Indigenous History

Stó:lō” is the Halq’eméylem word for “river” and the collective name for the Halq’eméylem speaking peoples who have lived in the lower Fraser River watershed since time immemorial. The Stó:lō people are rights holders of the land we refer to as Heart of the Fraser. We honour this living connection to the land and the river. For the 24 communities in Stó:lō Nation, the arrival of each salmon run holds significance, so much that the arrival of the spring salmon marked the beginning of the New Year. Fishing is not only part of First Nations culture and identity, it sustains First Nations peoples and economies and is a constitutionally protected inherent and treaty right. Our goal is to defend the Heart of the Fraser in partnership with local First Nations to protect and restore this stretch of river for generations to come.