Nlaka'pamux facts for kids

Flag of the Nlaka'pamux Nation

The Nlaka'pamux or Nlakapamuk (/ɪŋkləˈkæpmə/ ing-klə-KAP-mə; IPA: [nɬeʔképmx]), also previously known as the Thompson, Thompson River Salish, Thompson Salish, Thompson River Indians or Thompson River people, and historically as the Klackarpun, Haukamaugh, Knife Indians, and Couteau Indians, are an Indigenous First Nations people of the Interior Salish language group in southern British Columbia. Their traditional territory includes parts of the North Cascades region of Washington.

Other names

Members of a Nlaka’pamux community, circa 1914

Frontier-era histories and maps transliterate the name Nlaka'pamux as Hakamaugh or Klackarpun; they were also known as the Kootomin, or Couteau (Knife). or Knife Indians. In the dialect of the Thompson language used by the Ashcroft Indian Band, the variant Nl'akapxm is used.

The Nlaka'pamux of the Nicola Valley, who are all in the Nicola Tribal Association reserves refer to themselves as Scw'exmx and speak a different dialect of the Thompson language. Together with the Spaxomin people, a branch of the Okanagan people (Syilx) who live in the upper Nicola valley and also belong to the Nicola Tribal Association, they are collectively known as the Nicola people, or Nicolas.

Ethnobotany

Blueberries (Vaccinium myrtilloides) were traditionally used by them in pies. They formerly used the leaves of sedge (Carex) as brushes for cleaning things and also used the leaves as forage for their livestock.

Religion

The Nlaka'pamux were the object of both Anglican and Roman Catholic missionary efforts in the nineteenth century, resulting in the vast majority belonging to one of the two denominations by the beginning of the twentieth century.

Governments

The Nlaka'pamux Nation Tribal Council despite its name does not include all Nlaka'pamux people, but is one of two main tribal bodies within the region, the other being the Nicola Tribal Association. The Lytton First Nation or Lytton Band, focussed on the town of the same name, which is named Camchin or Kumsheen in the Nlaka'pamux language and is one of the largest Nlaka'pamux communities, does not belong to any of the three tribal associations. While the Upper Nicola Band is affiliated with the Scw’exmx Tribal Council it is a Syilx community and part of the Okanagan Nation Alliance it is not Nlaka'pamux and has a different traditional territory than the other Nlaka'pamux Bands.

None of the Nlaka'pamux governments are in the British Columbia Treaty Commission process at present.

Nlaka'pamux Nation Tribal Council

• Boothroyd Indian Band
• Boston Bar Indian Band
• Oregon Jack Creek Indian Band
• Spuzzum Indian Band
• Lytton Indian Band
• Skuppah Indian Band

Scw’exmx Tribal Council (Originally Nicola Tribal Association or NTA)

A Nlaka'pamux table.

• Shackan Indian Band (Original NTA)
• Nooaitch Indian Band (Original NTA)
• Upper Nicola Band (Original NTA)(A member of the Okanagan Nation Alliance)
• Coldwater Indian Band (Original NTA)
• Lower Nicola Indian Band (Affiliated)

Unaffiliated

• Ashcroft Indian Band
• Kanaka Bar Indian Band
• Siska Indian Band
• Cook's Ferry Indian Band
• Nicomen Indian Band (Former member of the Fraser Canyon Indian Administration)

Language

The Nlaka'pamux speak an Interior Salishan language named nɬeʔkepmxcín, usually transliterated as Nlaka'pamuxtsn and known in English as the Thompson language. The Scw'exmx of the Nicola Valley speak a dialect also called Scw'exmx.

Notable people

• G. A. Grisenthwaite, writer
• Kevin Loring, writer
• Terese Marie Mailhot, writer
• Sharon McIvor, activist
• Ilona Verley, drag queen and make-up artist
• Annie York, writer

See also

In Spanish: Salish del Río Thompson para niños