Project 57 Week 12: q̓wa:ńƛəń (Kwantlen First Nation)

Kwantlen Traditional Territory include Richmond, New Westminster, Surrey, Langley, Mission, and the northernmost edge of Stave Lake (“Our lands”, Kwantlen First Nation).  q̓^wa:ńƛəń translates to “tireless runner” and this is embodied in the Nations tireless work within their community (“Our culture and legacy”, Kwantlen First Nation). q̓^wa:ńƛəń speaks hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, a dialect of the Halq’eméylem langauge group (hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Indigenous Languages at KPU). 

Following the seven traditional laws of their ancestors (health, happiness, generations, generosity, humbleness, forgiveness, and understanding (“Our culture and legacy”, Kwantlen First Nation)), q̓^wa:ńƛəń is “committed to environmental sustainability that preserves our natural resources for generations to come (“Our lands”, Kwantlen First Nation). As Les Antone shares, fishing has long been an important part of q̓^wa:ńƛəń life and culture (First Nations of the Fraser: Kwantlen First Nation). Fish would be shared with all members of the community, making sure everyone was taken care of, and used in trade with other First Nations (First Nations of the Fraser: Kwantlen First Nation). In this way, fishing showed the wealth of the community (First Nations of the Fraser: Kwantlen First Nation). With the rise of commercial fishing, there’s been negative impacts on fish populations and the health of the river (First Nations of the Fraser: Kwantlen First Nation). 

To learn more about q̓^wa:ńƛəń, check out these resources: 

• snəw̓eyəɬ: Nature’s Gods (Nature’s Teachers), City of Surrey
• Kwantlen guides teach through Salish stories, Salish Sea Sentinel  
• Kwantlen First Nations facts for kids, Kiddle