * ''They Write Their Dreams on the Rock Forever: Rock Writings in the Stein River Valley of British Columbia'' (with Chris Arnett and Richard Daly * ''Spuzzum: Fraser Canyon Histories,'' with Andrea LaForet * ''Historical Atlas of British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest'', Derek Hayes, Cavendish Books, Vancouver (1999) ISBN * ''The Resettlement of British Columbia: Essays on Colonialism & Geographical Change'', University of British Columbia Press; New Ed edition (January 1997) ISBN * * ''NLaka'pamux Language'' CD by Barbara Joe(2005) * ''Shackan Stories'' by Jim Toodlican(2006) {{Authority control Interior Salish Native American history of Washington (state)

Other names

Ethnobotany

Religion

Governments

Nlaka'pamux Nation Tribal Council

Scw’exmx Tribal Council(Originally Nicola Tribal Association or NTA)

Unaffiliated

Language

Notable people

See also

Notes

Bibliography

Scw’exmx Tribal Council
(Originally Nicola Tribal Association or NTA)