Scia'new First Nation
 Map of Beecher Bay First Nation tribal territory | |
| People | Coast Salish |
|---|---|
| Treaty | Douglas Treaties |
| Headquarters | Sooke |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Land[1] | |
| Main reserve | Becher Bay 1 |
| Other reserve(s) | List
|
| Land area | 307.7 km2 |
| Population (2024)[1] | |
| On reserve | 103 |
| On other land | 12 |
| Off reserve | 159 |
| Total population | 274 |
| Government[1] | |
| Chief | Russ Chipps |
| Council |
|
| Tribal Council[1] | |
| Te'mexw Treaty Association | |
| Website | |
| scianew | |
The Beecher Bay First Nation (in Saanich SCʼIȺNEW, anglicized as Sciaʼnew or Scʼianew) is a band government of First Nations people in British Columbia. Beecher Bay lands are located on southern Vancouver Island in southwestern British Columbia, Canada and include Beecher Bay (also known as Becher Bay), Fraser Island, Lamb Island, Long-neck Island, Twin Island, Village Island, and Whale Island.[2]
They were party to the 1850-1854 Douglas Treaties and are negotiating a modern treaty as a member of the Te'mexw Treaty Association along with the Malahat, Nanoose, Songhees, and T'Sou-ke Nations. The Beecher Bay First Nation has a population of 261 as of March 2020.[3][4]
Languages
[edit]The group recognizes four ancestral languages though not all are currently spoken.[2] The name "SCʼIȺNEW" comes from the Klallam word for Beecher Bay, "xʷčiyánəxʷ."[5] It is translated as "the place of the big fish,"[2] literally "salmon place" from xʷ- 'location' and √č⟨iy⟩ánnəxʷ 'salmon'.[5] The name is W̱ĆIYÁNEW̱ (also variously ĆIYÁNEW̱) in the Saanich dialect of Northern Straits, and is derived from the Klallam name.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ "First Nation Detail". Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. Government of Canada. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
- ^ a b c "About Us". SCʼIȺNEW First Nation. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
- ^ Reconciliation, Ministry of Indigenous Relations and. "Scʼiⱥnew (Beecher Bay) First Nation - Province of British Columbia". www2.gov.bc.ca. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
- ^ "Beecher Bay". Te'mexw Treaty Association. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
- ^ a b Montler 2012, p. 497.
- ^ Montler 2018, p. 762.
Bibliography
[edit]- Montler, Timothy (2012). Klallam Dictionary. Seattle: University of Washington Press. ISBN 9780295992075.
- Montler, Timothy (2018). SENĆOŦEN: A Dictionary of the Saanich Language (PDF) (Electronic ed.). University of Washington Press.
External Links
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