Hwlitsum First Nation facts for kids
The Hwlitsum First Nation is a group of people whose ancestors were known as the Lamalchi. They changed their name to Hwlitsum when they moved to Hwlitsum (Canoe Pass, British Columbia) in 1892. This was because, in their culture, groups are named after the location of their winter village.
The Hwlitsum people speak a language called Hul'qumi'num. Their traditional home is in the Southern Gulf Islands. The Hwlitsum have never been officially recognized with their own reserves or as a "band" by the Canadian government. They are currently working to gain this recognition.
The Hwlitsum are descendants of the Lamalchi people from Penelakut Island (which used to be called Kuper Island). The name Hwlitsum refers to Canoe Pass, near Steveston in Richmond, British Columbia. It means "People of the Cattails."
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Origin Stories
The Hwlitsum people have special stories about how their ancestors came to be.
The Cedar Log Story
One story tells of two cedar logs that lay on the shore of Penelakut Island. From these logs, the first man and woman on the island came to life. These people became the ancestors of the Hul'qumi'num-speaking nations. Other ancestors also landed on mountains and hills on Vancouver Island or came out of the sands of Penelakut Island.
The Hunting Spirit Story
Another story is about two families, Ah-Thult and Hola-Pult, who lived on an island. Ah-Thult's family was not good at hunting. They asked Hola-Pult for advice, whose family was very successful. Hola-Pult suggested that Ah-Thult might not be pure enough to be visited by the hunting spirit.
Ah-Thult went into the mountains to purify himself. There, spirits visited him and taught him how to be a successful hunter. When Ah-Thult returned, Hola-Pult tried to steal his hunting ability. But Ah-Thult tricked Hola-Pult into leaving the island. Hola-Pult and his men were led to Penelakut Island and decided to live there. This became the home for the Lamalchi people until they moved to Hwlitsum (Canoe Pass).
History
The Lamalchi people's winter home was at Lamalcha Bay on Penelakut Island. Before 2010, Penelakut Island was known as Kuper Island. The Lamalchi shared Penelakut Island with the Penelakut and Yekaloas peoples.
The Lamalchi also had permanent summer villages in Hwlitsum (Canoe Pass). In 1892, they were not allowed to return to Lamalcha Bay for the winter. So, they spent the winter in Hwlitsum. Following their custom, they changed their name to Hwlitsum at that time.
The Hwlitsum Nation's family history goes back to the late 1790s. Old records and maps show the Lamalchi living and working on Penelakut Island in the early 1800s.
When Europeans first arrived in the early 1850s, the Lamalchi were an independent group. They were part of a larger network of Coast Salish peoples. The Lamalchi had family and marriage connections with the Lummi Nation, Musqueam Nation, and Katzi Nation. They were also part of the larger Cowichan community. The Lamalchi were one of the groups within the Cowichan people. They had different histories and cultural practices from their neighbors on Penelakut Island. Penelakut Island was shared by the Penelakut, the Yekaloas, and the Lamalchi, who all had their own separate villages.
When the border between Canada and the United States was drawn in 1846, the Lamalchi Nation was not officially recognized. This meant they were not included in any treaty agreements. Today, the Hwlitsum, as descendants of the Lamalchi, are working with the Canadian government to correct this historical oversight.
Before and during the time of European contact, the Lamalchi were involved in conflicts with other groups along the coast. Their warriors would speak Hul'qumi'num to approaching canoes. If the people in the canoe did not respond in Hul'qumi'num, they were not allowed to travel in Hul'qumi'num waters.
The Lamalcha/Hwlitsum people faced challenges from the Royal Navy during the time of the Colony of Vancouver Island. After these events, other groups took over their former territories. These other groups received reserves and official status rights, which were denied to the Lamalcha.
Political Organization
The Hwlitsum First Nation is working to be legally recognized as a band government under the Indian Act. They are also working with the Tsawwassen First Nation on shared interests in the Fraser Estuary. They tried to have their interests included in the Tsawwassen Treaty negotiations, but the treaty was finalized without addressing their concerns.
In 2007, the Union of BC Indian Chiefs sent a letter supporting the Hwlitsum's cause to the federal and provincial governments. The Hwlitsum are part of the BC Treaty Process to gain recognition, but they are not yet an officially recognized band government.
Language
The Hwlitsum, being descendants of the Lamalchi, are part of the Hul'qumi'num speaking community. They specifically use the Island dialect of the language.
Methods of Travel
The Lamalchi people mainly traveled by canoe. In September 1828, a European fur-trader counted 550 Cowichan canoes returning with fish along the Lower Fraser River.
Traditional Territory
Groups of people who were closely related lived in villages on Penelakut Island, Galiano Island, Valdez Island, and the east coast of Vancouver Island. These groups identified themselves by the names of their winter villages, such as Penelakut and Lamalcha.
The Lamalcha and Penelakut families controlled access to certain lands and resources. This included areas on both sides of Trincomali Channel, the north end of Salt Spring Island, and all of Galiano Island. The Lamalchi occupied lands at Brunswick Point, Lamalcha Bay, parts of Salt Spring Island, and Galiano Island.
Until European contact in 1849, the Lamalchi usually spent November to March at Lamalcha Bay. They spent April to October at Hwlitsum (Canoe Pass). They also traveled to the Coquitlam River and Pitt River to gather plants during the growing season.
Food
The Lamalchi and Penelakut were the only people who regularly hunted sea-lions around the south end of the Georgia Strait. Fishing was a very important part of the Lamalchi People's lives. They fished at xegetinas (long beach) near Deas Island at the mouth of the Fraser River. They shared this fishing spot with other Hul'qumi'num speaking communities.
During their winter camp, they harvested many types of seafood. This included chum salmon, winter springs, oysters, clams, cockles, mussels, crab, cod, rock-cod, halibut, sole, red snapper, prawns, shrimp, and herring. They also hunted deer, elk, black bear, raccoon, mink, seals, otter, and grouse. They gathered plants like salal, ferns, cedar bark, alder, maple, and berries for medicines and food. They stored food by smoking or drying it and keeping it in special boxes.
In spring, summer, and winter, their food included different types of salmon (eulachon, spring, coho, sockeye, steelhead, pink, chum), and sturgeon. They also ate clams, crab, shrimp, halibut, and other fish. They hunted deer, black bear, ducks, geese, and seals. Plants they gathered included cedar bark, huckleberries, salmonberry, strawberry, salal, and cattails.
Population
In 1824, Francis Annance estimated the Lamalchi population to be about 1,000 people.
In 1827, George Barnston estimated the total population of the three largest Cowichan villages to be about 1,500 people. This included Somenos and Quamichan of the Cowichan River, and the Penelakuts (and Lamalchi) of Penelakut Island. Barnston made this estimate from a ship.
In 1849, an employee of the Hudson's Bay Company recorded 122 people living in Lamalcha Bay.
Traditional Houses
The Lamalchi traditionally lived in large homes called longhouses.
