Sumas First Nation

{{Short description|Sto:lo First Nation located in Abbotsford, British Columbia}} {{Use Canadian English|date=February 2026}} {{Infobox First Nation | band_name = Sumas First Nation | band_number = 578 | endonym = Semá:th | image = | caption = | map = | map_caption = | people = Sto:lo | treaty = | headquarters = Abbotsford | province = {{BC}} | main_reserve = Upper Sumas 6 | reserve = Pekw'Xe:yles | area = 2.453 | pop_year = 2025 | on_reserve = 154 | on_other_land = 35 | off_reserve = 194 | total_pop = | chief = Dalton Silver | council = | tribal_council = | website = {{URL|https://sumasfirstnation.com/}} | footnotes = <ref name="CIRNAC"/> }} '''Sumas First Nation''' (Halkomelem: ''Sema:th''<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Sumas First Nation |url=https://sumasfirstnation.com/about-sumas-first-nation/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241108175654/https://sumasfirstnation.com/about-sumas-first-nation/ |archive-date=November 8, 2024 |access-date=February 8, 2025 |website=Sumas First Nation}}</ref>) ''Sumalh'' or '''Sumas Indian Band''' is a band government of the Sto:lo people<ref name="BCAFN">{{Cite web |title=Sumas First Nation |url=https://www.bcafn.ca/first-nations-bc/lower-mainland-southwest/sumas-first-nation |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241011211437/https://www.bcafn.ca/first-nations-bc/lower-mainland-southwest/sumas-first-nation |archive-date=October 11, 2024 |access-date=February 8, 2025 |website=BC Assembly of First Nations |publisher= |location=}}</ref> located in the Upper Fraser Valley region, at the community of Kilgard a.k.a. Upper Sumas, part of Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada.<ref name="CIRNAC">{{Cite web|title=First Nation Detail - Sumas First Nation|website=Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada|publisher=Government of Canada|access-date=February 8, 2025|url=https://fnp-ppn.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/fnp/Main/Search/FNMain.aspx?BAND_NUMBER=578&lang=eng}}</ref> They are a member government of the Sto:lo Nation tribal council.

Its governance structure is a custom electoral system.<ref name = "BCAFN"/> The current chief is Dalton Silver.<ref name = "BCAFN"/> The official language is Halq'eméylem.<ref name = "BCAFN"/>

The group occupies the region near the Sumas Prairie, and historically used Sumas Lake as "our supermarket, our shopping centre," before it was drained by colonial authorities who wanted to farm the land underneath. When the lake was drained, the First Nation was pushed onto a nearby reserve so that settlers could use the fertile soil underneath the lake. The First Nation occupies higher ground near the Prairie, not the prairie on the lake-bed itself, so they did not have to evacuate when the former lake flooded during the November 2021 Pacific Northwest floods.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McSheffrey |first=Elizabeth |date=November 18, 2021 |title=Sumas First Nation chief reflects on ‘disaster’ B.C. flooding where lake used to be |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/8385289/sumas-lake-reflection-first-nations/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240604032445/https://globalnews.ca/news/8385289/sumas-lake-reflection-first-nations/ |archive-date=June 4, 2024 |access-date=February 8, 2025 |work=Global News}}</ref>

Before 1962, the people were known as Sumas (Kilgard)<ref name = "BCAFN"/> and are distinct from the Leqʼá꞉mel who were also known as the Sumas before 1962.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Leq'a: mel |url=https://www.bcafn.ca/first-nations-bc/lower-mainland-southwest/leqa-mel |access-date=August 18, 2022 |website=BC Assembly of First Nations |publisher= |location=}}</ref> Other previous names include: Nicomen Slough, Somass River and Sumas Tribe.<ref name = "BCAFN"/> The name "Sumas" means "big flat opening"<ref name = "BCAFN"/> or "land without trees" and is derived from a Cowichan tribe.<ref name="HistoryLink">{{cite web |last=Dougherty |first=Phil |date=November 5, 2009 |title=Sumas — Thumbnail History |url=https://www.historylink.org/file/9204 |access-date=August 21, 2022 |website=HistoryLink.org |publisher= |location=}}</ref>

Their reserve land area covers {{cvt|245.3|ha|acre}}<ref name="BCAFN" /> and has a population of 383.<ref name="CIRNAC" /><ref>{{cite web |date= |title=Sumas First Nation - Province of British Columbia |url=https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/natural-resource-stewardship/consulting-with-first-nations/first-nations-negotiations/first-nations-a-z-listing/sumas-first-nation |accessdate=February 19, 2022 |website=gov.bc.ca |publisher=}}</ref> In 2021, 60 hectares of government land adjacent to Fraser River Heritage Park and the Pekw’xe:yles Indian Reserve, the former site of St. Mary's Indian Residential School, was transferred to the Leq’á:mel, Matsqui (Mathexwi) and Sumas First Nations Society.<ref name="LandTransfer1">{{cite news |last1=Mills |first1=Kevin |date=June 26, 2020 |title=Historic land-transfer agreement in works between District of Mission, First Nations, province |url=https://www.missioncityrecord.com/news/historic-land-transfer-agreement-in-works-between-district-of-mission-first-nations-province/ |access-date=August 22, 2022 |work=Mission City Record |publisher=Black Press |location=}}</ref><ref name="LandTransfer2">{{cite news |last1=Penner |first1=Patrick |date=July 21, 2021 |title=Historic agreement signed in Mission transfers 60 hectares of Crown land back to First Nations |url=https://www.abbynews.com/news/historic-agreement-signed-in-mission-transfers-60-hectares-of-crown-land-back-to-first-nations/ |access-date=August 22, 2022 |work=Mission City Record |publisher=Black Press |location=}}</ref> Not being reserve land, the property remains under provincial and local government laws.<ref name = "LandTransfer1"/> Most of it was leased back to the government for use as a park and recreational area.<ref name = "LandTransfer1"/><ref name = "LandTransfer2"/> The property also contains pre-contact archaeological sites.<ref name = "LandTransfer1"/>

The First Nation band council runs a number of businesses including Semath Industries.

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.sumasfirstnation.com/ Sumas First Nation]

Category:Sto:lo governments Category:First Nations governments in the Lower Mainland Category:Politics of Abbotsford, British Columbia {{First Nations in British Columbia}}