First Nations

WEYT-K!

Weyt-k means Hello in Secwepemctsin, which is the language of the Secwepemc people. There are three local Bands through the Government of Canada’s Department of Indigenous-Crown Relations: Neskonlith, Adams Lake and Little Shuswap Lake.

The Secwepemc people have lived in South-Central B.C. for thousands of years. Their traditional territory covers approximately 180,000 square kilometres, stretching from the Columbia River valley along the Rocky Mountains, west to the Fraser River, and south to the Arrow Lakes. Borders between territories were not hard, fixed lines in the way that jurisdictional boundaries are today. Areas were often shared by neighbouring nations and trade extended across long distances.

Historically there were as many as 35 Secwepemc Communities, but today there are 17 communities or Bands recognized within the Secwepemc Territory. The local Bands are members of the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council, which consists of 10 Secwepemc Bands. To find out more about the Secwepemc Nation, visit SpiritMap, a website focused on the language, history and culture of the Secwepemc people.

The Village of Chase has recently entered into Protocol Agreements with both Cstelnéc (Adams Lake Band) and Neskonlith to establish and maintain long-term cooperative government-to-government relationships.