The Stó:lō “People of the River”

The Stó:lō people, Mission’s first inhabitants,  have lived in the area for at least 4,000 to 10,000 years, and are the architects of Mission’s Xa:ytem Rock, 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. Speaking Halq’eméylem (a dialect of the Coast Salish language Halkomelem), the name Stó:lō means “People of the River” as the Stó:lō primarily rely on the Fraser River and its tributaries for their way of life.

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 program, called the t’leaxet, or potlatch, where villages would gift each other the main delicacies and supplies needed for both survival and pleasure.

Because the river was the main way for transportation, villages were mostly concentrated on the waterway. Longhouses made out of Cedar would house whole 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 small pit houses made out of timber and built into the ground. 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 useful resource, and was used as bark, timber, rope, canoes, 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 is still 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 4-10,000 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 and the beginning of the world have been passed down through centuries of generations until the present day.