Freedom Village facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Freedom Village
Native name Halkomelem: Chi'ckem
Approximate location of the Freedom Village (Chi'ckem) in present day Agassiz, BC in 2020
Location	Agassiz, British Columbia, Canada

Freedom Village (called Chi'ckem in Halkomelem language) was a special historic village. It was started by people who were once enslaved (called skw'iyeth in Halkomelem). These people had lived with the Chawathil First Nation near what is now Hope, British Columbia. Freedom Village was later founded near present-day Agassiz, British Columbia.

A Changing Time in History

Starting in the late 1700s, the Fraser Valley area saw big changes. Many First Nations people became sick from diseases like smallpox. These diseases arrived in waves starting in 1782. They caused a huge loss of life.

While people were dealing with these illnesses, Europeans began to settle in the area. The Hudson's Bay Company set up trading posts. These were places where people could trade goods. Two important posts were Fort Langley (built in 1827) and Fort Yale (built in 1848).

Life on Greenwood Island

Greenwood Island (called Welqdmex in Halkomelem) was near the town of Hope. It was a village for enslaved people of the Chawathil First Nation. For many years, the Chawathil had taken people from other First Nation communities. These people became enslaved.

The number of enslaved people on Greenwood Island grew over time. They had children, and their population increased. The slaveholders became worried. They feared the enslaved people might try to gain their freedom.

The Journey to Freedom

Because of their worries, the slaveholders made the enslaved people move. They were forced out of their longhouses and onto Greenwood Island. There, they created their own community. Slowly, the slaveholders lost control of this community.

Eventually, the elders of the Chawathil First Nation decided to leave the village. When the enslaved people realized they were "free," they did not want to live near their former masters. They decided to leave Greenwood Island.

They were very clever. They took apart their longhouses, which were long, traditional homes. They used the wooden planks from these homes to connect their canoes. This created large, strong boats called catamarans.

Founding Freedom Village (Chi'ckem)

Once their catamarans were ready, they floated down the Fraser River. They traveled until they found a new place to settle. This place was a former First Nation village of the Steaten people. It had been empty for years because of disease.

Here, they founded their new home, Freedom Village (Chi'ckem). Over time, the people of Chi'ckem married into the nearby communities. They became part of the local First Nations. Their story is an important part of the history of British Columbia.