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Project 57 Week 11: qiqéyt (Qayqayt First Nation)
Located in New Westminster, qiqéyt is the one of the smallest First Nations and currently without a land base. Chief Rhonda Larabee has been working on a land claim, noting in the 2003 NFB film that a land base is a legacy for the children and grandchildren of qiqéyt members.
Formerly known as the New Westminster Indian Band, the community was removed from its land in 1916 during the McKenna-McBride Commission (About the Qayqayt First Nation), and the land subsequently was sold (Tribe of One, NFB). Upon the closure of the reserve in 1916 members were told to move, and the New Westminster Indian Band was dissolved. qiqéyt was reinstated after Rhonda Larabee received her status in 1994.
To continue learning about qiqéyt, check out these resources:
- Tribe of One, NFB film (2003, 38 minutes)
- About the Qayqayt First Nation, New Westminster Schools
- Reclaiming roots: Unearthing the lost history of Qayqayt First Nation, Axiom News (2014)
The Decolonizing the Library Working Group invites everyone to learn alongside us with Project 57. This project is a response to the TRC Call to Action 57, which calls on "federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments to provide education to public servants on the history of Aboriginal peoples."
For more information visit Indigenous Initiatives.