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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.
You will sometimes hear Indigenous peoples be referred to as “urban Indigenous.” This phrase refers to Indigenous peoples who are no longer living in their communities and have moved to (or grown up in) an urban setting. It’s important to note that this phrase doesn’t include Indigenous peoples living on their reserve or settlement in an urban local, such as Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) which has reserves within Vancouver.
There are many reasons that Indigenous people live in urban settings:
As we learned in the first Project 57 post, across the country we currently refer to as Canada there are over 630 federally recognized First Nations, a vast Métis homeland, and 56 Inuit communities. The province of British Columbia is home to 203 First Nation communities, located on over 2000 reserves.
There are a lot of terms used when talking about Indigenous peoples, and it’s important to know how people want to be referred to. If you’re unsure, and you have a good relationship with the person you’re talking to, it’s best to ask. Also note that terminology preferences can be different person to person within a community.
