Matsqui First Nation facts for kids

The Matsqui First Nation (Halkomelem: Máthxwi) is an Indigenous group. They are part of the Sto:lo people. The Matsqui live in the Central Fraser Valley area of British Columbia, Canada. Their main community is near Abbotsford, British Columbia. The Matsqui First Nation is also a member of the Sto:lo Nation tribal council.

The Matsqui First Nation has its own way of choosing leaders. This is called a custom electoral system. The current chief of the Matsqui First Nation is Alice McKay.

Where the Matsqui Live

The Matsqui First Nation lives in the central Fraser River area. This is in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Their land stretches along the Fraser River valley. It goes from the Crescent Islands to the Sumas Mountains. It also extends south towards the Canadian-US border.

The Fraser River area is home to 11 other First Nations. Together, they form the Stó:lõ people. This name means "People of the River." The Matsqui Tribe is an important part of this group. Each First Nation in this area lives within its own watershed. The Matsqui First Nation lives downriver from Sawmill Creek. The Matsqui people feel a deep connection to their land. They believe they have always been, and always will be, native to this area.

Matsqui Population and Leadership

Today, there are about 265 members of the Matsqui Tribe. About 152 of these members live off the reserve land. The current chief is Alice McKay. She works with other leaders like Brenda Morgan and Ryan Bird. They represent the Matsqui Tribe in the Stó:lõ Nation Chiefs Council.

Languages Spoken by the Matsqui

The Matsqui Tribe speaks two main Indigenous languages. These are Halq'eméylem and Nooksack. The Matsqui are one of only two bilingual tribes in the Stó:lõ family. The other is the Chilliwack Tribe. This is because the Matsqui people share history with the Nooksack-speaking Ska-leih-hes tribe.

The name "Matsqui" comes from the Halqeméylem word "Máthxwi." This word comes from "má:th," which means a plant that grows in marshes. Because of the Matsqui's watery lands, Máthxwi often means "easy passage." This suggests it was easy to travel through their territory.

Matsqui Relations with Nearby Tribes

The Matsqui people speak two languages due to their shared past. They have a strong connection with the Ska-leih-hes tribe. Modern Matsqui members are descendants of both the original Matsqui people and the Nooksack-speaking Ska-leih-hes people.

In 1858, a surveyor named Henry Custer noted two connected groups. They lived between the Fraser and Nooksack rivers. These groups often had good relationships. Oral history says that Ska-leih-hes members moved to Canada. They believed this was their original homeland.

The Matsqui are also part of the Stó:lō Nation Society. They work with ten other Stó:lō tribes. This group addresses shared concerns. They work together because of their common culture and history.

Matsqui History

Early History of the Matsqui People

People have lived in the Fraser River area for a very long time. Records show human presence as far back as 9,000 years ago. By 5,000 years ago, a unique Salish culture had developed. This culture is similar to what we see today. This shows a continuous culture among the Stó:lõ people, including the Matsqui.

The Matsqui people developed a structured society. Around 1450 CE, a small group held most of the political power. This might be because the Matsqui were known for living in one place. They were not highly migratory.

European Contact and Changes

When Europeans arrived in the Pacific Northwest, the fur trade began. This brought many changes. Indigenous people started using new tools. There was also a big increase in potlatches. Potlatches are special ceremonies where wealth is shared. With more tools and trade, tribes held grand potlatches. These events showed off their wealth to other tribes. Potlatches even started to replace war as a way to compete. This led to more art, like elaborate Totem poles.

During the British Columbia gold rushes, Governor James Douglas worked with Salish Indigenous groups. He wanted both sides to benefit from the gold rush. However, gold seekers from San Francisco moved into the Fraser River area. They started to take over Salish land. They threatened Indigenous people who tried to stop them. This led to the Fraser Canyon War. The Salish people eventually had to stop their resistance. Also, the American miners brought smallpox. This disease killed 50 to 75 percent of the Indigenous population in the area. For the Matsqui, about 90 percent of their people were lost.

Changes in Governance and Land

James Douglas was the first person to control the area for the Crown. He bought land from Indigenous groups using money and treaties. He also set aside large areas of land as reserves for them. However, his rule was not always peaceful. The Stó:lõ people protested for their land rights. Douglas was about to approve their requests. He planned to register the reserves with their proper sizes. But he retired before he could finish.

Under the next leader, Trutch, reserve sizes were cut by 80 percent. For the Matsqui people, their reserves were cut even more. They went from 3,887 hectares to just 60 hectares. When British Columbia became a province in 1871, it stopped using treaties for Indigenous land. Unlike the rest of Canada, British Columbia gave less land than the Canadian government required.

Modern Times for the Matsqui

The Matsqui Tribe, along with 10 other tribes, formed the Stó:lō Nation Society. This group was created by combining several Stó:lō organizations. They came together to protect the rights of Stó:lō peoples. This was in response to the 1969 Liberal Indian Policy. This policy, also called the White Paper, aimed to end all treaties with First Nations. It also wanted to get rid of the Indian Act. The Indian Act is important for defining Indigenous status and managing reserve land.

Realizing they had shared interests, the tribes formed the Stó:lō Nation Society in 1994. Today, the Stó:lõ Nation Chiefs Council focuses on important issues. They are investigating the discovery of unmarked burials near a former residential school in Kamloops. They want to find out if similar situations happened at other residential schools in the Fraser River area.

The Matsqui First Nation has also dealt with the Trans Mountain Project. This project brings oil from Alberta to British Columbia. It runs through Matsqui territory, which is a concern for the Nation. Other issues the Matsqui are working on include salmon fishing rights and cranberry picking rights.

Matsqui Cultural Stories

Traditional Origin Stories

All the Stó:lō peoples share a common origin story. This story is called sxwoxwiyá:m. It tells how the world came to be. They all believe in the Xe:Xá:ls. This was a group of three brothers and a sister. They shaped the world we know today. Before their work, humans and animals were not distinct. The Xe:Xá:ls transformed them into their recognizable forms.

They also changed the first founders of the Stó:lō tribes into animals or plants. For the Matsqui people, their founder was Sk-Elê’yitl. According to their sxwoxwiyá:m, Sk-Elê’yitl was turned into a beaver by Xe:Xá:ls. The beaver is credited with bringing fire and salmon to all the Stó:lō peoples. Because beavers can move around, they remind the Matsqui people of their heritage.

The Matsqui people's history is passed down orally. This means it is told through stories, not written down. Because of this, the Matsqui people value honesty when telling these stories. If someone tells a story incorrectly, they could be disgraced. They might even be stopped from telling stories again. This is because they would have disrespected their history and community.