Katzie First Nation

{{Short description|First Nation in British Columbia, Canada}} {{Use Canadian English|date=April 2021}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2021}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Katzie First Nation | native_name = q̓ic̓əy̓ | native_name_lang = hur | settlement_type = First Nation | etymology = From the Hunʼqumiʼnum name {{lang|hur|q̓ic̓əy̓|italics=no}}, meaning "land of the moss" | image_flag = | flag_link = | image_seal = Katzie First Nation.png | seal_size = 75px | image_map = Katzie.png | map_caption = Traditional territory of the Katzie First Nation | pushpin_map = Canada British Columbia | pushpin_map_caption = Location in British Columbia | coordinates_region = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Canada | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = British Columbia | subdivision_type2 = | subdivision_name2 = | established_title = | established_date = | government_type = Band council | government_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web|title=Chief & Council|publisher=Katzie First Nation|url=https://katzie.ca/governance/chief-council/}}</ref> | leader_title1 = Chief | leader_name1 = Grace George | leader_title2 = Councillors | leader_name2 = {{ubl|Lisa Adams|Rick Bailey|David Kenworthy}} | unit_pref = metric | area_total_km2 = 3.41 | area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = | population_footnotes = | population_total = 563 | population_as_of = 2024 | population_density_km2 = | population_blank1_title = On reserve | population_blank1 = 310 | population_blank2_title = Off reserve | population_blank2 = 253 | timezone = PST | utc_offset = -8 | timezone_DST = PDT | utc_offset_DST = -7 | blank_name = Ethnic group | blank_info = Stó꞉lō | blank1_name = Languages | blank1_info = {{csl|Hunʼqumiʼnum|English}} | blank2_name = Reserves | blank2_info = {{ubl|Katzie 1 (main)|Katzie 2|Barnston Island 3|Pitt Lake 4|Graveyard 5}} | website = {{URL|https://katzie.ca/}} }}

'''Katzie First Nation''' (Hunʼqumiʼnum: {{lang|hur|q̓ic̓əy̓|italics=no}}) is a First Nation whose traditional territory lies in the Lower Fraser Valley of British Columbia, Canada. According to their oral tradition, the Katzie people are the descendants of the Oeʼlecten and Swaneset communities, two of five established by the Creator in present-day Greater Vancouver.

== History ==

=== Oral history and etymology === According to their oral tradition, the Katzie people are descendants of the five communities established by the Creator in what is now known as Greater Vancouver.<ref name="Katzie History">{{cite web |title=History of the Katzie People |url=https://eire.ca/history/heritage/hist1.html |website=History of Maple Ridge |publisher=City of Maple Ridge |access-date=18 March 2024}}</ref> The Creator assigned a chief to lead each community: Oeʼlecten ({{lang|hur|θéłəctən|italics=no}}) at Pitt Lake, Swaneset at Sheridan Hill (in Pitt Meadows), Xwoeʼpecten at Port Hammond (in Maple Ridge), Cʼsimlenexw at Point Grey (in Vancouver), and Smakwec at Point Roberts (in Washington, US).<ref name="Langley Statement">{{cite report|title=Township of Langley – Our Shared History: Historic Context Statement and Thematic Framework|url=https://www.tol.ca/en/the-township/resources/about-the-township/history-heritage/TOL-Our-Shared-History-Background-Document-Final.pdf|work=Donald Luxton & Associates Inc|date=August 2017|page=10|language=en-CA}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jenness |first1=Diamond|last2=Pierre|first2=Peter|date=1995 |title=The Faith of a Coast Salish Indian |journal=Anthropology in British Columbia |pages=10 |url=https://katzie.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/katzie_ethnographic_notes.pdf}}</ref> The Katzie people are primarily the descendants of Swaneset and Oeʼlecten, while the descendants of Xwoeʼpecten, Cʼsimlenexw, and Smakwec became the Kwantlen, Musqueam, and Snokomish peoples, respectively.<ref name="Katzie History"/><ref name="Katzie Who">{{cite web |title=Who We Are |url=https://katzie.ca/who-we-are/ |publisher=Katzie First Nation |access-date=18 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jenness |first1=Diamond|last2=Pierre|first2=Peter|date=1995 |title=The Faith of a Coast Salish Indian |journal=Anthropology in British Columbia |pages=10 |url=https://katzie.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/katzie_ethnographic_notes.pdf}}</ref> The Snokomish people were wiped out by a smallpox epidemic in the 18th century.<ref name="Katzie History"/><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Suttles |first1=Wayne|last2=Pierre|first2=Simon|date=1995 |title=Katzie Ethnographic Notes |journal=Anthropology in British Columbia |pages=12 |url=https://katzie.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/katzie_ethnographic_notes.pdf}}</ref>

It is said that Swaneset, at the behest of the Creator, shaped the land of his area so that it would be abundant in berry and root crops and thus suitable for human life.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jenness |first1=Diamond|last2=Pierre|first2=Peter|date=1995 |title=The Faith of a Coast Salish Indian |journal=Anthropology in British Columbia |pages=12 |url=https://katzie.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/katzie_ethnographic_notes.pdf}}</ref> He then travelled to the sky and returned to Earth with a sky wife<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jenness |first1=Diamond|last2=Pierre|first2=Peter|date=1995 |title=The Faith of a Coast Salish Indian |journal=Anthropology in British Columbia |pages=13–16 |url=https://katzie.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/katzie_ethnographic_notes.pdf}}</ref> who instructed the people of the area to pile up moss to form the foundation for a village site. She later released eulachon into the Fraser River ({{lang|hur|Stó꞉lō|italics=no}}) and taught the people how to catch and prepare the fish for consumption.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jenness |first1=Diamond|last2=Pierre|first2=Peter|date=1995 |title=The Faith of a Coast Salish Indian |journal=Anthropology in British Columbia |pages=17 |url=https://katzie.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/katzie_ethnographic_notes.pdf}}</ref> Within Swaneset's lifetime, the Katzie community had grown to 12 separate villages. Swaneset is said to have secured an abundance of sockeye salmon for the Katzie people through his second marriage to the daughter of the chief of the "sockeye people".<ref name="Katzie History"/><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jenness |first1=Diamond|last2=Pierre|first2=Peter|date=1995 |title=The Faith of a Coast Salish Indian |journal=Anthropology in British Columbia |pages=19–20 |url=https://katzie.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/katzie_ethnographic_notes.pdf}}</ref>

"Katzie" is an anglicization of the Hunʼqumiʼnum name {{lang|hur|q̓ic̓əy̓|italics=no}}, which means "land of the moss"<ref name="Katzie Who"/> or "multi-coloured moss".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Galloway |first1=Brent Douglas|date=2009|title=Dictionary of Upriver Halkomelem, Volume I|isbn=978-0-520-09872-5|pages=487}}</ref> The Katzie people's oral tradition credits the name to Swaneset.<ref name="Katzie Who"/>

===Treaty process=== Katzie Nation is negotiating their land treaty independently, and are not part of either Sto:lo tribal councils (the Sto:lo Nation and the Stó:lō Tribal Council).

===Golden Ears Bridge agreement=== As the new Golden Ears Bridge was in Katzie territory, the nation signed a Benefit Agreement with TransLink in September 2004 to establish the responsibilities of both parties.

==Territory and governance== Traditional Katzie territory includes the entire Pitt watershed, including the Alouette watershed, the Fraser River, lands adjacent to Point Roberts, and lands between the Fraser and Boundary Bay. There are approximately 592 members of Katzie First Nation (their ''Indian Act''-mandated government), and 302 are currently living on their five reserves.

===Reserves=== {{GeoGroup}} Katzie Nation manages the affairs of residents of five reserves assigned to the Katzie, focused on the area of Pitt Meadows, where the band headquarters are located. Other reserves are on Barnston Island and at Yorkson Creek in Langley, British Columbia. These reserves are:<ref>{{cite web |title=First Nation Detail|access-date=25 October 2021 |website=Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada|publisher=Government of Canada|url=https://fnp-ppn.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/FNP/Main/Search/FNReserves.aspx?BAND_NUMBER=563&lang=eng}}</ref><ref>[https://fnp-ppn.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/FNP/Main/Search/FNReserves.aspx?BAND_NUMBER=563&lang=eng Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Reserves/Settlements/Villages Detail]</ref> *Katzie 1, one mile west of Port Hammond on right (north) bank of the Fraser River, 44.10 ha.{{coord|49|12|00|N|122|40|00|W|display=inline|name=Katzie Indian Reserve 1}}<ref>[http://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/65052.html BC Geographical Names entry "Katzie 1"]</ref> *Katzie 2, opposite Port Hammond on the left (south) bank of the Fraser River, 23.10 ha.{{coord|49|12|00|N|122|39|00|W|display=inline|name=Katzie Indian Reserve 2}}<ref>[http://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/64441.html BC Geographical Names entry "Kaztie 2]</ref> *Barnston Island 3, south shore of Barnston Island, 54.6 ha.{{coord| 49|11|00|N|122|42|00|W|display=inline|name=Barnston Island Indian Reserve 3}}<ref>[http://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/65051.html BC Geographical Names entry "Barnston Island 3"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110826054504/http://archive.ilmb.gov.bc.ca/bcgn-bin/bcg10?name=32956 |date=August 26, 2011 }}</ref> *Pitt Lake 4, at south end of Pitt Lake, at outlet into Pitt River, 218.50 ha.{{coord|49|21|00|N|122|36|00|W|display=inline|name=Pitt Lake Indian Reserve 4}}<ref>[http://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/65046.html BC Geographical Names entry "Pitt Lake 4"]</ref> *Graveyard 5, one mile north of Port Hammond, 0.40 ha. {{coord|49|13|00|N|122|39|00|W|display=inline|name=Graveyard Indian Reserve 5}}<ref>[http://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/65045.html BC Geographical Names entry "Graveyard 5"]</ref>

==Population== As of February 2024, the band's population was 563, of whom 310 live on-reserve.<ref>[https://fnp-ppn.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/FNP/Main/Search/FNRegPopulation.aspx?BAND_NUMBER=563&lang=eng Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Registered Population]</ref>

==Language== həṅq̓əmín̓əḿ, the downriver dialect of Halkomelem, is still spoken by Katzie peoples despite colonization attempts (including the Canadian Residential School System). Halkomelem is one of the Coast Salish, or Salishan languages.

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.katzie.ca Katzie First Nation website] * [http://eire.ca/history/heritage/hist1.html History of the Katzie people, Maple Ridge history website]

Category:First Nations governments in the Lower Mainland Category:Sto:lo governments Category:Pitt Meadows