History and Origins:

Birth of the Stó:lō community

it exists today, evolved from several organizations that emerged in response to the Trudeau government's
1969 Liberal Indian Policy
Referred to the white paper
If that was successful, all aboriginals would have been assimilated according to the goverment
The East Fraser District Council (EFDC) was a grouping of twenty four Stó:lō bands between Fort
Langley and Yale.
As part of a larger First Nations group, the Coast Salish Peoples of the Pacific Northwest, much of their
traditional lifestyle is based around the subsistence gathering of local plants, hunting, fishing, and trading
goods with other Coast Salish Peoples

Historically, Stó:lō society was organized in a strict hierarchy; that of Siy:ams (Chiefs or upper class),
general populace, and slaves. The Siy:ams, often hunters, held positions of great respect and importance.
The slaves were by most accounts treated well, and were given tasks relating to gathering and preparing
food or carpentry. The Stó:lō economy was based around a reciprocal exchange program, called the
t’leaxet, or potlatch, where villages would gift each other the main delicacies and supplies needed for
both survival and pleasure.

Because the river was the main way for transportation, villages were mostly concentrated on the
waterway. Longhouses made out of Cedar would house whole families. Depending on the season,
families would leave their longhouses and go to different dwellings situated by prime fishing or gathering
spots. These dwellings were usually small pit houses made out of timber and built into the ground. Wild
berries that grew on the mountains, such as strawberries, thimbleberries, soapberries, and black caps,
were a popular food, as well as wild onions, potatoes, and carrots. The Red Cedar tree was a useful
resource, and was used as bark, timber, rope, canoes, woven baskets, and art. The most important food
source, however, was salmon. A staple food in the diet year round, salmon were considered to be the
descendants of a Stó:lō ancestor who had been transformed into the fish by the Great Creator so that the
people would never go hungry. As such, the salmon is respected and placed in high respect during
ceremonies and spiritual gatherings. This interconnectedness between people and the natural world is still
a major part of Stó:lō spirituality. Shxwelí, or life force, connects all living things with the earth, as well
as connecting the present with the generations past and future.

Xay:tem

One such important oral history is that of the Xe:xals, or Transformers, which has a few variations. When
the world was very young and the people lived with no guidance, the Great Creator either became the
Xe:xals, or appointed the Xe:xals as guardians of the Stó:lō and to show the people how to live. The
Xe:xals, three male bears and one female bear, travelled the earth to “make things right” again. People
who were productive and good to their communities were transformed into useful commodities, such as
salmon, beaver, or cedar, so that the people would never be without. Those who were selfish, and did not
preserve their culture or contribute to the community were turned into stone. When the Xe:xals arrived at
Hatzic, they found three good chiefs and gave them the gift of written language. The chiefs promised to
teach the people the language and to share the gift. However, when the Great Creator returned in the guise
of a man, Xa:als, the chiefs had kept the language to themselves. When Xa:als began to turn the chiefs
into a stone, the men panicked. One chief began to teach the people as fast as he could, another began to
cry, and the last began to sing. The Xay:tem rock still stands, and is said to hold the chief’s song for
eternity.

Today, Xay:tem is a National Historic Site. Carbon dating has placed the site as being at least 9,000 years
old. Recent archaeological digs have unearthed a longhouse that is believed to be around 6,000 years old,
making it the oldest found dwelling in B.C., and one of the oldest in Canada. The importance of such a
find has placed Mission as an integral place for not only the Stó:lō, but also in Canadian history.
The entire region of the Stó:lō people

Stó:lō people refer to their traditional territory as S’ólh Téméxw. The traditional territory
of the Stó:lō extends from the mouth of the Fraser River to Harrison Lake.

The Stó:lō are the first inhabitants of the Fraser Valley dating back thousands of years.
The word Stó:lō is Halq’eméylem for river; the Stó:lō are the river people.
Halq’eméylem is the dialect of the Coast Salishan language family spoken by the Stó:lō
people. The word Stó:lō itself discloses the importance of the natural environment to the
Indigenous peoples of the Fraser Valley.

1 paper for history (how the Stó:lō nation began and how they were formed, white paper etc...)
1 paper for introduction and Location (show the map and explain where they are located, and who these
people are)
1 paper for the cultural practice (they are the people of the river)
1 paper on what makes them different from other first nations groups.
https://www.stolonation.bc.ca/history
https://missionmuseum.com/local-history/stolo/

https://xaytem.opened.ca/the-stolo/#:~:text=The%20St%C3%B3%3Al%C5%8D
%20people%20were,fish%20like%20salmon%20and%20sturgeon.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St%C3%B3%EA%9E%89l%C5%8D