Shackan First Nation
Encyclopedia
Shackan First Nation is a Nlaka'pamux
First Nations government located in the Nicola Country
of the Southern Interior
region of the Canadian province of British Columbia
. It is a member of the Nicola Tribal Association
, which is one of three tribal council
s of the Nlaka'pamux
people. Other Nlaka'pamux
governments belong either to the Fraser Canyon Indian Administration
or the Nlaka'pamux Nation Tribal Council
.
The Shackan First Nation reserve community and offices are located just west of Merritt
, the main urban centre in the Nicola Country
region between the Lower Mainland
and Kamloops
.
The name Shackan is an adaptation from Sxe'xn'x
, which is its name in the local dialect of Nlaka'pamuctsin
(the Thompson language).
(meaning Shackan in Sxe'xn'x dialect of the Nlakapamux ) have occupied their territories in the Nicola Valley and surrounding region since time immemorial. Prior to the arrival of non-Natives, the resources of the Nicola Valley were managed by the Sxe'xn'x to enhance and maintain settlement, food, and medicine gathering, hunting, fishing, horse grazing, fur trapping, and trade. By the year 1857, the Sxe'xn'x had begun to incorporate gold mining and agriculture as new economic strategies.
Following non-Native settlement in the Nicola Valley, Indian Reserves were laid out by Indian Reserve Commissioner, Gilbert Sproat, in August 1878. As one of several reserves laid out for the Lower Nicola Indian Band, the Shackan Indian Band was created near the Scw'exmx village of "Kapatci'tcîn". Sproat described the site as "Potatoe Gardens" or "Skachin". In the same month, to other reserves near to "Potatoe Gardens" were also established: "Papsilqua [I.R. #13] , used for raising hay and as grazing pasture, with access to water for irrigation; and Soldatquo [I.R. #12], used mainly as grazing pasture.
Nlaka'pamux
The Nlaka'pamux , commonly called "the Thompson", and also Thompson River Salish, Thompson Salish, Thompson River Indians or Thompson River people) are an indigenous First Nations/Native American people of the Interior Salish language group in southern British Columbia...
First Nations government located in the Nicola Country
Nicola Country
The Nicola Country, also known as the Nicola Valley and often referred to simply as The Nicola, and originally Nicolas' Country or Nicholas' Country, adapted to Nicola's Country and simplified since, is a region in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada...
of the Southern Interior
British Columbia Interior
The British Columbia Interior or BC Interior or Interior of British Columbia, usually referred to only as the Interior, is one of the three main regions of the Canadian province of British Columbia, the other two being the Lower Mainland, which comprises the overlapping areas of Greater Vancouver...
region of the Canadian province 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...
. It is a member of the Nicola Tribal Association
Nicola Tribal Association
The Nicola Tribal Association is the official name of what is also known as the Nicola Tribal Council and the Nicola Valley Tribal Council, is a First Nations Tribal Council composed of bands in the Nicola Valley, Thompson Canyon and Fraser Canyon areas of the Canadian province of British Columbia...
, which is one of three tribal council
Tribal Council
A Tribal Council is either: an association of Native American bands in the United States or First Nations governments in Canada, or the governing body for certain tribes within the United States or elsewhere...
s of the Nlaka'pamux
Nlaka'pamux
The Nlaka'pamux , commonly called "the Thompson", and also Thompson River Salish, Thompson Salish, Thompson River Indians or Thompson River people) are an indigenous First Nations/Native American people of the Interior Salish language group in southern British Columbia...
people. Other Nlaka'pamux
Nlaka'pamux
The Nlaka'pamux , commonly called "the Thompson", and also Thompson River Salish, Thompson Salish, Thompson River Indians or Thompson River people) are an indigenous First Nations/Native American people of the Interior Salish language group in southern British Columbia...
governments belong either to the Fraser Canyon Indian Administration
Fraser Canyon Indian Administration
The Fraser Canyon Indian Administration is a First Nations tribal council government composed of five bands in the Fraser Canyon and Thompson Canyon areas of the Canadian province of British Columbia....
or the Nlaka'pamux Nation Tribal Council
Nlaka'pamux Nation Tribal Council
The Nlaka'pamux Nation Tribal Council, formerly the Fraser Thompson Indian Services Society, is a First Nations government Tribal Council comprising bands in the Fraser Canyon and Thompson Canyon areas of the Canadian province of British Columbia...
.
The Shackan First Nation reserve community and offices are located just west of Merritt
Merritt, British Columbia
Merritt is a city in the Nicola Valley of the south-central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Situated at the confluence of the Nicola and Coldwater rivers, it is the first major community encountered after travelling along Phase One of the Coquihalla Highway and acts as the gateway to all...
, the main urban centre in the Nicola Country
Nicola River
The Nicola River, originally French Rivière de Nicholas or Rivière de Nicolas, adapted to Nicolas River, Nicola's River in English, , is one of the major tributaries of the Thompson River in the Canadian province of British Columbia, entering the latter at the town of Spences Bridge...
region between the Lower Mainland
Lower Mainland
The Lower Mainland is a name commonly applied to the region surrounding and including Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. As of 2007, 2,524,113 people live in the region; sixteen of the province's thirty most populous municipalities are located there.While the term Lower Mainland has been...
and Kamloops
Kamloops, British Columbia
Kamloops is a city in south central British Columbia, at the confluence of the two branches of the Thompson River and near Kamloops Lake. It is the largest community in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District and the location of the regional district's offices. The surrounding region is more commonly...
.
The name Shackan is an adaptation from Sxe'xn'x
Sxe'xn'x
The Sxe'xn'x are a First Nations people of the Lower Nicola Valley in the southern Southern Interior of the Canadian province of British Columbia. They are part of the larger Nlaka'pamux people and closely connected to the Scw'exmx, a major subgroup of the Nlakapamuxtsin-speaking peoples...
, which is its name in the local dialect of Nlaka'pamuctsin
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 Thompson language).
History
The Sxe'xn'xSxe'xn'x
The Sxe'xn'x are a First Nations people of the Lower Nicola Valley in the southern Southern Interior of the Canadian province of British Columbia. They are part of the larger Nlaka'pamux people and closely connected to the Scw'exmx, a major subgroup of the Nlakapamuxtsin-speaking peoples...
(meaning Shackan in Sxe'xn'x dialect of the Nlakapamux ) have occupied their territories in the Nicola Valley and surrounding region since time immemorial. Prior to the arrival of non-Natives, the resources of the Nicola Valley were managed by the Sxe'xn'x to enhance and maintain settlement, food, and medicine gathering, hunting, fishing, horse grazing, fur trapping, and trade. By the year 1857, the Sxe'xn'x had begun to incorporate gold mining and agriculture as new economic strategies.
Following non-Native settlement in the Nicola Valley, Indian Reserves were laid out by Indian Reserve Commissioner, Gilbert Sproat, in August 1878. As one of several reserves laid out for the Lower Nicola Indian Band, the Shackan Indian Band was created near the Scw'exmx village of "Kapatci'tcîn". Sproat described the site as "Potatoe Gardens" or "Skachin". In the same month, to other reserves near to "Potatoe Gardens" were also established: "Papsilqua [I.R. #13] , used for raising hay and as grazing pasture, with access to water for irrigation; and Soldatquo [I.R. #12], used mainly as grazing pasture.