Seabird Island First Nation
Encyclopedia
The Seabird Island First Nation or Seabird Indian Band is a band government of the Sto:lo
people located on Sea Bird Island
in the Upper Fraser Valley
region, 3kms east of Agassiz, British Columbia
, Canada
. They are a member government of the Stó:lō Tribal Council
.
The Seabird Island Band is a multi-faceted First Nations Band that includes government, business, service and non-profit services.
(19 April 1834 – 4 June 1913), a representative of the Indian Reserve Commission, would consult with First Nations people and later allocate the island known then as Skow-a-kull (correct spelling Sq'éwqel) as a reserve to be held in-common by the people from Popkum, Skw'átits, Ohamil, Ska-wah-look, Hope, Union Bar and Yale because the land they currently resided on could not sustain crops, and the land on Seabird Island would provide rich soil and provide a place for First Nations families to live their lives on.
Seabird Island speaks a mix of Halq'eméylem and Thompson language
. The Halq'eméylem name for the Seabird Island Band, Sq'éwqel, is translated to "Turn in the River", the English name Seabird Island would be taken from the June 1858 groundings of a transport paddle-wheeler "Sea Bird" on an island bar in the Fraser River
across from Seabird Island.
, First Nation Summit and the Assembly of First Nations
.
Elections
Any member of the band who is 18 years of age and a registered Band Member of the Seabird Island Band is entitled to vote. The Chief can be elected by a majority of votes of the electors. The Chief and Councilors each serve a term of two years.
The next scheduled election will be in 2013.
diversity, culture, growth and First Nations
sport talent. Each year the Seabird Island First Nations Festival hosts 9,000 visitors, entertainers, players,War Canoe
-pullers, volunteers and sponsors. The tournaments include: Ball Hockey
, Soccer, War Canoe
racing and Slahal
.
The Seabird Island First Nations Festival occurs the last full weekend in May each year.
and BelAir Networks launched a wireless mesh network
throughout the Seabird Island Band community. Seabird Island Band would become the first First Nations community in Canada
to achieve this feat. The wireless mesh network would be used to offer Seabird Island Band with ubiquitous, high-speed broadband wireless access supporting residential, educational and business communication requirements. Prior to 2007, most Seabird Island Band community members could only access dial-up internet – only the community core had access to high-speed internet.
Sustainable Housing project provided band members with improved quality, energy efficient housing by integrating renewable energy sources, and it is affordable. Plus, it has other remarkable features, such as reduced maintenance and lower heating and electricity cost, because of the advanced technology.
This unique development is part of the Seabird Island Band's "Sustainable Community Plan". The idea behind sustainable community planning is to use land and design neighbourhoods in a way that reduces costs and minimizes environmental impacts, while creating a livable community - both now and well into the future.
http://www.iahla.ca/record-breaking-success-first-nations-adult-education-announced
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 located on Sea Bird Island
Sea Bird Island (British Columbia)
Sea Bird Island is an island in the Fraser River just east of Agassiz, British Columbia, Canada, in the Upper Fraser Valley region of that province, about 75 miles east of Vancouver...
in the Upper 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...
region, 3kms east of Agassiz, British Columbia
Agassiz, British Columbia
Agassiz is a small community located in British Columbia's Fraser Valley. The only town within the jurisdiction of the District Municipality of Kent, it contains the majority of Kent's population.-References:...
, 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...
. They are a member government of the Stó:lō 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...
.
The Seabird Island Band is a multi-faceted First Nations Band that includes government, business, service and non-profit services.
History
The story of the Seabird Indian Band began over 130 years ago in June of 1879 with Gilbert Malcolm SproatGilbert Malcolm Sproat
Gilbert Malcolm Sproat was a Scottish-born Canadian businessman, office holder, and author. Arriving on Vancouver Island in 1860, he helped to found the first sawmill in Port Alberni, British Columbia. On 24 July. 1863 he was made the justice of the peace for the Colony of Vancouver Island...
(19 April 1834 – 4 June 1913), a representative of the Indian Reserve Commission, would consult with First Nations people and later allocate the island known then as Skow-a-kull (correct spelling Sq'éwqel) as a reserve to be held in-common by the people from Popkum, Skw'átits, Ohamil, Ska-wah-look, Hope, Union Bar and Yale because the land they currently resided on could not sustain crops, and the land on Seabird Island would provide rich soil and provide a place for First Nations families to live their lives on.
Seabird Island speaks a mix of Halq'eméylem and Thompson language
Thompson language
The Thompson language, properly known as Nlaka'pamuctsin or the Nlaka'pamux language, is an Interior Salishan language spoken in the Fraser Canyon, Thompson Canyon, Nicola Country of the Canadian province of British Columbia, and also in the North Cascades region of Whatcom and Chelan counties of...
. The Halq'eméylem name for the Seabird Island Band, Sq'éwqel, is translated to "Turn in the River", the English name Seabird Island would be taken from the June 1858 groundings of a transport paddle-wheeler "Sea Bird" on an island bar in the Fraser River
Fraser 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...
across from Seabird Island.
Services
The Seabird Indian Band, through Health Transfer Agreements with various First Nations Bands, provides a number of services including:- Lalme' Iwesawtexw (House of Learning) Elementary and Secondary School (Also known as: Seabird Island Community School)
- Lalme' Iwesawtexw (House of Learning) Adult Education (Also known as: Seabird Island Community School)
- Seabird College (PCTIA registered, #3550)
- Employment Centre
- Doctor's Office
- Dental Clinic
- Fitness Centre
- Mental Health & Wellness Centre
- Housing, Constuction and Capital Projects
- Mobile Diabetes Project
- Youth Home
- Family Home
- Aboriginal Infant Development
- Bus for Education and Aboriginal Resources
- Daycare
- Maternal and Child Health
- Halq'emeylem Immersion Preschool
- Speech and Language
- Head Start
- Supported Child Development
- Seabird Wi-fi
- Graphic Communications and Promotions
- Fire Department
Government
The Seabird Island Band is governed by one Chief and a seven person Council that share the responsibility of representing Seabird Island Band at all government levels as well as to other groups, ensuring a strong united voice for the Seabird Island Band locally, provincially and nationally, with specific emphasis and involvement with Stó:lō Tribal CouncilStó: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...
, First Nation Summit and the Assembly of First Nations
Assembly of First Nations
The Assembly of First Nations , formerly known as the National Indian Brotherhood, is a body of First Nations leaders in Canada...
.
Elections
Any member of the band who is 18 years of age and a registered Band Member of the Seabird Island Band is entitled to vote. The Chief can be elected by a majority of votes of the electors. The Chief and Councilors each serve a term of two years.
The next scheduled election will be in 2013.
Seabird Island First Nations Festival
The Seabird Island First Nations Festival was first established in May 1969 by Grand Chief Archie Charles and his wife Mary Charles. Today, the Seabird Island First Nations Festival is a celebration of First NationsFirst Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
diversity, culture, growth and First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
sport talent. Each year the Seabird Island First Nations Festival hosts 9,000 visitors, entertainers, players,War Canoe
War Canoe
A war canoe is a watercraft of the canoe type designed and outfitted for warfare, and which is found in various forms in many world cultures. In modern times, such designs have become adapted as a sport, and "war canoe" can mean a type of flatwater racing canoe.-War canoes as sport:War canoe is...
-pullers, volunteers and sponsors. The tournaments include: Ball Hockey
Ball hockey
Ball hockey is a team sport and a variation of the sports of ice hockey and street hockey, where the game is played on foot in which players use sticks to direct a ball into their opposing team's net. When that occurs it is referred to as a "goal". At the end of the time allotted for the game the...
, Soccer, War Canoe
War Canoe
A war canoe is a watercraft of the canoe type designed and outfitted for warfare, and which is found in various forms in many world cultures. In modern times, such designs have become adapted as a sport, and "war canoe" can mean a type of flatwater racing canoe.-War canoes as sport:War canoe is...
racing and Slahal
Slahal
Slahal is the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast gambling game known as stickgame, bonegame, bloodless war game, handgame, or a name specific to each language. It is played throughout the western United States and Canada by indigenous peoples. The name of the game is a Chinook...
.
The Seabird Island First Nations Festival occurs the last full weekend in May each year.
Technology
In 2007, the Seabird Island Band, in partnership with SiemensSiemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
and BelAir Networks launched a wireless mesh network
Wireless mesh network
A wireless mesh network is a communications network made up of radio nodes organized in a mesh topology. Wireless mesh networks often consist of mesh clients, mesh routers and gateways.The mesh clients are often laptops, cell phones and other wireless devices while the mesh routers forward traffic...
throughout the Seabird Island Band community. Seabird Island Band would become the first First Nations community in 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...
to achieve this feat. The wireless mesh network would be used to offer Seabird Island Band with ubiquitous, high-speed broadband wireless access supporting residential, educational and business communication requirements. Prior to 2007, most Seabird Island Band community members could only access dial-up internet – only the community core had access to high-speed internet.
Sustainable Housing
In 2004, Seabird Island Band began an innovative, cutting edge, sustainable community housing that uses renewable technologies, and includes first-in-the-world features.Sustainable Housing project provided band members with improved quality, energy efficient housing by integrating renewable energy sources, and it is affordable. Plus, it has other remarkable features, such as reduced maintenance and lower heating and electricity cost, because of the advanced technology.
This unique development is part of the Seabird Island Band's "Sustainable Community Plan". The idea behind sustainable community planning is to use land and design neighbourhoods in a way that reduces costs and minimizes environmental impacts, while creating a livable community - both now and well into the future.
External Links
http://www.seabirdisland.cahttp://www.iahla.ca/record-breaking-success-first-nations-adult-education-announced