xʷməθkʷəy̓əm gets their name from the məθkʷəy, which was a flowering plant that grew in the Fraser River estuary (David Suzuki Foundation, 2022). Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm can be translated to “People from where the məθkʷəy grows” (Musqueam First Nation & MOA, p. 8). A sχʷəy̓em̓ (ancient history) about the place explains that the sʔi:ɬqəy̓ (double headed serpent) travelled from xʷməm̓qʷe:m (Camosun Bog) to the stal̕əw̓ (river), creating a creek.

The names we know for the local mountains, rivers, lakes, etc. are typically the names given to them by settlers. Sometimes the names became Anglicized versions of the Indigenous language. These colonial names replaced the names Indigenous peoples knew and know these places by.  

In the previous posts we learned about how diverse the First Nations communities in BC are. In this post we’re going to learn about the languages in this province.