The Northern Shuswap Treaty Society Webpage

WELCOME TO THE WEBSITE OF THE NORTHERN SHUSWAP TREATY SOCIETY (NSTS)

We are composed of two thousand band members and of four northern Shuswap bands comprising a political alliance between the Canim Lake Indian Band, the Canoe Creek Indian Band, the Xat�sull First Nations and the Williams Lake Indian Band (a.k.a. Sugar Cane). We are 4 of the 17 Shuswap bands that survived the small pox epidemic that followed the 'Cariboo Gold Rush' of the 1850s (there had been 32). We are known in some places as the Northern Secwepemc te Qelmucw (NStQ), meaning the Shuswap people of the north (in our language "Secwepemctsin"). Secwepemc is pronounced (shuh-kwehp-im) and qelmucw is simply pronounced (kel-mooh-k).

Traditional Secwepemc baskets.

The Shuswap are part of the Interior Salish People, who, by and large, are often called a semi-nomadic society, who gathered berries in the summer, and hunted and fished year round, trading with other First Nations while, in the later years, trading with pre-settlement Europeans. We lived in semi-subterranean dwellings known as pithouses during the winter and lived out in the open during the summers, often traveling. The Shuswap are often recognized for their artful basket-making techniques.

Archeological evidence points to our civilization being as old as 5000 years.We are known as the people from where the water flowed, where we held jurisdiction and managed large tracts of the Fraser River and the surrounding area and watersheds. Our combined traditional territory spans between 5,300,000 hectares and 5,600,000 hectares. This is the territory we call Secwepemcul'ecw (pronounced shuh-kwehp-im-oo-loo).

Today, we still have the same strong connection to our traditional territory that we always had. We still pick the berries, dipnet during salmon season, fish the lakes for our traditional ceremonial lake fish, use the resources for medicinal purposes and any treaty we sign will have to incorporate our relationship to the land as its stewards.

The beautiful Fraser River.

Dipnetting on the Fraser River.

Through the treaty process, we are striving for a very unique goal as compared to many other tables. We are not only seeking to govern ourselves, but we are seeking to maintain our integral relationship with our traditional territory as stewards of the land by proposing in our treaty a structure for something called "shared-decision making." Through shared-decision-making with Canada and BC, we are hoping to help guide the management of all the natural resources on our traditional territory. To watch our Macromedia Flash presentation on our Lands and Resources, then click here.

The Secwepemc winter home known as the "pithouse."

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This site was developed by Cary Morin (NSTS Public Relations/Communications Coordinator) with the assistance of Emoda Design. Any use of any materials from this site must be done with the expressed approval of the Northern Shuswap Treaty Society.

Northern Shuswap Treaty Society �2006