REALLY Made In Canada ™
:: First Nations / Aboriginal Resources & Links

It is impossible to consider the needs of the people of Canada without including the outstanding legitimate issues of the First Nations and Aboriginal peoples of this land as well. There is very much work which still remains to be done to acknowledge the past, make ammends, and to bridge the present to a future which is bright and hopeful for ALL the peoples of this land! This compilation of First Nations / Aboriginal resources is oriented to bringing related issues, discussions, and SOLUTIONS, to light. We welcome ALL First Nations people from Canada and Aboriginal peoples from around the world to share their cultures, communities, histories, and needs with us. Do you have a link to suggest for this resource topic?

First Nations Indian Bands / Tribes
:: British Columbia

Canim Lake Band - The Canim Lake Band are a progressive people, striving for self-sufficiency through education, economic development, social development, and overall management of its lands and resources.

Da'naxda'xw First Nation - The Da'naxda'xw First Nation is an amalgamation of the Da'naxda'xw and Awaetlala tribes of Knight Inlet. The main village of the Da'naxda'xw, Tsatsisnukwomi, is situated at Dead Point on Harbledown Island.

Ditidaht First Nation - The Ditidaht territory is large. It stretches inland to include Cowichan Lake. It reaches down Nitinat Lake and deep into the forests. It extends along the coast between Bonilla Point and Pachena Point and encompasses a considerable distance offshore.

Haisla First Nation - At this time, the primary residence of the Haisla people is Kitamaat Village located at the head of the Douglas Channel on British Columbia's North Coast. For hundreds of years, however, the Haisla people have occupied many village sites throughout their Territory.

Heiltsuk Nation - The Heiltsuk people have lived in their lands, on what has become the Central Coast of British Columbia, since time immemorial. Formerly known as the Bella Bella Indians, the Heiltsuk speak Hailhzaqvla, the Heiltsuk language. It is considered a separate language but is part of what linguists call the Wakashan Language Family.

Kamloops Indian Band - The word Kamloops is the English translation of the Shuswap word Tk’emlups, meaning ‘where the rivers meet,’ and for centuries has been the home of the Tk’emlupsemc,‘people of the confluence.’

Katzie First Nation - The Katzie First Nation once comprised at least ten villages throughout the territory. The Katzie First Nation derives its name from the Halkomelem word for a type of moss, and it is also the name of an ancient village site in the immediate vicinity of the Katzie Indian Reserve at Pitt Meadows.

Kitsumkalum First Nation - Kitsumkalum is one of fourteen Tsimshian Tribes that has occupied traditional territories in northwest British Columbia for thousands of years. In modern times, the Tsimshian Nation now consists of seven tribes: Gidestsu (Kitasoo or Klemtu), Gitk'a'ata (Hartley Bay), GitkxaaLa (Kitkatla), Gits'ilaasu (Kitselas), Gitsmgeelm (Kitsumkalum), Lax Kw'Alaams (Port Simpson) and Metlakatla.

Klahoose First Nation - The Klahoose traditional territory encompasses Desolation Sound and islands in the northern Straits of Georgia as well as Toba Inlet and adjacent watersheds as shown on the Traditional Territory map.

Ktunaxa Nation - The Traditional Territory of the Ktunaxa Nation covers approximately 70,000 square kilometres (27,000 square miles) within the Kootenay region of south-eastern British Columbia and historically included parts of Alberta, Montana, Washington and Idaho.

Kwakiutl Indian Band - Kwakiutl is very old name, Boas was told it meant “smoke of the world’ but he believed that it meant “beach at the north side of the river’. The four tribes, which collectively made up the Kwakiutl were the Kwakiutl, the K’umk’utis, the Kwixa and the Walas Kwakiutl.

Lower Nicola Indian Band - The Lower Nicola Indian Band belongs to the Swxexmx (“People of the Creeks”) branch of the Nlaka’pamux Nation of the Interior Salish peoples of British Columbia. The Band has ten reserves (totaling 17,500+ acres) surrounding the town of Merritt.

Lyackson First Nation - The Lyackson are part of the Hul’qumi’num Nation. Which includes the Chemainus First Nation, Cowichan Tribes, Halalt First Nation, Lake Cowichan First Nation, Lyackson First Nation and Penelakut First Nation. The Hul’qumi’num Nation Core Territory covers 334,000 Hectares: North from Nanaimo River; South from Goldstream;East from Douglas Island and West from Tuck Lake.

Mowachaht Muchalaht First Nation - Yuquot, the traditional village site and home of the Mowachaht people. Located in the spectacular natural setting of Nootka Sound, the site played a significant role in Canadian history.

Musqueam Indian Band - The Musqueam people have lived in their present location for thousands of years. Their traditional territory once occupied much of what is now Vancouver and surrounding areas.

Namgis First Nation - The core territory of the Namgis First Nations consists of 100,000 square kilometers of land and water located on, and in the waters around, the northeast portion of Vancouver Island.

Neskonlith Band - The Neskonlith Indian Band is located in the beautiful Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is on the outskirts of a small community of Chase, which has a small population of about three thousand people. Neskonlith Band, Little Shuswap Indain and Adams Lake Indian Band are located on the outskirts of the community of Chase. The three Indian Bands are three of seventeen Indian Bands that make up the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council of the Interior of BC.

Nuxalk Nation - The Nuxalk Nation is an indigenous and sovereign Nation located in Bella Coola on the central coast of what is now known as British Columbia, Canada.

Simpcw First Nation - The Simpcw are a division of the Secwepemc, or Shuswap, who occupied the drainage of the North Thompson River upstream from McLure to the headwaters of Fraser River from McBride to Tete Jeune Cache, over to Jasper and south to the headwaters of the Athabasca River.

Shxwhá:Y First Nation

Snuneymuxw First Nation - These are a Coast Salish people who speak the Hul’qumi’num lanquage. They have occupied the eastern shores of south-central Vancouver Island for more than 5,000 years.

Spallumcheen Band - The Splats'in are the most southern tribe of the Shuswap Nation, the largest Interior Salish speaking First Nation in Canada whose aboriginal territory stretches from the BC/Alberta border near the Yellowhead Pass to the plateau west of the Fraser River, southeast to the Arrow Lakes and to the upper reaches of the Columbia River.

Squamish Nation - The Squamish Nation is comprised of Salish peoples who are descendants of the aboriginal peoples who lived in the present day Greater Vancouver area; Gibson's Landing and Squamish River watershed.

Stó:lo Nation - While as Stó:lô we share some cultural similarities with other Aboriginal people, especially other Northwest Coast groups, they are a unique people with specific cultural traditions and political interests unlike anyone else's.

Tsartlip First Nation - Tsartlip First Nation envisions a future whereby they will work in unity to attain a self-sufficient, healthy sovereign nation, while maintaining a focus on our language and culture.

Tsawout First Nation - The Tsawout Frist Nation has taken back jurisidiction of its reserve lands under an initiative that enables First Nations to take back control from the Federal Government. "The shackles have been removed", stated Chief Allan Claxton of the Tsawout First Nation.

Tsawwassen First Nation - The people of the Tsawwassen First Nation are a proud, sea-faring Coast Salish people. For thousands of years, they traveled and fished the waterways of the southern Strait of Georgia and lower Fraser River, visiting all Canadian and U.S. Gulf Islands.

Tseycum First Nation - Tseycum (Union Bay Indian Reserve No.4) is one of the four Saanich villages of Southern Vancouver Island, we are at the centre of Patricia Bay on the Saanich Peninsula. In the Sencoten langauge Tseycum is spelled Wsikem and means Land of Clay.

Ts'kw'aylaxw First Nations - Ts'kw'aylaxw First Nation aslo known as Pavilion Indian Band is located in the south central interior of BC, approximately 40km northwest of Lillooet and 70km west of Cache Creek. The Band has eight reserves but reside on only four of the reserves.

Tsleil-Waututh Nation - Today, Tsleil-Waututh First Nation members live in a community located between Maplewood Flats and Deep Cove on the north shore of Burrard Inlet. The traditional territory of the Tsleil-Waututh First nation encompasses a much larger area of 720 square miles that reaches from the Fraser River in the south to Mamquam Lake (near Whistler) in the north. The most heavily utilized part of this territory is the water and land area around Burrard Inlet and Indian Arm.

Wet'suwet'en First Nations - The Wet'suwet'en peoples are proud, progressive and dedicated to the preservation, enhancement of their culture, traditions and territories, working as one, for the betterment of all.

Williams Lake Indian Band - The T'exelcemc (Williams Lake Band people) are members of the Secwepemc Nation (Shuswap people). Secwepemc lands extend from Shuswap Lake in the south to Quesnel Lake in the north, and from Columbia-Kootenay Range in the east to Alexis Creek Area in the west.

Xatsull First Nation - The Xat'sull community invites all to visit and experience their spiritual, cultural, and traditional way of life. There are regularly scheduled daily tours, or you may wish to participate in the all-inclusive extended stay program, where you will take part in a variety of educational and recreational activities each day.

Xeni Gwet'in First Nation - This biggest surprise is that Nemiah is inaccessible rather than remote. Physically, it lies less than 200 kilometers northwest of Vancouver, but with the Coast Mountains looming in between, the only road access from BC's largest city is through the Pemberton Valley or up the Fraser Canyon to Williams Lake and then west into the mountains.

Xwisten First Nation - The Bridge River Indian Band is located in the beautiful mountains of British Columbia within the St'át'imc Nation. The Xwisten community is located 11 kilometers northwest of the town Lillooet.

Regional Resources :: British Columbia

First Nations Land Rights & Environmentalism in BC - If you are a First Nations person, you won't be surprised to discover the monumental issues facing aboriginals in British Columbia and all of Canada. And if you are just coming to terms with the sad reality endured by so many people who were here long before present day "Canadians", this site is an essential guide from the past to the present, and hopefully, beyond!