Your source for in-depth news and inside information from the SFU Library
Project 57 Week 13: Semiahmoo First Nation
Prior to colonization, Semiahmoo “way of life was oriented to the sea” and today the Nation’s territory crossed the colonially created Canada-USA border (Semiahmoo First Nation). Closely connected to Lummi and Nooksack, Semiahmoo speak North Straits Salish and have traditional territory into Washington State as well as British Columbia (Semiahmoo First Nation). In 1846, with the signing of the Oregon Treaty, Semiahmoo became a trans-boundary nation (Semiahmoo First Nation). Members of the Nation were “forced to choose one membership between the Semiahmoo in Canada, and the Nooksack and Lummi in the United States (Semiahmoo First Nation). Semiahmoo Nation is historically not included on USA maps, not being a signatory of the Point Elliot Treaty (Semiahmoo First Nation).
To learn more about Semiahmoo First Nation, check out these resources:
- Welcome to Semiahmoo, MetroVancouver YouTube (3:30 minutes)
- Semiahmoo, video on Semiahmoo First Nation homepage
- The story of P’Quals with Chief Harley Chappell of Semiahmoo First Nation, CIty of White Rock YouTube (7 minutes)
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.