The Kwikwetlem First Nation, also known as the Coquitlam Indian Band, is the band government of the
Kwikwetlem
The Kwikwetlem ( hur, kʷikʷəƛ̓əm), whose name is on the modern map as that of the City of Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada, are a Coast Salish Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast, indigenous people whose traditional territories and ...
, a
Sto:lo people living in the
Coquitlam area 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. They traditionally speak the Downriver dialect of
hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, one of the
Salishan family of languages. The name ''Kwikwetlem'' ( hur, kʷikʷəƛ̓əm, links=no, translit=Kwikwetlem) refers to "red fish up the river".
The Nation is made up of two reserves, a small 2.6-hectare site near the mouth of the
Coquitlam River where it drains into 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 annual d ...
, and a much larger 82-hectare site approximately 2.5 km north. About 36% of all Kwikwetlem members live on Coquitlam No. 1, 41% live elsewhere in Canada, and roughly 23% reside throughout the United States.
Government
The band is led by an elected council, with the current term running from April 1, 2019, to March 27, 2023:
* Chief: Ed Hall
* Councillor: George Chaffee
* Councillor: John Peters
Geography
Historically, the Kwikwetlem's territory covered and extended a moderate distance beyond the Coquitlam River and
Pitt River watersheds. Today, there are two Indigenous Reserves under the administration of the Kwikwetlem First Nation.
Coquitlam 1
Coquitlam Indian Reserve No. 1 ( hur, slakəyánc, lit=young sockeye) is the main reserve for the Kwikwetlem Nation, housing its administrative offices and all of its on-reserve population. It is situated at an ancient village site. It has an area of .
Coquitlam 2
Coquitlam Indian Reserve No. 2 ( hur, setɬamékmən, lit=when the tide is high we go) is the secondary reserve of the Kwikwetlem Nation. It is currently subject of a process of having a business park developed on the site.
Making up the vast majority of the total reserve land, it has an area of approximately .
Notes
References
External links
Official website
Sto:lo governments
Politics of Coquitlam
First Nations governments in the Lower Mainland
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