Sumas Prairie: Failed Dikes, Flooded Farmland

The Chawathil First Nation are situated in a resplendent mountain setting located in the Fraser Valley 140 km East of Vancouver, BC. The Chawathil people have lived in our present location for thousands of years. Our traditional territory once occupied much of what is now Hope and surrounding areas.

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The Seabird Island Band exists to promote a healthier, self-sufficient, self-governing, unified and educated community. We believe that a healthy community is one that has achieved physical, emotional, mental, spiritual and cultural balance.

The Stó:lō Nation is the political amalgamation of eleven Stó:lō communities.

"The people gathered in the summertime as we had Semá:th Lake that once offered every species of fish right there at the front of our village and in the winter time people gathered there from all parts of the Coast Salish Nation for the winter ceremonies and I hope sometime in the future that we can re-establish Semá:th as a central place amongst the Coast Salish."

"Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) regional officials work closely with First Nations at risk of flooding and partners to help ensure emergency preparedness and response plans are in place and fund eligible flood mitigation preparedness and response measures."

The Lower Mainland dike inventory maps show flood protection works regulated under the Dike Maintenance Act. Includes Chilliwack and Abbotsford.

The exhibition, Qoqo: | High Water, takes a look at the once vast expanse of Semá:th Xó:tsa (Sumas Lake) that once existed on what is now Sumas Prairie. These wetlands, once abundant with a multitude of wildlife, are vital to the livelihood of the Stó:lō people. Qoqo: | High Water makes reference to the ebbs and flows of our waterways; and to the ninth month of the Stó:lō calendar, Temqoqo:, or “High Water Time,” during which local rivers and streams are high with melted snow water. Journey through the exhibition to discover the wildlife that once thrived in this area and historic weather events that shaped the landscape. Reflect on the environmental and cultural impacts of settlement, including the draining of Semá:th Xó:tsa.

Click this link for images of Sumas Lake.

The article focuses on Sumas Valley in British Columbia, Semá:th indigenous people of America and British Columbia joining the Confederation.

The article presents a comparative analysis of Sto:lo and settler stories about Swí:lhcha, or Cultus Lake. Topics covered include stories that describe portals as a source of power for the few who know how to use them, and a history of the lake, and British Columbia, that is simultaneously Indigenous and settler, a place that is both shared and contested, instead of colonized.

Bridge Between Nations is a FBC publication that focuses on First Nations of the Fraser Basin — with an overview on history, language and culture, and key events that have shaped Aboriginal/Non-Aboriginal relations.

This legal synthesis, and its summary consolidates the year-long learning of what stories, both sxwōxwiyám/ sx̌ʷəx̌ʷəyém (‘stories of the distant past’ or ‘tell stories’) and sqwélqwel/ sqʷelqʷəl (‘true news’ or ‘oral stories’) and Elder’s knowledge teaches us about Indigenous laws related to watershed management and fisheries governance in the Lower Fraser.

BC Laws

BC Laws

BC Laws: An Act for Dyking and Reclaiming certain lands at Chilliwhack, Sumas, and Matsqui.

Use this database to find descriptions and select digitized versions of archival records held at the BC Archives.

This UBC guide will support you in creating common citation formats in the APA (American Psychological Association) Style - 7th edition.

Past exhibit at The Reach Gallery in Abbotsford.

The Library and Archives houses a collection that focuses on information about the Coast Salish, particularly the Stó:lō. There is material available about the history, both pre and post contact, culture, society, language and oral narratives. In addition to those topics, there is also material about land, and land claims, art, education, archaeology and place names.

The UBCIC Library is a specialized research library and archives focusing on BC land rights research. We serve all researchers who have a Band Council Resolution (BCR) to conduct research on behalf of a First Nation.

UBC's X̱wi7x̱wa Library is a centre for academic and community Indigenous scholarship. Its collections and services reflect Aboriginal approaches to teaching, learning, and research. X̱wi7x̱wa collects materials written from First Nations perspectives, such as materials produced by First Nations, First Nations organizations, tribal councils, schools, publishers, researchers, writers and scholars. X̱wi7x̱wa Library uses a locally developed classification and subject heading system to organize material in the collection.