The Stó:lō “People of the River”

The Stó:lō people, Mission’s first inhabitants, have lived in what we now call the Fraser Valley for at least 10,000 years, and are the ancestral residents of Mission’s Xa:ytem Rock and Pit House, one of Canada’s oldest archaeological findings. Their traditional territory extends across the Fraser Valley and the Fraser Canyon. As part of a larger First Nations group, the Coast Salish Peoples of the Pacific Northwest, much of their traditional lifestyle is based around the subsistence gathering of local plants, hunting, fishing, and trading goods with other Coast Salish Peoples. In the language Halq’eméylem (a dialect of the Coast Salish language Halkomelem), the name Stó:lō means “People of the River”.

Historically, Stó:lō society was organized in a strict hierarchy; that of Siy:ams (Chiefs or upper class), general populace, and slaves. The Siy:ams, often hunters, held positions of great respect and importance. The slaves were by most accounts treated well, and were given tasks relating to gathering and preparing food or carpentry. The Stó:lō economy was based around a reciprocal exchange system, called the t’leaxet, or potlatch (the latter being a Chinook word, meaning “to give”), by which villages would gift each other the main delicacies and supplies needed for both survival and pleasure.

Because the river and its tributaries was the primary method for transportation, villages were mostly concentrated along the waterway. Longhouses, often made out of Cedar, would house multiple families. Depending on the season, families would leave their longhouses and go to different dwellings situated by prime fishing or gathering spots. These dwellings were usually well insulated pit houses, made with roofs of timber and sod, with a dug out dwelling space. Wild berries that grew on the mountains, such as strawberries, thimbleberries, soapberries, and black caps, were a popular food, as well as wild onions, potatoes, and carrots. The Red Cedar tree was a versatile and honored resource, and all parts of it was used for timber, rope, canoes, clothing, woven baskets, and art. The most important food source, however, was salmon. A staple food in the diet year round, salmon were considered to be the descendants of a Stó:lō ancestor who had been transformed into the fish by the Great Creator so that the people would never go hungry. As such, the salmon is respected and placed in high respect during ceremonies and spiritual gatherings. This interconnectedness between people and the natural world endures as a major part of Stó:lō spirituality. Shxwelí, or life force, connects all living things with the earth, as well as connecting the present with the generations past and future.

Archaeologists place the arrival of the Stó:lō circa 10,000 years ago, and Stó:lō oral history claims the region has been inhabited by their people “for time immemorial.” According to Creation Stories, the Stó:lō are descended from the Sky people and the Earth people, and were given their territory, or “Solh Temexw”, by the Great Creator. Oral histories surrounding The Great Creator, the roles and lives of animals and humans, and the beginning of the world have been passed down through countless generations to the present day.