LibGuides: Indigenous Hub: Coast Salish

Coast Salish Territory

Sources: Aboriginal Lands of Canada, BC Assembly of First Nations Map, First Peoples Map of BC, BC First Nations Languages, 4th Ed, 2022, BC First Nations Languages, 3rd Ed, 2018, BC First Nations Community Locations, BC First Nations Treaty Lands

This map probably has errors and omissions and is intended to be amended and refined over time.

BaseMaps: ESRI World Ocean and ESRI World Physical

Coast Salish Nations on Vancouver Island

Straight Salish

lək̓ʷəŋən
- Xʷsepsəm / Esquimalt Nation
- Songhees Nation
W̱SÁNEĆ
Sc'ianew (Beecher Bay) First Nation
T'Sou-ke Nation (Sooke)

Central Coast Salish

Northern Coast Salish

Qualicum First Nation
K'omoks First Nation (Comox Indian Band)
Homalco First Nation (Xwemalhkwu) Indian Band
Klahoose First Nation

Tribal Councils

Treaty Groups

Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group

HTG Case Study: Mapping Contemporary Challenges to Island Hul'qumi'num Peoples' Territories
This website presents a series of interactive maps illustrating the ongoing challenges to the exercise of land, resource and governance rights from development and conservation efforts within Hul'qumi'num peoples territory.

The member First Nations of the Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group are an indigenous community of Coast Salish peoples living on the southeastern coast of Vancouver Island and the surrounding Gulf Islands
Getting to 100%: Hul’qumi’num Treaty Group

Below are resources related to petition before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to protect and promote the human rights of the Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group

HTG’s legal representative - University of Arizona Rogers College of Law Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy (“IPLP”) Program
Professor Robert A. Williams, Jr., with the assistance of IPLP students and staff, represented the Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group on a Petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. This resource includes the Petitions to the IACHR and Rulings by IACHR

Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Hearing

Douglas Treaties (Vancouver Island Treaties) (1850-1854)

SENĆOŦEN and Lekwungen Texts of the Vancouver Island Treaties
A translation of the Chokonein Treaty (the Douglas Form) by Lekwungen elder Dr. Elmer George. A history of the treaty making by STOLȻEȽ John Elliott Sr. in the SENĆOŦEN language of the W̱SÁNEĆ and its translation back into English
Douglas Treaties Summary
Texts of Treaties
Included are the texts of the 14 Douglas Treaties.
Vancouver Island Treaties website
Originally a website to support the conference First Nations, Land, and James Douglas: Indigenous and Treaty Rights in the Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia,1849-1864 held at the Songhees Wellness Centre in Victoria, February 24-26th 2017, this is now a resource centre for information about the fourteen Vancouver Island Treaties made between 1850-1854, sometimes also called the Douglas Treaties or Fort Victoria Treaties.
History of Treaty Making by STOLȻEȽ John Elliott Sr.
An interpretation of the Douglas Treaty with the W̱SÁNEĆ, in SENĆOŦEN with an English translation.
Research Report: British Columbia Indian Treaties In Historical Perspective
by Dennis F. K. Madill
Sharing the land: the formation of the Vancouver Island (or 'Douglas') Treaties of 1850-1854 in historical, legal and comparative context
Neil Vallance, University of Victoria, 2016 PhD thesis.
The Oral History of the 1852 Saanich Douglas Treaty: a treaty for Peace.
Janice Rose Knighton, University of Victoria, 2004 MA thesis.

To Share, Not Surrender : Indigenous and Settler Visions of Treaty Making in the Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia. by Cook, Peter.; Vallance, Neil.; Lutz, John.; Brazier, Graham.; Foster, Hamar.
Call Number: Electronic

ISBN: 9780774863841

Publication Date: 2021

To Share, Not Surrender presents multiple views and lived experience of the treaty-making process and its repercussions in the Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia, and publishes, for the first time, the Vancouver Island Treaties in First Nations languages.

Select Resources

Browse the Coast Salish collection for additional resources

lək̓ʷəŋən

Songhees Pictorial by Grant Keddie
Call Number: E99 L35K42

ISBN: 9780772649645

Publication Date: 2004-02-01

In the mid 1840s, fifty years after first contact with Europeans, the Songhees people agreed to amalgamate on a reserve across the harbour from the newly built Fort Victoria. Grant Keddie tells the story of the old Songhees Reserve through the eyes of outsiders, expressed in newspaper reports and private journals, and depicted in sketches, paintings and photographs. Songhees Pictorial offers a rich visual history of the old Songhees Reserve, the people who lived there and the city that grew up around them.This book features almost 200 archival images, many published for the first time, documenting Songhees history since first contact with Europeans. From watercolour paintings to sweeping panoramic photographs, these images show the changing architecture of the reserve and the city that engulfed it, they highlight potlatches and other events on the reserve, and they capture aspects of the everyday lives of residents and visitors. The author compliments the visuals with a variety of quotations from newspapers, government documents and personal letters, and gives context to the whole story with his own lively narrative.
A human history of Tl’chés, 1860-1973 by Forest-Hammond, Elise Gabrielle
Publication Date: 2020

This thesis represents a human history of Tl’chés (Discovery and Chatham Islands) roughly between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries. It presents Songhees and Settler life on the archipelago, as well as the dispossession of Songhees lands. Detailing processes of colonialism, as well as Songhees resistance to it, this thesis represents a microcosm of colonialism as it unfolded in the lands now called British Columbia.
To Share, Not Surrender : Indigenous and Settler Visions of Treaty Making in the Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia. by Cook, Peter.; Vallance, Neil.; Lutz, John.; Brazier, Graham.; Foster, Hamar.
Call Number: Electronic

ISBN: 9780774863841

Publication Date: 2021

To Share, Not Surrender presents multiple views and lived experience of the treaty-making process and its repercussions in the Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia, and publishes, for the first time, the Vancouver Island Treaties in First Nations languages.

W̲SÁNEĆ

Saanich Indian Territorial Declaration
The declaration explicitly asserts W̱SÁNEĆ people’s absolute rights and title to the W̱SÁNEĆ Territorial Homeland
Land Back - Tsawout First Nation
This is a page from the Tsawout First Nation website that details the land back movement. It discusses the history, laws, and territory of the W̱SÁNEC Peoples.

SK̲ÁU: an exploration of W̲SÁNEĆ Law by Morgerman, C., & Twa, K. (Eds.)
Call Number: KIB190 S53 2019

Publication Date: 2019

This book was published in 2019 by the W̲SÁNEĆ School Board in consultation with the University of Victoria, Faculty of Law
Saanich ethnobotany : culturally important plants of the W̲SÁNEĆ people by Nancy Turner
Call Number: KIB1506 T87 2012

ISBN: 9780772665775

Publication Date: 2012
Saltwater People by David Elliott Sr. & Janet Poth
Call Number: KID40 E55 1990

Publication Date: 1990
ÁLEN̲ENEC̸ : learning from homeland by Saanich Adult Education Centre, Saanich Indian School Board and WSANEC Community members.
Call Number: KIB190 A43 2008

Publication Date: 2008

T’Sou-ke

Spalding, Pamela (2022). Unsettling Landscapes: Applications of Ethnobotanical Research in Defining Aboriginal Rights and Re-Affirming Indigenous Laws in T'Sou-ke Territory, Vancouver Island and Beyond

Quw'utsun

Those who fell from the sky : a history of the Cowichan peoples by Daniel P. Marshall
Call Number: McPherson E99 C875M37 1999

Publication Date: 1999

Tzouhalem
"Tzouhalem, Chief of the Cowichan First Nation during the mid-1800's, is arguably one of the most fascinating and polarizing figures in Canadian history. His story is a matter of historic record yet is the subject of legend. There is a mountain, road, and other landmarks on Cowichan territory named after him. It is generally believed that Tzouhalem, a deformed Indigenous boy, through his strength of character and mystical powers, taught to him by his Grandmother, subdued his rivals, and transformed himself into the most powerful First Nations leader in the Pacific Northwest, before succumbing to his own immorality. This documentary, through interviews and creative re-enactments, examines the near-mythic figure of Cowichan Chief Tzouhalem, the account of his life from both historians and First Nations Elders, the folkloric tales concerning him, his impact on the modern relationship between the Crown and First Nations, and how his legend remains alive to this day, examining critically how his story has been told and passed down to us."--Less Bland Productions website.
Wisdom of the River : Salmon Culture of the Cowichan
Tells the story and history the Cowichan River in the context of the importance of the salmon. Elders are interviewed and explain the key role that the salmon has played in the history of their people.

Commissions & Inquiries

Commissions and Inquiries collect testimonies, oral histories, historical records and important research reports. They bring to light narratives that are often suppressed or ignored in mainstream accounts. Below is a selection of commission transcripts that relate to the Coast Salish Nations on Vancouver Island.

Browse the Commissions, Inquiries and Inquests section of this guide for more resources

The McKenna-McBride Commission (Royal Commission on Indian Affairs for the Province of British Columbia, 1912-1916)

The Royal Commission on Indian Affairs for the Province of British Columbia, commonly known as The McKenna-McBride Commission, was established in 1912 to tackle the "Indian reserve question" in the province. Between 1913 and 1916, the commissioners traveled extensively across British Columbia, collecting evidence from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals regarding the adequacy of reserves. They conducted hearings and visited nearly every band to understand their land needs. Although the commission aimed to resolve land disputes, it has faced criticism for contributing to the dispossession of Indigenous lands and failing to address the broader issue of Aboriginal title.

Testimonies and Primary Sources

Cowichan Agency Testimony

RCAP (The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples , 1991-1996)

The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP) was formed in 1991. This was a direct response to a series of events, including the 1990 events at Kanesatake, the failure of the Meech Lake Accord, and the findings of the Spicer Commission. Its mandate was to investigate and propose solutions to the challenges affecting the relationship between Indigenous peoples (First Nations, Inuit, Métis Nation), the Canadian government, and Canadian society as a whole. The commission conducted extensive research and community consultations, resulting in a comprehensive report published in 1996

Transcripts

SENĆOŦEN Resources

SENĆOŦEN: A Dictionary of the Saanich Language by Timothy Montler
Call Number: PM2263 M664 2018

ISBN: 9780295743851

Publication Date: 2018

SENĆOŦEN Classified Word List
This word list contains over 3300 SENĆOŦEN words in both the local SENĆOŦEN alphabet and in the common phonetic alphabet. Most of these words are associated with sound files.
SENĆOŦEN daily phrases and greetings
resource compiled by the NIȽ TU,O CFSS

SX̱ENIEṈ YEW̱ ȻNEs I, TW̱ E SENĆOŦEN?— How is it that I have come to speak SENĆOŦEN?: My Reflections on Learning and Speaking SENĆOŦEN by PENÁĆ (G. David Underwood)
Call Number: Electronic

Publication Date: 2017

lək̓ʷəŋən Resources

First Voices - lək̓ʷáŋən

Hul'q'umi'num Resources

First Voices: Hul'q'umi'num
Includes words, phrases, songs and the alphabet, with audio of Hul'q'umi'num speakers.
(Tatul'ut tthu Hul'q'umi'num') Introduction to Hul'q'umi'num'
Hul'qumi'num vocabulary and grammar lessons.
ta’ulthun sqwal: Hul’q’umi’num’ Language Academy
Includes language lessons and resources on grammar, vocabulary for conversations, numbers, plants/animals, prayers, and more. Also includes resources for learning the specific sounds in the language.
Hul'q'umi'num Language Materials
Written and audio materials for learning Hul'q'umi'num. Covers basic vocabulary and grammar, sacred language, and cultural practices such as knitting and cedar harvesting and weaving.
Hul’q’umi’num’ Sxwi’em’ (stories)
Stories told in Hul'qumi'num
VIU Hwulmuhw'qun Selected Resources

Quw'utsun : Hul'q'umi'num' category dictionary by Cowichan Tribes [Elders' Advisory Committee]
Call Number: McPherson PM981 Q88 2007

Publication Date: 2007
Ecosystem guide : a Hul'q'umi'num language guide to plants and animals of southern Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and the Salish Sea. by Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group
Call Number: McPherson QH83.5 E26

Publication Date: 2011