TheWetʼsuwetʼenare aFirst Nationwho live on theBulkley Riverand aroundBurns Lake,Broman Lake, andFrançois Lakein the northwesternCentral Interior of British Columbia.
 | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| approx. 3,160 (2019)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Canada (British Columbia) | |
| Languages | |
| English,Babine-Witsuwitʼen | |
| Religion | |
| Indigenous religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| OtherDene peoples EspeciallyTsilhqotʼin,Dakelh,andBabine |
The Wetʼsuwetʼen are a branch of theDakelhor Carrier people, and in combination with theBabinepeople have been referred to as the Western Carrier.[citation needed]They speak Witsuwitʼen, a dialect of theBabine-Witsuwitʼenlanguage which, like its sister languageCarrier,is a member of theAthabaskanfamily.
Theiroral history,calledkungax,recounts that their ancestral village, Dizkle or Dzilke, once stood upstream from the Bulkley Canyon.[2]This cluster of cedar houses on both sides of the river is said to have been abandoned because of an omen of impending disaster. The exact location of the village has been lost.[3]The neighbouringGitxsanpeople of theHazeltonarea have a similar tale, though the village in their version is named Dimlahamid (Temlahan).[4][5]
Name
editThe wordWetʼsuwetʼen(English:/wɛtˈsoʊɪtɪn/wet-SOH-ih-tin) is spelled in numerous ways. Witsuwitʼen is the correct spelling in the writing system in general use.[citation needed]In non-technical publications, it is usually misspelled asWitsʼuwitʼen,Witʼsuwitʼen,Wetsʼuwetʼen,orWetʼsuwetʼendue to the difficulty of distinguishing ejective [ts] from plain [ts]. Official spellings with <tʼs> are used in the names of the Wetʼsuwetʼen First Nation and theOffice of the Wetʼsuwetʼen.In point of fact the [ts] is not ejective. Older spellings includeHotsotʼenandHwotsotʼen.Whutsowhutʼenis theCarriername in theCarrier Linguistic Committeewriting system in general use for that language.
TheendonymWetʼsuwetʼen means "People of the Wa Dzun Kwuh River (Bulkley River)".[6]
Clans
editIn the traditional Wetʼsuwetʼen governance system, there are five clans, which are further subdivided into 13 house groups. Each house group is led by a single house chief, and also includes several sub-chiefs (also referred to as "wing chiefs" ). Hereditary chief names (both house chiefs and sub-chiefs) are usually passed on to a successor chosen by the incumbent name holder, more often than not through family lines. Clan membership isMatrilineal,passed from mother to children. In Witsuwit'en, male hereditary chiefs are referred to asdinï zeʼ,and female hereditary chiefs are referred to astsʼakë zeʼ.[7]
The house groups and house chiefs of each of the five clans, as well as the English names of the current house chiefs, can be found in the chart below.
| House group | Translation | House chief name | Incumbent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yex Tʼsa Witʼantʼ | Thin House | Goohlaht | vacant |
| Yex Tʼsa Wilkʼus | Dark House | Knedebeas | Warner William |
| Kayex | Birchbark House | Samooh | Herb Naziel |
| House group | Translation | House chief name | Incumbent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kwen Beegh Yex | House Beside the Fire | Wah Tah Kwets | vacant |
| Gʼen Egh La Yex | House of Many Eyes | Hagwilnegh | Ron Mitchell |
| Tsee Kʼal Kʼe Yex | House on a Flat Rock | Wah Tah Kʼeght | vacant |
| House group | Translation | House chief name | Incumbent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Djakanyex | Beaver House | Kweese | vacant |
| Tsa Kʼen Yex | Rafters on Beaver House | Naʼmoks | John Ridsdale |
| House group | Translation | House chief name | Incumbent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medzeyex | Owl House | Kloum Khun | Alphonse Gagnon |
| Tsalyex | Sun House | Smogelgem | Warner Naziel |
| House group | Translation | House chief name | Incumbent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cassyex | Grizzly House | Woos | Frank Alec |
| Kalyexwenits | House in the Middle of Many | Gisdayʼwa | Fred Tom |
| Anaskasi | Where it Lies Blocking the Trail | Madeek | Jeff Brown |
*Unist'ot'en CampGroup is affiliated with the Yex T'sa Wilk'us (Dark House) under the Gilseyhu (Big Frog) Clan.[8]
Wetʼsuwetʼen First Nation bands
editHistory
editIn 1960, the Decker Lake, François Lake (laterNee-Tahi-Buhn), Maxim Lake[citation needed]andSkin TyeeBands merged to form the Omineca Band. In 1984, the Omineca Band divided into the Nee-Tahi-Buhn and Browman (or Broman) Lake Bands, the latter of which later becameWetʼsuwetʼen First Nation.In 2000, the Skin Tyee Band separated from the Nee-Tahi-Buhn Band.[9]
Contemporary First Nation bands
editThe following two First Nations are members of theCarrier-Sekani Tribal Council:[10]
- Wetʼsuwetʼen First Nation- also known as Browman (or Broman) Lake, formerly as Browman Indian Lake Band, located outside ofBurns Lake, British Columbia.[11]
- Ts'il Kaz Koh First Nation- also known as Burns Lake, located around Burns Lake, British Columbia.[12]
The following four First Nations are not affiliated with any tribal council:
- Hagwilget Village First Nation[13]- located in the village ofHagwilget(meaning "place of the gentle or quiet people" inGitxsan),[14]also known as Tse-kya ( "base of rock" ),[citation needed]on the east side of theBulkley Canyon,nearHazelton,British Columbia, about 325 kilometres inland from the coast.
- Nee-Tahi-Buhn Band- formerly calledFrançois LakeTribe. Nee-Tahi-Buhn is the Babine-Witsuwitʼen name for François Lake, and means "it fills at one end and empties at the other".
- Skin Tyee First Nation- also known as the Skin Tyee Indian Band, also spelled "Skin Tayi", located near François Lake, in theOmineca Countryto the west of the City ofPrince George,British Columbia.[15]
- Witset First Nation[16]- also known as Moricetown Band, located inWitset, British Columbia.[17]
Office of the Wetʼsuwetʼen
editTheOffice of the Hereditary Chiefs of the Wetʼsuwetʼen,also known as theOffice of the Wetʼsuwetʼenorthe OW,is a political organization governed by thehereditary chiefsof the Wetʼsuwetʼen people, based inSmithers, British Columbia.The Office takes part in theBC Treaty Processthrough the twoIndian Actband governments (Hagwilget and Witset First Nations) which contain the 13 hereditary chieftaincies. The Office is not a tribal council, nor a traditional governing body, but rather a non-profit society,[18]directed by a Board of Directors, with the goal of being a central office of the Wetʼsuwetʼen Nation. It was founded as an independent office in 1994, after the splitting of theGitxsan-Wet’suwet’en Tribal Council, which had represented the two nations duringDelgamuukw v British Columbia.[19][20]
As of April 2020, the Board of Directors was composed of seven house chiefs (Naʼmoks, Knedebeas, Madeek, Samooh, Kloum Khun, Wah Tah Kʼeght, and Hagwilnegh).[21]
As of 2009, the organization was at Stage 4 of the BC Treaty Process.[citation needed]
On May 14, 2020, the governments of Canada and British Columbia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the hereditary chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en, in which the Canadian and B.C. governments "recognize that Wet’suwet’en rights and title are held by Wet’suwet’en houses under their system of governance".[22]Following concerns by leaders of the band councils, the hereditary chiefs clarified that the Office of the Wetʼsuwetʼen is not a governing body, and that the authority of the band councils under the MOU would not be diminished.[18]
See also
editNotes
editReferences
editCitations
edit- ^"Wet'suwet'en Hereditary Chiefs | BC Treaty Commission".www.bctreaty.ca.
- ^Mills 2011,p. 77.
- ^[1]See alsoRocher Déboulé Range.
- ^Glavin, Terry.Death Feast at Dimlahamid.
- ^Barbeau, Marius.The Downfall of Temlahan.
- ^"A History of the Wetʼsuwetʼen Village of Tse-kya".
- ^"Wetʼsuwetʼen Hereditary Chiefs Set the Record Straight in Response to Province of BC's Divide and Conquer Sharp Dealings"(PDF)(Press release). June 15, 2016.
- ^"Governance Structure".
- ^"Nee Tahi Buhn".Office of the Wetʼsuwetʼen.RetrievedJune 6,2020.
- ^"Cstc.bc.ca".www.cstc.bc.ca.
- ^"Browman Lake".Office of the Wetʼsuwetʼen.RetrievedMarch 12,2020.
- ^"Ts'il Kaz Koh (Burns Lake)".British Columbia Assembly of First Nations.RetrievedJune 6,2020.
- ^"About | Hagwilget".Hagwilget Village Co.
- ^"Investing with Hagwilget Village Council".British Columbia.RetrievedMarch 12,2020.
- ^"Skin Tyee".Office of the Wetʼsuwetʼen.RetrievedMarch 12,2020.
- ^"Witset First Nation | Moricetown Band Office | Tourism Witset".Witset Band Office.
- ^"Moricetown".Office of the Wetʼsuwetʼen.RetrievedMarch 12,2020.
- ^abWet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs (May 11, 2020)."Re: MOU Meetings with Wet'suwet'en Clans and elected Chief and Band Councillors"(PDF).Letter to Chief Maureen Luggi.
- ^Forester, Brett (March 10, 2020)."The Delgamuukw decision: When the 'invisible people' won recognition".APTN National News.RetrievedJune 6,2020.
- ^"About Our Organization".Office of the Wetʼsuwetʼen.RetrievedJune 6,2020.
- ^"Office of the Wet'suwet'en Board of Directors".Office of the Wetʼsuwetʼen.Archivedfrom the original on April 17, 2020.RetrievedJune 6,2020.
- ^"Memorandum of Understanding Between Canada, British Columbia and Wetʼsuwetʼen As agreed on February 29, 2020"(PDF)(Press release). May 14, 2020.
Sources
edit- Mills, Antonia (2011).Eagle Down Is Our Law: Witsuwit'en Law, Feasts, and Land Claims.Vancouver: UBC Press.ISBN0774805137.