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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.
Additional Reading
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British Columbia Indian Tribes
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