Qayqayt First Nation

Traditional land of the Qayqayt First Nation

New Westminster photographed in 1865. The native canoe in the foreground is offshore from the site of the village of Qayqayt.

The Qayqayt First Nation (pronounced Kee-Kite), also known as the New Westminster Indian Band, is a band government located at New Westminster, British Columbia. The Qayqayt First Nation historically spoke the Hun'qumi'num (Downriver) dialect of Halkomelem, a Coast Salish language.^[1] The Qayqayt reserve used to exist on the banks of the Fraser River, around New Westminster. The Qayqayt First Nation is one of the smallest First Nations in Canada and the only one registered without a land base.^[2]

History

In 1879, the federal government allocated three reserves to what was then known as the New Westminster Indian Band, including 104 acres (0.42 km²) of the South Westminster Reserve, 22 acres (89,000 m²) on the north arm of the Fraser River and 27 acres (110,000 m²) on Poplar Island.^[2] A smallpox epidemic devastated the people of Qayqayt (which was the name of the village on the east bank of the Fraser^[3]) reducing the population of the band from about 400 people to under 100. Many of the remaining Qayqayt were assimilated into other local reserves, such as the neighbouring Musqueam Indian Band. Their reserve on Poplar Island was turned into an Aboriginal smallpox victim quarantine area. For decades, the Poplar Island reserve was designated as belonging to "all coast tribes".^[4]

Members of the band drifted away until one first nation couple, the Bandura couple, were left on the former reserve land. They died leaving their daughter, Marie Lee, an orphan at a Kamloops residential school.^[2] In 1913 the federal government seized most of the New Westminster Band's reserve lands.^[5] In 1916 the remaining land on Poplar Island was turned over to the BC Government. The orphaned Marie Lee Bandura moved to Chinatown and lived with her sister Dorothy. Eventually she married, but raised her four children as Chinese. One day she told her daughter Rhonda Larrabee about her true heritage: "I will tell you once, but you must never ask me again."^[6] After her mother's death, in 1985, Larrabee started to research her heritage. She now works to restore her Band's land, culture and pride.^[6] In 1994 she became the first new federally recognized member of Qayqayt First Nation in over 30 years.^[2] Since 1994 she has been able to track down 8 other members of the Qayqayt First Nation. In 1996, the tribe received fishing rights on the Fraser River.^[2]

Demographics

First Nation number: 566 ^[1]
Number of Band Members: 9 ^[1]

Chief and Councillors

Chief Rhonda Larrabee^[2]

Treaty Process

Qayqayt are not officially involved in the British Columbia Treaty Process^[2]

See also

• Coast Salish
• Status of First Nations treaties in British Columbia

Further reading

• "Qiqayt (Former Indian Village)". BC Geographical Names. http://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/59480.html. 
• "Brownsville (Post Office)". BC Geographical Names. http://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/54409.html. 

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "New Westminster". Executive Council of British Columbia. 2009. http://pse5-esd5.ainc-inac.gc.ca/fnp/Main/Search/FNMain.aspx?BAND_NUMBER=566&lang=eng. Retrieved July 26, 2009. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} "Uncovering her roots". Canwest News Service. New Westminster Record. June 6, 2009. http://www.canada.com/story_print.html?id=312de30a-2778-4a3b-a044-f1d2dc0e829b&sponsor=. Retrieved July 26, 2009. 
3. ^ "Qiqayt". BC Geographical Names. http://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/59480.html. 
4. ^ Terry Glavin (March 2, 2006). "How Poplar Island fell off the map". The Georgia Straight. http://www.straight.com/node/12200. Retrieved July 26, 2009. 
5. ^ Stephen Hui (May 26, 2003). "4, vol 114 - film: The story of the smallest tribe". Simon Fraser University. http://www.peak.sfu.ca/the-peak/2003-2/issue4/ar-tribe.html. Retrieved July 26, 2009. 
6. ^ ^{a b} "A Tribe of One". Government of Canada. National Film Board of Canada. 2009. http://www.onf-nfb.gc.ca/eng/collection/film/?lg=en&id=51207. Retrieved July 26, 2009. 

External links

• Short film A Tribe of One