Texqa'kallt facts for kids

The Texqa'kallt or Xexka'llt were a group of people from the Shuswap nation in British Columbia, Canada. Their name in the Shuswap language means "people of the upper reaches." They used to live in and around the North Thompson River and the Robson Valley. Historical records say they were a mix of people who spoke both Cree and Shuswap. Their families came from Iroquois, Cree, and Shuswap people. They are well-known for their part in the Shuswap-Sekani War, which was a series of small fights and battles in southern-central British Columbia during the 1780s.

Quick facts for kids
Texqa'kallt

Shuswap family
Regions with significant populations
North Thompson (Canada)
Languages
Shuswap, Cree
Related ethnic groups
Secwépemc, Sekani

Their Way of Life and Language

The Texqa'kallt people were clever and moved around a lot. They were known to have a lot of iron even before the year 1793. After Europeans arrived, they also started using horses, just like many other groups in their area.

They mostly got their food by fishing and gathering plants. Even after meeting Europeans, they continued to move from place to place instead of settling down.

The Shuswap-Sekani War

Between 1780 and 1790, the Shuswap-Sekani War took place. The Texqa'kallt's main involvement in this war began around 1781 or 1782. This happened when they were fishing at a place called Peskala'llen, which means "Salmon Place." This was a very important fishing spot for the Texqa'kallt.

A large group of Sekani people attacked them there. Most of the Texqa'kallt were killed, and some women were captured. To get help, the Texqa'kallt asked for aid from people living near modern Kamloops and the Fraser River. These groups were known for being strong warriors.

Many warriors came to help. Soon, they surrounded a Sekani camp at night and won the battle. The fighting continued for several years. By 1790, the war ended with a final attack from the Shuswap. This attack made the Sekani so weak they had to give up. The Texqa'kallt likely took many people captive from the Sekani. This is known because captured Sekani men and women were seen during the expeditions of Sir Alexander Mackenzie in 1793.

The Texqa'kallt knew the Fraser River waters very well. The groups living higher up the Thompson River often fished there. Like other Salish groups, they mainly ate seafood. They often traded their seafood with other tribes, such as the Cree.

Their Language

The Texqa'kallt people, along with all other Shuswap groups, spoke their own version of the Shuswap language. Shuswap is a Salishan language. While some forms of the language have been written down, not much is known about the specific way the Texqa'kallt spoke it. We mostly know about their language through the names of places.

Texqa'kallt Today

There isn't much information about how the Texqa'kallt became the Simpcw. We only have a few notes from English explorers in the area. We know they existed after the Shuswap-Sekani war ended. However, a year-long smallpox outbreak in 1862, and more and more Iroquois and Cree people coming because of the fur trade, caused changes. By 1909, they had left most of their traditional lands.

A person named Tait wrote that they were "numerous at one time, but had, it seems, no main village ... they were very nomadic." He also said, "A large part of the old hunting grounds in Caribou and north of the head of Fraser River are hardly ever used now, owing to the decrease in numbers of the tribe and to the change in manner of living." This shows that by the 1910s, their population was much smaller, and their way of life had changed a lot.

Today, the people who are descended from the Texqa'kallt are known as the Simpcw. They still mostly live in the same area. They continue to practice the same fishing and hunting traditions as their ancestors. The Simpcw are considered a branch of the Shuswap people who also came from the Texqa'kallt.

See also

• Shuswap-Sekani War
• Secwépemc
• Shuswap language
• Sekani