Project 57 Week 9: Kwikwetlem First Nation

Kwikwetlem First Nation’s name translates to “red fish up the river,” referencing the sockeye salmon runs that flourished before the construction of the Coquitlam Dam (from Our People). Kwikwetlam Elders talk about the there being so many salmon in the river that it was difficult to navigate the waterway in their canoes. As shared on their website, “our name reflects the strong connection our people have always had to our lands, and the river and lake at the heart of our traditional territory.”  

Their territory is the Coquitlam Lake Watershed, where Kwikwetlem community members have lived for thousands of years. The land carries their history through place names and archaeological sites, and this history has been shared through oral traditions and family knowledge (from Our History). The whole of the territory was used, as people moved with the seasons and when resources were available, forming permanent and seasonal villages, maintaining ceremonial places, and resource sites (from Our History).  

Like neighbouring communities, Kwikwetlem traditionally spoke hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and it was regularly spoken by families until the 1940s (from Our Culture and Language). Today Kwikwetlem is engaged with language revitalization.  

To learn more about Kwikwetlem, take a look at these resources 

• Kwikwetlem First Nation, YouTube channel
• Learn how the Nation has reclaimed səmiq̓ʷəʔelə/Riverview
• Learn about an initiative that’s seeing salmon return to Coquitlam River (The Ubyssey)