The Sumas First Nation (

Halkomelem Halkomelem (; in the Upriver dialect, in the Island dialect, and in the Downriver dialect) is a language of various First Nations peoples of the British Columbia Coast. It is spoken in what is now British Columbia, ranging from southeastern ...

: ''Sema:th'') ''Sumalh'' or Sumas Indian Band is a

band 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 Sto:lo people located in the Upper Fraser Valley region, at the community of Kilgard a.k.a. Upper Sumas, part of Abbotsford,

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. They are a member government of the Sto:lo Nation tribal council. Its

governance Governance is the overall complex system or framework of Process, processes, functions, structures, Social norm, rules, Law, laws and Norms (sociology), norms born out of the Interpersonal relationship, relationships, Social interaction, intera ...

structure is a custom

electoral system An electoral or voting system is a set of rules used to determine the results of an election. Electoral systems are used in politics to elect governments, while non-political elections may take place in business, nonprofit organizations and inf ...

. The current chief is Dalton Silver. The official language is

Halq'eméylem Halkomelem (; in the Upriver dialect, in the Island dialect, and in the Downriver dialect) is a language of various First Nations peoples of the British Columbia Coast. It is spoken in what is now British Columbia, ranging from southeastern ...

. The group occupies the region near the

Sumas Prairie Sumas Prairie is a landform in British Columbia, Canada and the State of Washington, United States. Part of the Fraser Lowland, it was created by the draining of Sumas Lake early in the 20th Century, and extends from the Vedder Canal southwest ...

, and historically used

Sumas Lake Sumas Lake ''( Halq’eméyle'': ''Semá:th'' Lake, Nooksack: ''Semáts Xácho7'', (Level Place Lake)) was a shallow freshwater lake surrounded by extensive wetlands that once existed in eastern Fraser Lowland, located on the south side of the ...

as "our supermarket, our shopping centre," before it was drained by colonial authorities who wanted to farm the land underneath. When the lake was drained, the First Nation was pushed onto a nearby reserve so that settlers could use the fertile soil underneath the lake. The First Nation occupies higher ground near the Prairie, not the prairie on the lake-bed itself, so they did not have to evacuate when the former lake flooded during the

November 2021 Pacific Northwest floods The 2021 Pacific Northwest floods were a series of floods that affected British Columbia, Canada, and parts of neighboring Washington (state), Washington state in the United States. The flooding and numerous mass wasting events were caused by a Pin ...

. Before 1962 the people were known as Sumas (Kilgard) and are distinct from the Leqʼá꞉mel who were also known as the Sumas before 1962. Other previous names include: Nicomen Slough, Somass River and Sumas Tribe. The name "Sumas" means "big flat opening" or "land without trees" and is derived from a Cowichan tribe. Their reserve land area covers 245.3 hectares and has a population of 383. In 2021, 60 hectares of government land adjacent to Fraser River Heritage Park and the Pekw’xe:yles Indian Reserve, the former site of

St. Mary's Indian Residential School St. Mary's Indian Residential School was the name of two Canadian Indian residential school system, Indian residential schools in Mission, British Columbia. The first was operated by the Roman Catholic Church of Canada, and the second was operated ...

, was transferred to the Leq’á:mel, Matsqui (Mathexwi) and Sumas First Nations Society. Not being reserve land, the property remains under provincial and local government laws. Most of it was leased back to the government for use as a park and recreational area. The property also contains pre-contact archaeological sites. The First Nation band council runs a number of businesses including Semath Industries.

References

External links

Sumas First Nation
Sto:lo governments First Nations governments in the Lower Mainland Politics of Abbotsford, British Columbia {{Canada-gov-stub

See also

References

External links