Nlaka'pamux
Encyclopedia
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
/Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
people of the Interior Salish
Interior Salish
The Interior Salish languages are one of the two main subgroups of the Salishan language family, the other being Coast Salish. It can be further subdivided into Northern and Southern Interior Salish...
language group in southern British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. Their traditional territory includes parts of the North Cascades
North Cascades
The North Cascades are a section of the Cascade Range of western North America. They span the border between the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington and are officially named in Canada as the Cascade Mountains...
region of Washington.
Other names
Frontier-era histories and maps transliterate the name Nlaka'pamux as Hakamaugh or Klackarpun; they were also known as the Couteau, Kootomin or Knife Indians. In the dialect of the Thompson languageThompson language
The Thompson language, properly known as Nlaka'pamuctsin or the Nlaka'pamux language, is an Interior Salishan language spoken in the Fraser Canyon, Thompson Canyon, Nicola Country of the Canadian province of British Columbia, and also in the North Cascades region of Whatcom and Chelan counties of...
used by the Ashcroft Indian Band, the variant Nl'akapxm is used.
The Nlaka'pamux of the Nicola Valley
Nicola River
The Nicola River, originally French Rivière de Nicholas or Rivière de Nicolas, adapted to Nicolas River, Nicola's River in English, , is one of the major tributaries of the Thompson River in the Canadian province of British Columbia, entering the latter at the town of Spences Bridge...
, who are all in the Nicola Tribal Association
Nicola Tribal Association
The Nicola Tribal Association is the official name of what is also known as the Nicola Tribal Council and the Nicola Valley Tribal Council, is a First Nations Tribal Council composed of bands in the Nicola Valley, Thompson Canyon and Fraser Canyon areas of the Canadian province of British Columbia...
reserves refer to themselves Scw'exmx and speak a different dialect of the Thompson language
Thompson language
The Thompson language, properly known as Nlaka'pamuctsin or the Nlaka'pamux language, is an Interior Salishan language spoken in the Fraser Canyon, Thompson Canyon, Nicola Country of the Canadian province of British Columbia, and also in the North Cascades region of Whatcom and Chelan counties of...
. Together with the Spaxomin people, a branch of the Okanagan people
Okanagan people
The Okanagan people, also spelled Okanogan, are a First Nations and Native American people whose traditional territory spans the U.S.-Canada boundary in Washington state and British Columbia...
(Syilx) who live in the upper Nicola valley and also belong to the Nicola Tribal Association, they are collectively known as the Nicola people, or Nicolas.
Religion
The Nlaka'pamux were the object of both Anglican and Roman Catholic missionary efforts in the nineteenth century, resulting in the vast majority belonging to one of the two denominations by the beginning of the Twentieth Century.Governments
The Nlaka'pamux Nation Tribal CouncilNlaka'pamux Nation Tribal Council
The Nlaka'pamux Nation Tribal Council, formerly the Fraser Thompson Indian Services Society, is a First Nations government Tribal Council comprising bands in the Fraser Canyon and Thompson Canyon areas of the Canadian province of British Columbia...
despite its name does not include all Nlaka'pamux people, but is one of three main tribal bodies within the region, the others being the Fraser Canyon Indian Administration
Fraser Canyon Indian Administration
The Fraser Canyon Indian Administration is a First Nations tribal council government composed of five bands in the Fraser Canyon and Thompson Canyon areas of the Canadian province of British Columbia....
and the Nicola Tribal Association
Nicola Tribal Association
The Nicola Tribal Association is the official name of what is also known as the Nicola Tribal Council and the Nicola Valley Tribal Council, is a First Nations Tribal Council composed of bands in the Nicola Valley, Thompson Canyon and Fraser Canyon areas of the Canadian province of British Columbia...
. The Lytton First Nation
Lytton First Nation
The Lytton First Nation is a First Nations government headquartered at Lytton in the Fraser Canyon region of the Canadian province of British Columbia...
or Lytton Band, focussed on the town of the same name, which is named Camchin or Kumsheen in the Nlaka'pamux language
Thompson language
The Thompson language, properly known as Nlaka'pamuctsin or the Nlaka'pamux language, is an Interior Salishan language spoken in the Fraser Canyon, Thompson Canyon, Nicola Country of the Canadian province of British Columbia, and also in the North Cascades region of Whatcom and Chelan counties of...
and is one of the largest Nlaka'pamux communities, does not belong to any of the three Tribal Association. Lower Nicola Indian band is also independent of all and any Tribal affiliations and is located in Lower Nicola, British Columbia, Canada.
None of the Nlaka'pamux governments are in the British Columbia Treaty Commission process at present.
Nlaka'pamux Nation Tribal Council
- Boothroyd Indian Band
- Boston Bar Indian Band
- Oregon Jack Creek Indian Band
- Spuzzum Indian Band (also a member of the Fraser Canyon Indian AdministrationFraser Canyon Indian AdministrationThe Fraser Canyon Indian Administration is a First Nations tribal council government composed of five bands in the Fraser Canyon and Thompson Canyon areas of the Canadian province of British Columbia....
)
Fraser Canyon Indian Administration
- Kanaka Bar Indian Band
- Skuppah Indian Band
- Spuzzum Indian Band (also a member of the Nlaka'pamux Nation Tribal CouncilNlaka'pamux Nation Tribal CouncilThe Nlaka'pamux Nation Tribal Council, formerly the Fraser Thompson Indian Services Society, is a First Nations government Tribal Council comprising bands in the Fraser Canyon and Thompson Canyon areas of the Canadian province of British Columbia...
- Yale First Nation
Nicola Valley Tribal Association
- Shackan Indian Band(Original NTA)
- Nooaitch Indian Band(Original NTA)
- Upper Nicola Indian BandUpper Nicola Indian BandThe Upper Nicola Indian Band is a First Nations government in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located near the town of Merritt in the Nicola Country at Douglas Lake...
(Original NTA)(also a member of the Okanagan Nation AllianceOkanagan Nation AllianceThe Okanagan Nation Alliance is a First Nations Tribal Council in the Canadian province of British Columbia, spanning the Nicola, Okanagan and Similkameen Districts of the Canadian province of British Columbia and also the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington state.-Member...
) - Coldwater Indian Band(Original NTA)
- Siska Indian Band
- Cook's Ferry Indian Band
- Nicomen Indian Band (Former member of the Fraser Canyon Indian AdministrationFraser Canyon Indian AdministrationThe Fraser Canyon Indian Administration is a First Nations tribal council government composed of five bands in the Fraser Canyon and Thompson Canyon areas of the Canadian province of British Columbia....
)
Language
The Nlaka'pamux speak an Interior SalishInterior Salish
The Interior Salish languages are one of the two main subgroups of the Salishan language family, the other being Coast Salish. It can be further subdivided into Northern and Southern Interior Salish...
an language named nɬeʔkepmxcín, usually transliterated as Nlaka'pamuxtsn and known in English as the Thompson language
Thompson language
The Thompson language, properly known as Nlaka'pamuctsin or the Nlaka'pamux language, is an Interior Salishan language spoken in the Fraser Canyon, Thompson Canyon, Nicola Country of the Canadian province of British Columbia, and also in the North Cascades region of Whatcom and Chelan counties of...
.