Squamish culture facts for kids

The Squamish people, or Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (pronounced skwuh-KWOO-mish), are an Indigenous group from southwestern British Columbia, Canada. They are part of the Coast Salish cultural family. Their way of life, including their art, music, and traditions, is deeply connected to the rich natural resources of the Pacific Northwest coast. This area provides plenty of cedar trees, salmon, and other important resources. Squamish culture also has strong family ties that connect different families and neighboring groups through social events and traditions.

A Living Culture

The Squamish culture has changed a lot since Europeans arrived. This was due to colonization and efforts to make Indigenous people adopt European ways. But even with these challenges, the Squamish culture is still strong and growing. Some old customs are done differently now, but they still happen. For example, people wear modern clothes, but the skill of weaving cedar bark is still taught. Cedar bark clothing is still made for special occasions. It's important to know that while some practices have changed, many continue, some just like before, and some with small differences.

Homes and Buildings

Sḵwx̱wú7mesh longhouses once located in 1886 at Coal Harbour.

Traditional Squamish homes were called "longhouses." They were similar to other Coast Salish buildings. These houses were built from strong cedar planks, posts, and ties. Many families, often related, would live together in one longhouse. Each family had its own space inside.

Larger longhouses were built to host many guests for ceremonies, festivals, or special gatherings called potlatches. A typical longhouse might be about 30 feet wide, 40 feet long, and 10 to 13 feet high. The roof often had a slight slope, like a shed. Inside, the main posts were carved with figures of ancestors or stories about family history, like fishing or hunting rights. Wooden platforms along the walls served as living and sleeping areas. Because these houses could be built end-to-end, they became very long, which is why they are called "longhouses."

Some villages had only a few houses, while others had dozens. The biggest longhouses were used for large potlatches. Other longhouses were just for spiritual ceremonies. These were called Potlatch Houses or tl'e7enkáẃtxw. One very large longhouse in the old village of X̱wáýx̱way was 200 feet long and 60 feet wide. About 100 people from 11 families lived there. In 1875, over a thousand people were invited to a big potlatch in this house.

Today, these traditional building styles are still used for gatherings and ceremonies. You can also see this style in some modern buildings in Squamish communities.

Important Gatherings and Events

In Squamish culture, ceremonies, events, and festivals were very important parts of community life. These events ranged from community feasts to spiritual ceremonies. The most well-known event was the potlatch. A Squamish potlatch was different from those of northern tribes.

At a Squamish potlatch, a large feast was held. The community, nation, or even neighboring nations were invited to join. Wealthy families or individuals hosted these potlatches for special events. They also used them to share their resources and wealth. A potlatch usually happened for events like a birth, a young person becoming an adult, a naming ceremony, a marriage, or a memorial for someone who had passed away. Most potlatches took place in the winter months. Historically, summer was a time for travel and harvesting food.

The Potlatch Ceremony

The Squamish word for potlatch is tl'e7enk. At a potlatch, the host would invite guests to eat foods that had been prepared and harvested. Blankets, either bought or made, were given to the guests. The host would hire a speaker to talk for the family during the event.

For special potlatches, a platform about 10 to 15 feet high was built. The host and speaker would pile many blankets on this platform. The speaker would call out the names of respected guests. A blanket would then be thrown down for that guest. Sometimes, a crowd below would be ready to tear the blanket into pieces. After attending a few potlatches, guests could collect enough wool to make their own blankets. "Hundred Dollar Charlie," a grandfather of Andy Paull, held the last potlatch on Burrard Inlet before the Canadian government banned the practice in 1885.

In other ceremonies, a young woman, often the daughter of a respected man, would sit on a tall pile of blankets. A ceremony would take place around her while her family was nearby. During some ceremonies, people would beat wooden batons on plank drums throughout the house. When a young girl stood up, she would dance with a shawl. Everyone else would beat the drums and sing. When she finished, a man would sprinkle soft down feathers from ducks, swans, or eagles over her.

Large potlatch houses, or tl'e7enkáẃtxw, were built for big events. One longhouse was 200 feet long and 60 feet wide. These houses could hold over a thousand guests from far along the coast. The house would be decorated with down feathers sprinkled on the floor. A famous potlatch happened in X̱wáýx̱way in 1875. It was hosted by Supple Jack, the father of August Jack. Guests came from nearby nations, Vancouver Island, and even inland British Columbia.

Becoming an Adult

The time when young people became adults was a very important stage of life. It was celebrated with much attention. Young men and women might follow some similar customs, but there were also differences. Their training varied based on what roles they would have in the community, their family's traditions, and other factors.

When a young girl showed signs of becoming an adult, she would tell her mother, who would then tell the father. The father would gather the family and relatives. They would then decide what traditions to follow, as different families had different customs. In one tradition, two strands of mountain goat wool were tied to each side of the girl's forehead. This showed the community that she was now a young woman.

For four days, she would fast, eating no food and drinking little or no water. During this time, she would not bathe or go near fires. It was believed that if she went near fire, her skin would turn red. The women of her family, like her mother or grandmother, would carefully remove any uneven hairs from her eyebrows to make them fine and beautiful. They would rub the edges with her saliva and a plant mixture to stop hairs from growing back. After four days, the same woman would bathe and scrub her.

The goal of these traditions was to make her "bright and smart." After bathing, she could eat and sit by the fire. A family member might drape a blanket over her shoulders. After her meal, she would be painted with red ochre. She would go to the forest and pull down cedar and spruce tree branches. She would rub the ends of these branches over her face and body. This was believed to make her beautiful and charming to men. She would also offer fern roots to the cedar trees.

After all these steps, she would be given an ancestral name. A naming ceremony or potlatch would then take place.

Naming Traditions

Squamish naming customs involve ancestral or hereditary names. Traditionally, when a child was born, elders from the family or community would choose a name. This was called a ninamin or nicknam. Years later, during puberty or "coming-of-age" rituals, the person would receive a name from a deceased ancestor. These ancestral names, called kweshamin, can be traced back many generations. They are considered "property" that belongs to a specific family. The family would host a potlatch to give the new ancestral name to the person. Today, ancestral names are still passed on, usually when a family prepares to host a potlatch, not just when a child reaches puberty.

Every name has a special ending that shows if it's a masculine or feminine name. Sometimes, these endings also have meanings. For example, the ending -lanexw is found in names like "Kiyapalanexw," which became "Capilano" in English, and "Xatsalanxw," which became "Kitsilano."

Marriage Customs

After a young person went through their "coming-of-age" rituals and reached adulthood, marriage became important. A young man would look for a bride from another village or even a neighboring nation. He would travel to the prospective bride's house and sit outside the doorway, wrapped in a blanket. He would wait there, without eating or drinking, often for up to four days. During this time, the girl's family would act as if they didn't notice him. If the parents approved, the prospective wife's mother would ask a neighbor to tell the young man that the girl's parents would accept him as their son-in-law.

The girl's family and the young man would not speak directly. The neighbor would prepare a meal for the fasting man. He would then return home to his village and family to tell them he was accepted. Days later, he would return with family and friends in canoes. If he was from a lower-ranking family, he would bring one canoe full of blankets. If he was from a higher-ranking family, he would bring many canoes filled with gifts, blankets, and animal skins. All these gifts would be given to the bride's family. Sometimes, the young man was not accepted. A family meeting would be held to discuss it, and he might be rejected. A neighbor would be called to tell him he was not invited into the house and should go home.

During the night, the father-in-law would entertain the groom's family and offer them a place to stay. The host family would sleep on one side of the longhouse, and the groom's family on the other. The next morning, both families would walk to the beach where the groom's canoe was. Here, the bride's family would place blankets in the canoe. If the bride was from a high-ranking family, blankets would be laid on the ground from the house to the canoe for her to walk on. Two older women would lead her down. The bride would wear beautiful clothes and ornaments. Another blanket was placed over her head, like a veil. Her personal belongings, such as mats, baskets, blankets, wooden platters, and spoons, were carried behind her.

The older women would then place the bride at the front of the canoe. The groom would thank them with gifts or blankets for their help. The bride's family and friends would return home, while the young groom and his family returned to his village with the bride. If the family was not of high rank, many of these customs might not happen.

After some days, the bride and groom would return to the woman's village. The bride's father would host a feast for his guests. After this feast, the married couple and family would return to their home. Many days later, the bride's family would travel to the groom's village. They would bring gifts and blankets equal to what they had received. They would give these to the groom's friends and family and celebrate with a large potlatch. During the potlatch, the bride would sit on a tall pile of blankets during the ceremonies and speeches. Gifts would be given away, and the family and village would celebrate. After all these events, the marriage ceremonies would end, and the man and woman were considered husband and wife.

Fun and Games

Squamish daily life included many games and sports. One of the most famous games was the bone game, or slahal. This game was played by two teams. There were two sets of "bones" and two sets of sticks, usually 7 to 11 for each team. When a game was played, one team had two sets of "bones." If your team was guessing, your goal was to pick the correct bone, the one without a stripe. If you had the bones, your goal was to make the other team guess wrong. When the other team guessed wrong, your team got a point. When a team had the two sets of bones, two people would hide the bones and quickly swap them between their hands. Then, they would bring the bones forward, but keep them hidden so the other team couldn't see which one had the stripe. The game was usually played with drumming and singing to cheer on the team. The team with the bone would sing, while the other team tried to guess. Music was sometimes used to tease the other team. Players or spectators could also gamble, placing bets on teams or on individual guesses within the game.

Other games included some played by children and some played by warriors to train themselves. Some sports were similar to modern-day lacrosse, rugby, and soccer.

The Squamish game called tk'7kw'ala was similar to lacrosse. It was played in villages with teams of two, usually six players on each team. They used a smooth, oval stone weighing about three pounds. There were no sticks or nets. The goal posts were six feet apart on each side of an open space.

In recent decades, canoe racing has become popular among Coast Salish peoples. These races use specially designed war canoes or racing canoes. They are based on traditional canoe styles but have modern designs. The canoes are usually a foot or two above the water, just wide enough for one person. Races include single, double, or 11-person teams. The races are held in the summertime.

Language

The Squamish language, or Sḵwxwú7mesh language, is the traditional language of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh people. It is very important for keeping their culture alive. Although it is close to disappearing, it is still used in ceremonies, events, and some basic conversations. Since no children are learning it as a first language and most speakers are over 65, a lot of work is being done to save and bring it back.

The language is part of the Coast Salish language group. It is most closely related to Sháshíshálh (Sechelt), Sḵ'emin'em (Halkomelem), and Lhéchalosem (Nooksack). Many experts have worked with the Sḵwxwú7mesh people and their language, including Franz Boas and Charles Hill-Tout.

The language has a long history. Before European contact, it was the main language in all the villages, along with Chinook Jargon. Most children would learn Chinook first because it was simpler, then Sḵwxwú7mesh as they got older. After diseases caused many people to die and their land was colonized, Chinook became less common. When the Canadian government forced Indigenous people to adopt European ways, a residential school was set up in the village of Eslha7an. Children from many Squamish villages, and some sent by church officials to a school in Sechelt, were forbidden to speak their language. Children who spoke it were punished. This made people afraid to speak the language, so the next generation grew up without knowing their native tongue.

Over the years, English became the main language. Then, in the 1960s, a lot of work was done to document and revive the language. The BC Language Project, with Randy Bouchard and Dorothy Kennedy, did much of this work. They created the writing system used for the Sḵwxwú7mesh language today. Eventually, local elementary and high schools started offering language classes instead of just French. The Xwemelch'stn Estimxwataxw School, meaning Xwmelch'stn Littleones School, was built for Kindergarten to Grade 3. It aims to teach the language through full immersion.

Art Forms

Squamish visual art includes totem poles, canoes, blankets, and baskets. Weaving is also a very important art form. People weave baskets, hats, and even raincoats using the inner bark of cedar trees.

Travel and Transportation

As a coastal people, the Sḵwxwú7mesh historically traveled by foot or by canoe. Different types of canoes were used for different waters. Larger seagoing canoes were used on the open ocean. Smaller inlet canoes were used in calmer waters and for shorter trips to nearby villages. Cargo canoes were also made for trading large amounts of goods. The main way to travel was by paddling canoes. They also created detailed paths and trails to trade with nations living further inland.