© Features the other press e Barbara. fidamski e opfeatures@telus.net The Qaygayt First Nation Tom Mellish OP Contributor The history of New Westminster is but an Xwelftem, or non-Native, isthmus with a complex culture sub- merged beneath. The city was origi- nally known as Skaiametl, and was located along Glenbrook Creek, downriver from the former BC Penitentiary grounds. For thousands of years, Native culture inhabited the Sté:lo or Fraser River, catching and preserving salmon, revering the land, and mak- ing vibrant art. They spoke Hun’qumyi’num’, or Downriver Halkomelem, a Salishan dialect. They depended on the river and land for their survival and liveli- hood. From May to July they would go to Qayqayt where they would catch and dry sockeye, in what was once the greatest rainforest in North America. They were the largest group on the lower Std:lo, and occupied or controlled more than half of the Halkomelem lands of the Mainland. Their settlements were largely on the north bank of the Sté:lo as the south shore was subject to flooding. After confederation, three reserva- tions were created for these people: the South Westminster Reserve, the Poplar Island Reserve, and the North Westminster Reserve. Then the land was taken away. Now, they have returned to find a place in Canada’s multiculturism. The South Westminster Reserve was located beneath the south base of the Pattullo Bridge that spans the Sté:lo River. This is also the site of Qaygqayt. Qayqayt, pronounced “Kee- Kite’—and alternately written as Qigd:yt and Qigeyt or, Kikait— means “resting place.” It was a small fishing village on the south shore of the Sté:lo, known as hunting grounds and a place to find qwem- ché:ls, or cranberries, during the fall. These people met Simon Fraser who was hoping to prove that the Sté:lo was the Columbia River. Unfortunately, the Std:lo peoples were unable to establish peaceful relations with Fraser, and he barely escaped with his life. Later, Chief Punnis of the Qayqayt village attempted to ambush the sailing ship Cadboro, which had entered the Sté:lo. Chief Pave 18 Whattlekainum set out in a canoe laden with beaver skins, and traded with McMillan for knives. At the founding of Fort Langley, the Sté:lo peoples resettled from the Qaygayt area to the fort to work in the fur trade. Whattlekainum decid- ed that the fort could offer protec- tion to his people from the constant warring parties of Kwakwala (Kwakiutl), known locally as the Yukulta or Yuculta, who would stream up the Sté:lo to attack vil- lages, kill the men, and abduct the women and children as slaves. The main Sté:lo tribe eventually became known as the Langley Band. Ebenezer Brown, a liquor mer- chant in New Westminster, subdi- vided the Qaygayt village into lots and built a hotel and wharf. The area became known as Brownsville. Commissioner Sproat allocated Tradition AW al land of the Qayqayt First Nation large boxes made of wood-slabs pro- tected remains. Wrapped in blankets or mats, the dead were also placed in smaller boxes and lodged on elevat- ed platforms. The first Xwelftem _ settlers encountered a large number of skeletons in burial boxes hanging in the trees. They “convinced” the Indians to take down and bury their dead. During colonization, Poplar Island was used as a smallpox quar- antine area, where there are a num- ber of unmarked graves. The Island was designated as a First Nations reserve. Then, the Poplar Island Reserve was exprop- riated. Smallpox reduced the Qayqayt Band to less than 100 members. A smallpox epidemic killed numerous Natives and they were forced to Poplar Island is currently consid- ered the traditional burial grounds of the Qaygqayt. The North Westminster Reserve, 300 years back, was a camping ground called SkwetExken. The site is located near the current site of the Scott Paper Company, on the Fraser between city limits and Homer's Mill. The capital, New Westminster, was to be located on new After confederation, three reservations were created: the South Westminster Reserve, the Poplar Island Reserve, and the North Westminster Reserve. 104 acres for the South Westminster Reserve of the New Westminster Indian Band. Then, the South New Westminster reserve was expropriat- ed by the government. Eventually, The Fraser River Bridge was opened—the south base being on the old Qaygayt site. Then the orange Pattullo Bridge was built on top of the other bridge. The Poplar Island Reserve, just downstream New Westminster, is a wet, marshy forest of cottonwoods. Twenty-six years before Simon Fraser's visit, the Sté:l?owere hit by a smallpox epi- demic that had travelled up trade routes from Mexico. Two-thirds of the population died horribly. Traditionally, the Sté:lo peoples used the south shore as a burial ground above high water. Tree burial was common, and the most favoured site was the trees behind the Qaygayt village. On the ground, from http://www.otherpress.ca bury their dead. on Poplar Island because the city didn’t want them buried in Xwelftem cemeteries. Chief Charlie, last of the Qayqayt chieftains, is buried in the cemetery at Royal Sté:lo Peoples Park, in Surrey. During World War I, two ship- building plants were constructed but were both shut down. The provincial government owned the island until it was passed to the fed- eral government. The island was then zoned for industrial use and sold to the City of New Westminster. Then, the island was sold to the Alaska Pine Company Limited, and later returned to the Federal Crown. George Joseph, the second-to-last Qaygqyat band member, passed away. Marie Joseph, George’s daughter passed away. Then, Dorothy Isabelle, Marie's sister—the last member of the band—passed away. the Sté:lo peoples’ winter encamp- Skaiametl | site, the Fraserview subdivision. There had not been a permanent Aboriginal camp there for about 30 years. Skaiametl provided a deep harbour and a high slope to dominate the approaches to the Fraser River. Following announcement of the discovery of gold on the Fraser River, 25,000 American prospectors flooded into BC. What followed was encroachment and violence. The banks of the Sté:lo were ripped apart and poisoned with mercury. In New Westminster, aboriginals were accused of squatting—being camped on streets, public squares, and vacant lots, though some were renting private lots. It was the sub- ject of frequent editorials in the British Columbian newspapers, and then the Std:lo peoples were forced out of the city core. Thirty-two acres were allocated for the North ment now March 3, 2004 Photos by Angela Blattmann Westminster Reserve by the Governor of BC, and Natives were shuffled onto the reservation. Only Natives were hanged in New Westminster during the colonial period, and the Volunteer Rifle Company was formed against possi- ble aboriginal retaliation. Arrests were made because of drinking, and _ Claims were made that there were no Xwelftem Indigenous. The federal government expropri- ated the New Westminster Band’s reserve lands, and the band mem- bers were adopted into other bands or relocated. There was no compen- sation for the 163 acres of land granted by the government and then taken way. The New Westminster Band is alive and well. The Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND) was never officially noti- fied of the last band member's death. Therefore, the Qaygqayt First Nation continued to exist on paper. Rhonda Larrabee, who applied for Indian status under Bill C-31, was recognized as an official mem- ber of the New Westminster Band. She became Chief of the Qayqayt First Nation. Today, it has the dis- tinction of being one of the smallest First Nations in Canada with only six Registered Indians, and the only First Nation in Canada without a land base. Rhonda Larrabee’s story has been documented by the NFB as A Tribe of One. Recently, Qayqayt members were granted a permit to fish on the Fraser River in their traditional terri- tory for food, and for social and cer- emonial purposes. The following year, members hosted a traditional Pow-wow at the New Westminster Armoury. prostitutes, only