In this part of our guide to American Indian and First Nations people, we will be focusing on the Musqueam people, who traditionally inhabited the western half of what is now Greater Vancouver, in British Columbia, Canada.
Archeological evidence suggests that the Musqueam people have inhabited the area around the mouth of the Fraser River for as long as four thousand years.
In their own language, the Musqueam people are known as xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, which means "place of the river grass" or "place where the river grass grows," a reference to the grass that grew along the mouth of the Fraser River. The current name for the First Nation is an anglicization of xʷməθkʷəy̓əm. The Musqueam origin story speaks of a huge double-headed serpent whose path created the Fraser River, and, from its presence, the river grass grew abundantly.
Before the Europeans came, the Musqueam people had a varied diet, with salmon as a staple. They used trawl, dip nets, and weirs for fishing, and harpoons were used to hunt seals, porpoises, and sturgeon. They also hunted deer, beat, goats, and birds using bows, arrows, nets, and snares. Shellfish, berries, edible roots, and other edibles were also gathered.
During the winter months, they relied heavily on preserved food stores and engaged in indoor activities like storytelling, ritual dances, carving both utilitarian and sacred objects, repairing nets, and sewing clothing.
The Musqueam lived in cedar plank houses that were often divided into rooms for family groups using mats. Villages also had separate smoke and sweat houses for ritual cleansing purposes.
Decorative and ceremonial items, textiles, domestic materials, and food were traded with neighboring tribes.
Totem poles held great significance for the Musqueam people, as with many other Pacific Northwest peoples. Each totem tells a unique story, representing the Musqueam people's traditions, ancestral teachings, and history. They also bore witness to the enduring reverence the Musqueam people had for their ancestors and the land. Totem poles also function as memorials, honoring significant people, marking important events, and commemorating the lives of past members of the community. Totem poles might also represent clan lineage, the hierarchical structure of families, and social status within the community. Of course, the creation of totem poles is an artistic expression demonstrating the skills and creativity of the carvers.
Rather than burying their dead, the Musqueam laid them to rest on elevated platforms built in treetops.
The first Europeans came into Musqueam territory in the early 1790s. Relations with the Spanish were initially good, in that they traded food and a canoe for copper and iron. In 1827, the Hudson Bay Company established Fort Langley on the Fraser River, which led to further trade, as well as conflict.
However, smallpox came to the Musqueam people even before the first Europeans came, probably from other tribes who had interacted with them. Epidemics led to a significant loss of life.
The Fraser River gold rush brought so many European settlers into the area that the British declared the mainland a colony. Under colonial rule, white settlers were allowed to claim 160-acre parcels of land for farming, while the Native Indian people were assigned to small reserves at some, but not all, of their ancestral villages. Consequently, white farmers established farms along the rich lands along the Fraser River.
In 1871, when British Columbia entered the Confederation, Native people were placed under federal jurisdiction, and, by 1876, the Indian Act legislated the daily lives of the Musqueam people. With the goal of assimilating Musqueam people into Christian Canadian society, the government sent its children to Indian residential schools.
In 1884, the Canadian government banned Musqueam potlatch ceremonies, and, simultaneously, international museums were encouraged to salvage Musqueam belongings and those of other Northwest Coast communities under the mistaken idea that they were a vanishing people.
In 1927, the Canadian government amended the Indian Act to make it illegal for the Musqueam people to hire lawyers and hold meetings to pursue land claims. Nevertheless, Native people pushed to have the discriminatory sections of the Indian Act repealed, and, in 1951, the potlatch band and the restrictions on engaging lawyers were lifted.
In 1982, the Canadian Constitution was amended to affirm the Aboriginal rights of the Musqueam, and its fishing rights were restored.
Currently, the Musqueam First Nation holds three reserves, including 470 acres at the mouth of the Fraser River, 142 acres to the east of Canoe Passage near Westham Island, and 16 acres on the northwest corner of Sea Island.
The focus of this category is on the Musqueam people and the Musqueam First Nation.
Recommended Resources
Developed by the Musqueam Capital Corporation, Leləm̓ is a planned residential community on Musqueam land, near the mouth of the Fraser River, at the western tip of Vancouver, near the University of British Columbia. Neighborhood restaurants and cafes, retail stores, health and wellness facilities, grocery and pharmacy outlets, schools, and outdoor amenities are highlighted, and a map is included. New and rental homes, commercial properties, and contacts are featured.
https://lelemliving.com/
Situated at Marpole, six nautical miles from the mouth of the North Arm of the Fraser River, the marina can accommodate boats up to 32' in its fully enclosed drystack facility with launches and haul outs all year at no extra cost, and also offers in-water slips that can accommodate boats up to 80'. Repair and maintenance facilities, a marine store, yacht sales, and a full-service restaurant are also available. A form is available to request moorage, and renewals are also available.
https://milltownmarina.ca/
MCC was created in 2012 to replace the Musqueam Economic Development Department and serves as the economic development arm of the Musqueam Indian Band. Responsible for developing the Band's lands, the MCC acts as an asset manager for Musqueam's existing real estate holdings and creates economic opportunities through business partnerships. Development projects, managed assets, and various opportunities are noted. Board and staff contacts are provided.
https://www.musqueamcapital.ca/
Musqueam Golf & Learning Academy
The driving range and eighteen-hole executive golf course are located along the Fraser River in Vancouver, British Columbia. The driving range is two-tiered, with eighty stalls, and the facility employs experienced golf instructors, who are introduced here. It has private teaching areas and a short game green with a bunker. Course information, league information, and registration are provided. Career information, current openings, and contacts are provided.
https://musqueamgolf.com/
Under the Indian Act, the Musqueam First Nation is officially known as the Musqueam Indian Band. Its members are descendants of people whose traditional territory encompassed the western half of what is now Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Its history, mission, values, territory, educational resources, economic development, and comprehensive community plan are discussed here, along with its governance, administrative offices, and a community calendar are featured.
https://www.musqueam.bc.ca/
Founded to meet the need for a First Nation voice in heavy civil construction, Siyeýe was created by Musqueam Nation members, Kwes’ Kwestin (Jim Kew), Nolan Charles, and Terry Sparrow, with Will Pauga, Jason Rook, and Gary Veldman from Southwest Contracting, Ltd. Its services, which include underground utility installations, site servicing and preparation, roadworks, and remediation, are featured, along with career opportunities and contacts.
https://siyeye.ca/
