Who Are the St贸:l艒?
The St贸:l艒 are a collective of Coast Salish First Nations inhabiting the lower Fraser River valley in southwestern British Columbia, Canada鈥攆rom approximately Yale to the river's mouth near Vancouver. Numbering approximately 6,000-7,000 across 24 communities (11 in the St贸:l艒 Nation, others in separate organizations), they speak Halq'em茅ylem (Upriver Halkomelem), a Salishan language. The name St贸:l艒 means "river" in Halq'em茅ylem, reflecting the Fraser's central importance to their culture and economy. The Fraser River's massive salmon runs supported some of North America's densest pre-contact Indigenous populations.
Salmon People
The Fraser River is one of North America's greatest salmon rivers, historically supporting runs of millions of fish annually. Salmon was central to St贸:l艒 life鈥攏ot just as food but as identity, spirituality, and economy. The First Salmon ceremony honored returning salmon, ensuring continued runs. Fishing technologies鈥攚eirs, traps, dip nets, reef nets鈥攁llowed harvest of huge quantities. Fish were preserved through smoking and drying for year-round consumption and trade. The Hell's Gate rock slide (1913-1914), caused by railroad construction, devastated salmon runs; the fisheries have never fully recovered. St贸:l艒 continue to fish, though allocations and regulations create ongoing conflicts with commercial and sport fishers.
Gold Rush Impact
The Fraser River gold rush (1858) brought tens of thousands of miners into St贸:l艒 territory virtually overnight, dramatically changing the region. Previous European contact had been limited; suddenly, settlements, roads, and mining operations transformed the landscape. Violence occurred; in the "Fraser Canyon War" (1858), miners and Indigenous people clashed before colonial authorities established order. The gold rush population explosion led to British Columbia becoming a British colony. St贸:l艒 lost access to resources and territories. Douglas Treaties promised land protection but were never fully implemented. This sudden transformation distinguishes St贸:l艒 history from Indigenous peoples whose colonial contact was more gradual.
Contemporary St贸:l艒
Modern St贸:l艒 communities are distributed throughout the Fraser Valley, from urban Chilliwack to more rural communities upstream. The St贸:l艒 Nation and St贸:l艒 Tribal Council represent different groupings of communities (some communities belong to neither). Treaty negotiations have been complex; some communities signed the Yale Treaty while others continue negotiations. The Halq'em茅ylem language is endangered; revitalization programs work to counter decline. Cultural practices including fishing, weaving, and ceremonies continue. The St贸:l艒 Research and Resource Management Centre has pioneered Indigenous research methodologies. Economic activities include gaming, commercial ventures, and traditional harvesting. Rapid development in the Fraser Valley creates ongoing land-use pressures. The St贸:l艒 demonstrate how Indigenous peoples maintain culture while navigating urban development and political complexity.
References
- Carlson, K. (2001). A St贸:l艒-Coast Salish Historical Atlas
- Miller, B. (2007). The Problem of Justice: Tradition and Law in the Coast Salish World
- Smith, M. E. (2010). Finding Our Way: Leadership for an Uncertain Time