ʔEsdilagh (or Alexandria First Nation) is a First Nation community in the North Cariboo region of

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

, Canada. It is the smallest of the six member communities that form the Tsilhqot'in National Government. Formerly, the people of this region were known as ʔElhdaqox-t'in, the people of the Sturgeon River (Where ʔElhdaqox refers to what is now called the

Fraser River The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Blackrock Mountain in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia just south of the City of Vancouver. The river's annua ...

- ʔElhdachugh being sturgeon, and Yeqox being river). Today, the community goes by the name ʔEsdilagh, which in Tŝilhqot'in language means peninsula.

Chief and Councillors (Dec 2016 Election)

*Chief: Troy Baptiste *Councillor: Chad Stump *Councillor: Howard Johnny *Councillor: William Baptiste

Treaty process

As a member of the Tŝilhqot'in National Government, ʔEsdilagh chose to opt-out of the

British Columbia Treaty Process 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 ...

, instead fighting in the BC (and later Canada) Supreme Courts to prove unextinguished Aboriginal Title - see Tsilhqot'in Nation v British Columbia. After their win against the crown, the Tŝilhqot'in Nation has been undergoing negotiations with the Province of British Columbia under the "Nenqay Deni Accord" which will lead to the establishment of Category A "Title-like lands" and Category B "co-management" lands.

History

The history of this region is best told by the oral traditions of the Tŝilhqot'in elders - whereby stories are told in the traditional language after the sun goes down. Formerly, the people of this region were known as ʔElhdaqox-t'in, the people of the Sturgeon River (Where ʔElhdaqox refers to what is now called the

- ʔElhdachugh being sturgeon, and Yeqox being river). Today, the community goes by the name ʔEsdilagh, which in Tŝilhqot'in language means peninsula. During the time of the fur trade in British Columbia, many other First Nations settled in the region in order to trade with the nearby Hudson's Bay Company's

Fort Alexandria Alexandria or Fort Alexandria is a National Historic Site of Canada on the Fraser River in British Columbia, and was the end of the Old Cariboo Road and the Cariboo Wagon Road. It is located on Highway 97, north of 100 Mile House and south of ...

. However, after two serious waves of

Smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) ce ...

decimated Tŝilhqot'in populations in the late 1850s and early 1860s, the Tŝilhqot'in Nation decided it would be safest to extradite all non-Tŝilhqot'in peoples from their homeland. The threat of an intentional third wave of smallpox by one of

Alfred Waddington Alfred Penderell Waddington (October 2, 1801 – February 26, 1872), during his later years, was actively involved in the Colony of Vancouver Island in what later became the province of British Columbia, Canada. From 1860 to 1861 he was a re ...

's road crewmen in Bute Inlet was the trigger for the so-called

Chilcotin War The Chilcotin War, the Chilcotin Uprising or the Bute Inlet Massacre was a confrontation in 1864 between members of the Tsilhqot'in (Chilcotin) people in British Columbia and white road construction workers. Fourteen men employed by Alfred Wadd ...

of 1864.What Really Happened in the Chilcotin War?
National Post, Tristin Hopper, 27/03/18 ʔEsdilagh was the birthplace of Chief Alexis who was himself ʔElhdaqox-t'in, and who the community of Alexis Creek, and the official name of the Chilcot'in Community of Tŝideldel (Alexis Creek Indian Band) is named.

Demographics

Economic Development

Programs and facilities

A new health centre was constructed in 2016, named after former ʔEsdilagh Chief Frank "Chendi" Joe.New Health and Community Facility
First Nations Health Authority, 11/01/16 The community has been developing agriculturally as well - with a new community/market garden and a commercial sized root cellar.