Kwantlen First Nation
Encyclopedia
The Kwantlen First Nation is the band government of the Kwantlen subgroup of the Stó:lō
people in the Fraser Valley
of British Columbia
, Canada
, located primarily at Fort Langley
. They traditionally speak the Downriver dialect of Halkomelem, one of the Salishan
family of languages. They are a member of the Sto:lo Tribal Council
, one of two Sto:lo tribal councils.
as far upstream as a village at Hatzic. In particular, the Stave River
valley was important for hunting, trapping, and fishing. They moved their main settlement upriver when Fort Langley
was established in the 19th century, to control and maintain a trading advantage with the HBC in Fort Langley.
The band also shares the Peckquaylis Indian Reserve with 20 other bands. It is the former St. Mary's Indian Residential School just east of Mission and is now a cultural, government, and aboriginal business centre.
Stó:lo
The Sto:lo , alternately written as Stó:lō, Stó:lô or Stó:lõ and historically as Staulo or Stahlo, and historically known and commonly referred to in ethnographic literature as the Fraser River Indians or Lower Fraser Salish, are a group of First Nations peoples inhabiting the Fraser Valley of...
people in the Fraser Valley
Fraser Valley
The Fraser Valley is the section of the Fraser River basin in southwestern British Columbia downstream of the Fraser Canyon. The term is sometimes used to refer to the Fraser Canyon and stretches upstream from there, but in general British Columbian usage of the term refers to the stretch of the...
of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, located primarily at Fort Langley
Fort Langley, British Columbia
Fort Langley is a village with a population of 2,700 and forms part of the Township of Langley. It is the home of Fort Langley National Historic Site, a former fur trade post of the Hudson's Bay Company.-History:...
. They traditionally speak the Downriver dialect of Halkomelem, one of the Salishan
Salishan languages
The Salishan languages are a group of languages of the Pacific Northwest...
family of languages. They are a member of the Sto:lo Tribal Council
Stó:lo Tribal Council
The Stó:lō Tribal Council is a First Nations Tribal Council in the Fraser Valley-Greater Vancouver region of the Canadian province of British Columbia that is the tribal council for First Nations band governments from Hope, at the south end of the Fraser Canyon down to Langley...
, one of two Sto:lo tribal councils.
History
The Kwantlen once resided primarily in villages near present-day New Westminster, although they frequented many locations along the Lower FraserFraser River
The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia at the city of Vancouver. It is the tenth longest river in Canada...
as far upstream as a village at Hatzic. In particular, the Stave River
Stave River
The Stave River is a tributary of the Fraser, joining it at the boundary between the municipalities of Maple Ridge and Mission, about 35 km east of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in the Central Fraser Valley region....
valley was important for hunting, trapping, and fishing. They moved their main settlement upriver when Fort Langley
Fort Langley National Historic Site
Fort Langley is a former trading post of the Hudson's Bay Company, now located in the village of Fort Langley, British Columbia. Commonly referred to as "the birthplace of British Columbia", it is designated a National Historic Site of Canada and administered by Parks Canada.-A new fort:After John...
was established in the 19th century, to control and maintain a trading advantage with the HBC in Fort Langley.
Indian Reserves
The band administers six Indian Reserves:- Langley Indian Reserve No. 2, on right (west) bank of the Stave RiverStave RiverThe Stave River is a tributary of the Fraser, joining it at the boundary between the municipalities of Maple Ridge and Mission, about 35 km east of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in the Central Fraser Valley region....
, 1 mile from its confluence with the Fraser River, 58.3 ha. This and IRs Nos. 3 and 4 are located in the District of MissionMission, British ColumbiaMission, the core of which was formerly known as Mission City, is a district municipality in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is situated on the north bank of the Fraser River overlooking the City of Abbotsford and with that city is part of the Central Fraser Valley. Mission is the... - Langley Indian Reserve No. 3, on island at the mouth of the Stave RiverStave RiverThe Stave River is a tributary of the Fraser, joining it at the boundary between the municipalities of Maple Ridge and Mission, about 35 km east of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in the Central Fraser Valley region....
, 46 ha. - Langley Indian Reserve No. 4, on the left (east) bank of the mouth of the Stave RiverStave RiverThe Stave River is a tributary of the Fraser, joining it at the boundary between the municipalities of Maple Ridge and Mission, about 35 km east of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in the Central Fraser Valley region....
, adjacent to Silvermere LakeSilvermere LakeSilvermere Lake, located on the west side of Silverdale, a rural neighbourhood of Mission, British Columbia, is a man made lake. It is visible from and adjacent to the Lougheed Highway, which follows a causeway on the lake's south side...
, 96 ha. - Langley Indian Reserve No. 5, on the right (north) bank of the Fraser River, 2 miles northeast of Fort Langley, to the east of AlbionAlbion, British ColumbiaAlbion, British Columbia is a neighbourhood in Maple Ridge, British Columbia and is one of several small towns incorporated within the municipality at its creation...
, 140.6 ha. - Whonnock Indian Reserve No. 1, between WhonnockWhonnockWhonnock, British Columbia is a small community. It is located within the district municipality of Maple Ridge, British Columbia, about two miles west of the confluence of the Stave and Fraser Rivers...
(W) and RuskinRuskin, British ColumbiaRuskin is a rural and industrial area about 40 kilometres east of Vancouver, British Columbia straddling the border between the suburban municipalities of Maple Ridge and Mission, on the west bank of the lower Stave River.-History:...
(E), 34.4 ha. - McMillan Island Indian Reserve No. 6, on McMillan IslandMcMillan IslandMcMillan Island is an island in the Fraser River. Located to the north of Fort Langley and south of Maple Ridge.-Overview:McMillan Island is located in the lower Fraser River, north of Fort Langley and south of Maple Ridge...
at Fort Langley, 181 ha., which is the main community of the band and also the location of its offices.
The band also shares the Peckquaylis Indian Reserve with 20 other bands. It is the former St. Mary's Indian Residential School just east of Mission and is now a cultural, government, and aboriginal business centre.