Secwepemc
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (6,500 (1990)[1]) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Canada (British Columbia) | |
| Languages | |
| Shuswap, English | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| other Salish |
The Secwepemc (/ʃᵻˈhwɛpəm/ shə-WHEP-əm;[2][3] Secwepemc: [ʃəˈxʷɛpməx] or [səˈxwɛpməx]), known in English as the Shuswap people /ˈʃuːʃwɑːp/, are a First Nations people residing in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Their traditional territory ranges from the eastern Chilcotin Plateau and the Cariboo Plateau southeast through the Thompson Country to Kamloops and the Shuswap Country, and spans the Selkirk Mountains and Big Bend of the Columbia River to include the northern part of the Columbia Valley region. The Secwepemc are perhaps the most numerous of the Interior Salish peoples of British Columbia if based upon the numbers who speak their language.[4]
Their traditional language is Shuswap, known as Secwepemctsín (IPA: [ʃəxwəpməxtˈʃin]), which is currently spoken by over 1,600 people.[4] Secwepemctsín is being revitalized by the efforts of organizations such as Chief Atahm School, which offers an immersion program until the ninth grade.
The Secwepemc have always stressed the importance of recognizing their title to the land. In 1910, the Secwepemc Chiefs addressed a memorial to Prime Minister Laurier. The memorial laid out the grievances of the Secwepemc stemming from the previous 50 years of settlement.
Notable Secwepemc people
- Braedon Paul, master chief since 1995, head Elder, Subedar
- Darrell Dennis, comedian, actor, screenwriter and radio personality
- George Manuel, first president of the World Council of Indigenous Peoples
- Vera Manuel, poet and playwright
- Mary Thomas, Teacher and Elder
- Arthur Manuel, son of George Manuel
- Grace Dove,actress and television host
See also
- Shuswap Nation Tribal Council
- Northern Shuswap Tribal Council
- Secwepemc Museum and Heritage Park
- Secwepemc Culture Education Society
Notes
- ↑ Shuswap at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
- ↑ The "c"s are pronounced as "h"s.
- ↑ "First Nations Peoples of British Columbia". Government of British Columbia – Ministry of Education. Retrieved 2013-05-14.
- 1 2 Statistics Canada: 2006 Census
External links
- Secwepemculecw - Land of the Shuswap
- Cultural Education Society
- Chief Atahm Immersion School
- Spirit Map- language history and culture of the Secwepemc
-
"Shuswap Indians". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913. - Notes on the Shuswap People of British Columbia, s.L.: S.n., 1980, George M. Dawson