First Nations History

Tla'amin/ European Post-Contact Timeline

The Tla’amin Nation is one of several Coast Salish cultures inhabiting the area surrounding the Georgia Strait. Traditional Tla’amin lands included the area on the North Sunshine Coast from Stillwater (Lang Bay), north to the Malaspina Peninsula, and the islands of Cortes, Savary, Hernando, Harwood and the northern half of Texada.

In the late 19th century, when the Pacific Coast was undergoing European development and industrialization, the Tla’amin Nation was relocated to the village of Sliammon (IR#1). The paper mill was built on the traditional territory of the Tla’amin Nation at the site of the village known as tiskʷat. Click here for more information on this story.

Other sites to visit:

https://www.tlaaminnation.com/
As I Remember It Teachings (Ɂəms tɑɁɑw) from the Life of a Sliammon Elder by Elsie Paul with Davis McKenzie, Paige Raibmon & Harmony Johnson

Cedar

Cedar is a widely recognizable symbol of the Northwest Coast. For thousands of years, this versatile wood has played a vital role in the lives and livelihoods of coastal First Nations of the Pacific Northwest. Not only is cedar a key natural resource in the production of material goods, the tree also plays an integral role in the traditional and spiritual beliefs, and ceremonial life of coastal First Nations. Click here to read about the Story of Cedar.

Fish Traps - wuχoθɛn

A Film by the Tla'amin Nation

First Nations have extensive knowledge of the natural world and its interconnections. This can be seen with the use of fish traps by Tla’amin, Klahoose, Homalco, and Comox people who engineered these structures to catch fish and other food sources from the ocean. These traps were built all along the coastline and allowed the Coast Salish People to sustain large populations. At low tide, you can see them at Willingdon Beach, all along the Seawalk, as well as the beachfront in Sliammon. As the water went out with the tide, fish would be trapped in pools of water, making it easier to catch. Different geometric shapes would have been used to trap different types of fish. For First Nations today, these fish traps are part of their heritage, passed down by their ancestors.