The Squamish Nation, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw, is a

First Nations government In Canada, an Indian band (), First Nation band () or simply band, is the basic unit of government for those peoples subject to the ''Indian Act'' (i.e. status Indians or First Nations). Bands are typically small groups of people: the largest in ...

of the

Squamish people The Squamish people ( , historically transliterated as Sko-ko-mish) are an indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Archaeological evidence shows they have lived in the area for more th ...

. The Squamish Nation government includes an elected council and an administrative body based primarily in

West Vancouver West Vancouver is a district municipality in the province of British Columbia, Canada. A member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District, West Vancouver is situated on the north shore of Burrard Inlet to the northwest of the city ...

, North Vancouver, and

Squamish, BC Squamish (; , ; 2021 census population 23,819) is a community and a district municipality in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, located at the north end of Howe Sound on the British Columbia Highway 99 ...

. The Squamish Nation is responsible for the management of 26

First Nations First nations are indigenous settlers or bands. First Nations, first nations, or first peoples may also refer to: Indigenous groups *List of Indigenous peoples *First Nations in Canada, Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Mé ...

reserves located around the

Capilano River The Capilano River flows from north to south through the Coast Mountains on the North Shore of the Burrard Inlet between British Columbia's district municipalities of West Vancouver and North Vancouver and empties into Burrard Inlet, opposite Sta ...

, Mosquito Creek, and Seymour River on the north shore of

Burrard Inlet Burrard Inlet () is a shallow-sided fjord in the northwestern Lower Mainland, British Columbia, Canada. Formed during the last Ice Age, it separates the City of Vancouver and the rest of the lowland Burrard Peninsula to the south from the coa ...

in North Vancouver, British Columbia, and along the

Squamish River The Squamish River is a short but very large river in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Its drainage basin is in size. The total length of the Squamish River is approximately . Course The Squamish River drains a complex of basins in the ...

, and in

Gibsons Gibsons is a coastal community of 4,758 in southwestern British Columbia, Canada on the Sunshine Coast (British Columbia), Sunshine Coast, where the southwest bank of Howe Sound meets the Strait of Georgia. During its early history as a Europe ...

and

Port Mellon Port Mellon is a settlement in British Columbia, Canada, located within the territory of the Squamish Nation, and part of West Howe Sound, Electoral Area F within the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD). Port Mellon is the home to the reg ...

in the Howe Sound. They also jointly own private land holdings with neighbouring First Nations like the

Musqueam The Musqueam Nation ( Hunquminum: ) is a First Nation whose traditional territory encompasses the western half of what is now Greater Vancouver, in British Columbia, Canada. It is governed by a band council and is known officially as the Musq ...

Tsleil-Waututh The Tsleil-Waututh Nation (, ), formerly known as the Burrard Indian Band or Burrard Inlet Indian Band, is a First Nations band government in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The Tsleil-Waututh Nation ("TWN") are Coast Salish peoples w ...

, and Lil’wat. The Squamish Nation is responsible for managing assets and revenues generated by the Squamish Nation, providing several programs and services to the Squamish People, and representing the Squamish People in intergovernmental relations with other Canadian governments and industries that operate within its territory. The Squamish Nation government comprises an elected council, which includes the Council Chairperson, seven elected Councillors, and an elected Band Manager. The Council hires, oversees and provides direction to the Chief Administrative Officer who oversees the administrative arm of the Squamish Nation.

History

Early History

The Squamish Nation was formed in July 1923 when several separate First Nations (at the time called Indian Bands) were amalgamated under Section 17 of the Indian Act. All of the First Nations that amalgamated were communities largely considered and identified as Squamish People but resided on different First Nation

reserve Reserve or reserves may refer to: Places * Reserve, Kansas, a US city * Reserve, Louisiana, a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish * Reserve, Montana, a census-designated place in Sheridan County * Reserve, New Mexico, a US v ...

lands throughout the Squamish Valley, Burrard Inlet, and False Creek of Vancouver. Two years of community meetings with held, with eventually a super-majority of eligible voters for the various First Nations voting to petition the Federal Department responsible for Indians to amalgamate the several First Nations into a single entity they called the Squamish Nation. Their petition called for a Council to represent the newly created Squamish Nation, all lands joined as Squamish Nation lands, and all trust accounts to be put into a single trust account. Approximately $167,740 was consolidated into a single trust account for the newly formed Squamish Nation (which is estimated to be $2,914,252.09 in 2022 dollars).

Recent History

Prior to British Columbia's hosting of the

2010 Olympic Games The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Vancouver 2010 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held from February 12 to 28, 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with ...

, the Squamish Nation engaged in negotiations with the Provincial Government of British Columbia and Lil'wat First Nation. Numerous agreements were signed prior to and following the announcement of the host city for the Games, regarding issues such as Squamish land to be used for hosting the Games. Issues regarding the leasing of land, Nation-owned or operated businesses and other ventures currently account for much of the Squamish Nation's band council government business. The Squamish Nation recently announced the purchase of a Tree Farm License (License 38), which covers the Elaho Valley near

Squamish, British Columbia Squamish (; , ; 2021 census population 23,819) is a community and a district municipality in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, located at the north end of Howe Sound on the British Columbia Highway 99 ...

. The Squamish Nation has close ties with Tsleil-Waututh Nation, who reside further east on

and to the

who reside on the southern edge of the city of

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

Government

The elected councillors make up the executive political body of this government. They operate on a four-year term with elections occurring around in December. They also elect a band manager. The most recent Council was elected September 26, 2021. * Stewart "Sempúlyan" Gonzales * Shayla "Sumkwaht" Jacobs (North Shore) * Dustin "Khelsilem" Rivers (chairperson) * Kristen "Tiyáltelut" Rivers (Regional) * Ann "Syexwáliya" Whonnock * Joyce Williams (Squamish Valley) * Wilson "Sxwíxwtn" Williams * Richard "Xwélxwelacha" Williams * Owen "Cave" Sutherland The elected Band Manager is Bianca "Tsiyaliya" Cameron.

Lands

Existing reserves

Indian reserve In Canada, an Indian reserve () or First Nations reserve () is defined by the '' Indian Act'' as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." ...

s under the administration of the Squamish Nation are:

Treaty negotiations

The Squamish Nation is currently in stage 3 of the

BC 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. Three treaties have ...

but negotiations have not proceeded further in recent years.

Economic and resource development

The Squamish Nation owns land in the Lower Mainland in areas that have some of the highest real estate values in the province. Some of these lands and properties are leased out with rents returning to the Squamish Nation. Additional revenues are earned through businesses owned by the Squamish Nation, such as marinas, a driving range and a gas bar. In a recently concluded business arrangement, digital

billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

s were erected on Squamish Nation lands in North Vancouver,

, Vancouver and Squamish, including at the approaches to Vancouver's

Burrard Street Bridge The Burrard Street Bridge (sometimes referred to as the Burrard Bridge) is a four-lane, Art Deco style, steel truss bridge constructed in 1930–1932 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The high, five part bridge on four piers spans Fal ...

Lions Gate Bridge The Lions Gate Bridge, opened in 1938 and officially known as the First Narrows Bridge, is a suspension bridge that crosses the First Narrows (Vancouver), first narrows of Burrard Inlet and connects the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, to ...

and

Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing The Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing, also called the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge and Second Narrows Bridge, is the second bridge constructed at the Second (east) Narrows of Burrard Inlet in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Orig ...

. That contract has been projected to bring approximately $60 million in revenue to the Squamish Nation over three decades. The Squamish Nation also recently completed an agreement that will see a large gaming facility built on the highway leading into Squamish. The Squamish Nation, the Lil’wat Nation,

Bell Canada Bell Canada (commonly referred to as Bell) is a Canadian telecommunications company headquartered at 1 Carrefour Alexander-Graham-Bell in the borough of Verdun, Quebec, in Canada. It is an ILEC (incumbent local exchange carrier) in the province ...

and the province of BC joined in the development of the Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Museum in Whistler BC. The purchase of a Tree Farm Licence by the Nation generated public protest. In recent years the Squamish Nation has been involved in energy development, including the development of private hydro power projects on public rivers, including the Furry Creek and Ashlu hydro projects. It takes a share of the private revenue scheme developed by the BC Liberal Government under Gordon Campbell in a closed-door policy called the BC Energy Plan.

2010 Olympic Games

The Squamish Nation joined with the

, and Lil'wat through the Four Host First Nations Society to coordinate with the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC), representing their interests in preparation for the

2010 Winter Olympics The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Vancouver 2010 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held from February 12 to 28, 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with ...

. These 'Four Host First Nations' shared in hosting the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. Fourteen of the 20 Olympic and Paralympic events took place in the Nation's shared territories, primarily in and around Whistler, BC.

Social, educational and cultural programs and facilities

In July 2008, the Squamish Nation partnered with their neighbours the Lil'wat First Nation to open the multimillion-dollar Squamish Lilwat Cultural Centre in Whistler. The two nations, whose territories traditionally overlapped around the Whistler area, had signed a Protocol Agreement in 2001 to work together on such opportunities. The centre features traditional art, cultural and historical displays, wood carvings, an 80-seat theatre,

longhouse A longhouse or long house is a type of long, proportionately narrow, single-room building for communal dwelling. It has been built in various parts of the world including Asia, Europe, and North America. Many were built from lumber, timber and ...

pit-house A pit-house (or pit house, pithouse) is a house built in the ground and used for shelter. Besides providing shelter from the most extreme of weather conditions, this type of earth shelter may also be used to store food (just like a pantry, a l ...

, outdoor forest walk, cafe and gift shop.

References

External links

Squamish NationSquamish Lilwat Cultural Centre
{{Authority control

Nation A nation is a type of social organization where a collective Identity (social science), identity, a national identity, has emerged from a combination of shared features across a given population, such as language, history, ethnicity, culture, t ...

Coast Salish governments