The Tsleil-Waututh Nation (, ), formerly known as the Burrard Indian Band or Burrard Inlet Indian Band, is a

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 ...

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 ...

in the

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

province of

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 ...

. The Tsleil-Waututh Nation ("TWN") are

Coast Salish The Coast Salish peoples are a group of ethnically and linguistically related Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, living in the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. They speak on ...

peoples who speak hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, the Downriver dialect of the

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

, and are closely related to but politically and culturally separate from the nearby nations of the ( Squamish) and ( Musqueam), with whose traditional territories some claims overlap. The TWN is a member government of the Naut'sa mawt Tribal Council, which includes other governments on the upper Sunshine Coast, southeastern

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest ...

and the Tsawwassen band on the other side of the Vancouver metropolis from the Tsleil-Waututh. There are almost 600 members with 287 living on the reserve as of January 2018. According to the 2011 National Community Well-Being Index, Burrard Inlet 3 is considered the most prosperous First Nation community in Canada.

Notable members

The most famous member of the TWN was Chief Dan George, an actor and native rights advocate best known for his role as Old Lodge Skins in '' Little Big Man'', '' The Outlaw Josey Wales'' and for another role as Old Antoine in the

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is the Canadian Public broadcasting, public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a Crown corporation that serves as the national public broadcaster, with its E ...

television series '' Cariboo Country'' (based on books by Paul St. Pierre). His descendants still figure prominently in TWN government and culture. The TWN is also known for its war canoe racing team, The Burrard Canoe Club. Hereditary Chief John L. George was the longest serving elected Chief and founding member of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, formed in 1969 against the Liberal 'White Paper' Policy that would end Indian status. He was a strong advocate and protector of TWN Aboriginal Rights and Title. Leonard H. George was elected Chief and created the TWN Takaya Developments and began the partnerships that have brought much real estate development to TWN. Leonard also brought TWN into the BC Treaty Process and was a strong voice for the TWN. As well, he is the son of Dan George and was a successful actor as well as a politician. The TWN operates an ocean-going canoe tour/experience known a
Takaya Tours

Reserves

Indian Reserves 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." R ...

under the administration of the Squamish Nation are:Reserves/Settlements/Villages Detail, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada website information
/ref> * Burrard Inlet 3 (), on the north shore of Burrard Inlet, in District of North Vancouver, Main Reserve of the Nation, . * Inlailwatash 4, about 1 km (1000 yards) upstream from the mouth of Indian River, North-Northeast of Burrand Inlet 3 Reserve, . * Inlailwatash 4A, about 1.3 km (1500 yards) upstream from mouth of Indian River, North-Northeast of Burrand Inlet 3 Reserve, .

Documentary and Notable Events

In 2006, a documentary followed and was filmed by four Tsleil-Waututh youth to highlight their struggles with the education system. The documentary — titled ''Reds, Whites & the Blues'' and/or, ''Reading, Writing & the Rez'' — is a CBC Newsworld in-house production co-produced with CBUT. In 2010 TWN helped welcome the Vancouver

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 ...

as part of the Four Host First Nations, which included Musqueam, Squamish, and Lil'wat Nations. It was the first time that Canada accommodated the Indigenous nations interest in the event. It was the first time Indigenous title holders were recognized by the Olympic body. The TWN is also opposed to the Trans Mountain Expansion Project and their views and scientific reports can be found at th
Sacred Trust Initiative

References

{{First Nations in British Columbia, state=collapsed Coast Salish governments First Nations governments in the Lower Mainland

Notable members

Reserves

Documentary and Notable Events

See also

References