Secwepemc (Shuswap)
Land: The Secwepemc live in
south-central British Columbia, Canada. Their territory extends from the Columbia River valley to the Fraser River on
the west and from the upper Fraser River in the north to the Arrow Lakes in the
south. The majority of Secwepemc live in the river valleys.
Due to diminishing resources and other outside
influences which has altered the landscape (i.e.
tourism, forestry, mining, and other commercial
developments) many Secwepemc people have been pushed to more densely populated areas
looking for ways to exist within a modern economy.Religion: Song and
dance are also part of a daily practice in
ritual and ceremonies, which remind them of
their roles and responsibilities to the earth,
as well as express their gratitude towards the
Creator for providing plentiful resources.
According to the Elders, Secwepemc
people have been around since the beginning of time. Oral histories
speak of the time when man shared animal-like characteristics and
cohabited the land with other mythological beings. According to one
legend, a magical Coyote sent down to Earth by the Old One to help those
on the land by creating salmon in the rivers and the cycle of seasons.
But since he was known to be a sly, lazy individual, he one day
disappeared and the Old One had to help complete his tasks. The Old One
taught the people how to live on the land, by respecting all aspects of
the environment, which include the land itself and other inhabitants.
By building this mutual spiritual relationship with their environment,
the people learned to best adapt to the mild and harsh conditions
brought upon by the seasons, as well as retain and build the skills they
needed to survive.
Traditions: The traditional Secwepemc
were a semi-nomadic people, who lived in warm
semi-underground "pit-houses" during the winter and
built mat lodges made of reeds for the summer. The
economy was based on hunting, fishing, foraging and
trade between other tribes. Their diet mainly
consisted of fish, meat, berries and roots. The
traditional lifestyle centered on maintaining an
abundance of food, building the right shelter for
the season, passing down oral histories and keeping
themselves entertained through games.
Today, many of the remaining Secwepemc people
maintain traditional practices and are finding
ways to restore language and other cultural
practices for modern people.
History:Before European settlers
arrived in their area, the population of Secwepemc was estimated to be
around 21,000 and split between at least 30 different bands.
Then after the onset of outside diseases, such as small pox, the
population drastically decreased, and by 1903, only 17 bands existed
with a population of just above 7,000. European settlers also
brought outside cultural influence with missionaries forcing Western
education upon the natives.
photo from: http://www.secwepemc.org/
Though this page has been carefully researched, the author does not
claim expertise on the Secwepemc.
Please send questions, comments, and corrections to emuseum@mnsu.edu and include the
web address of this page.
If you are Secwepemc, your feedback is much appreciated.
Journey Through Secwepemculew http://www.spiritmap.ca/
Shuswap First Nation http://www.shuswapnation.org/
References
George Manual Institute 2004 The Secwepemc: The People. Electronic document, http://www.landoftheshuswap.com/msite/people.php, accessed July 9, 2009.
Mooney, James 2007 The Catholic Encyclopedia (1913): Shuswap Indians.
Electronic document,
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia_(1913)/Shuswap_Indians,
accessed July 9, 2009.
Secwepemc Nation Virtual Museum. Electronic document, http://www.secwepemc.org/adc/table.html, accessed July 9, 2009.
Written by: Sitha Im, 2009
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