Indigenous Peoples and Reconciliation

We carry out our business on the ancestral and unceded homelands of the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie), qʼʷa:n̓ ƛʼən̓ (Kwantlen), qiqéyt (Qayqayt), and Stó:lō (Sto:lo) Peoples, and extend appreciation for the opportunity to work on this territory.  

We are grateful to these Coast Salish Nations for their stewardship and protection, past and present, of the land, water, and air that we all rely on. And we acknowledge and appreciate their generosity of spirit in sharing their knowledge and teachings with Port Moody residents and visitors. 

Nation names and pronunciation 

In the table below, you’ll find the names and pronunciations of the Coast Salish Nations on whose traditional territory the city of Port Moody now resides. 

We have also included links to each Nation’s website or Facebook page. We encourage you to learn about the Nations’ current projects and priorities as well as their unique cultures, languages, and communities. 

¹The hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ word “məθkʷəy̓” was initially transcribed in English as “grass,” resulting in xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) People being known as “People of the River Grass.” It is now known that “məθkʷəy̓” refers to a flowering plant that grows along the Fraser River estuary, giving rise to the name “People of the məθkʷəy̓ Plant.” 
²The “7” represents a glottal stop. Watch a video on how to pronounce Sḵwx̱wú7mesh. 
³ Sometimes referred to as “S'olh Temexw” which is the shared traditional territory of the Stó:lō Peoples. 

Local Indigenous languages

The Coast Salish Nations on whose traditional territory the city of Port Moody now resides speak two dialects of Halkomelem, which is part of the Salishan family of languages of the Coast Salish Peoples. Halkomelem has three dialects overall: Halq̓eméylem, the Upriver dialect; Hul̓q̓umín̓um̓, the Island dialect; and hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, the Downriver dialect. 

Halq̓eméylem, the Upriver dialect, is spoken by Stó:lō First Nations, and hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, the Downriver dialect, is spoken by the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie), qʼʷa:n̓ƛʼən̓ (Kwantlen), and qiqéyt (Qayqayt) Peoples. Sḵwx̱wú7mesh snichim, another Salishan language, is spoken by the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Peoples. 

With the addition of Indigenous language classes in a number of schools throughout the Fraser Valley and Metro Vancouver, Halkomelem is gaining a familiar presence in our communities. For more information on Halkomelem or to access language translations and a pronunciation guide, please visit FirstVoices, an initiative of the First Peoples’ Cultural Council.

Truth and Reconciliation 

The City of Port Moody is committed to moving forward on reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and implementing the five Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action for municipal government (#43, #47, #57, #75, and #77), as well as those Calls to Action with direct relevancy to municipal services

We have started work on what is anticipated to be a multi-phase reconciliation project. One of our first steps was to hire an Indigenous consultant to assist Council and staff with navigating the best path forward in the engagement of local First Nations. The consultant submitted a report (Indigenous Relations Final Report) in June 2022 that recommends the collaborative development of a short-term Indigenous relations strategy. 

Council has directed staff to begin work on the short-term strategy, which will lay the foundation for a three-to-five-year Indigenous relations strategy to help the City build meaningful and respectful relationships with First Nations.  

Educational resources 

Increasing our awareness of Indigenous Peoples and their experiences in Canada, past and present, is an important first step toward reconciliation. Continue your learning by exploring the resources listed below.