Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw 2026
Strategic Plan
Read the Plan Officially titled Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw 2026 – the Strategic Plan was unveiled at the Amalgamation Day celebrations on July 23, 2022. It defines who we are as a government and lists concrete actions to achieve our four strategic visions.
- Txwnam̓ ta Stélmexw (For The People)
- Wa ta Ts’its’áp’nitumulh Chet (For Our Government)
- Txwnam̓ ta Temíxwcht iy ta Stáḵwcht (For Our Land and Waters)
- Txwnam̓ Tkwétsi na Nchém̓usntúmulhaswit (For External Relations)
When the unexpected occurs and multiple priorities come in front of us, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw 2026 helps us travel together and find new opportunities while staying true to our values and mission.
Our Values
Values are qualities or standards of behaviour that help us determine what is important in life. In our Sḵwx̱wú7mesh society, there are numerous values our people have used for generations. The following six values were chosen to guide how the Nation works as a government internally and externally.
Many terms in the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim (Squamish language) have various interpretations. Here is how we interpret the following.
Úxwumixw can mean village, as in a physical community with inhabitants living in intergenerational multi-family housing, as well as the physical environment, and it can mean community, as in the people, including the parents, siblings, and children of a particular nation.
The Squamish Language Dictionary (2011) defines this noun as 'nation'; 'village' [houses and inhabitants]; 'community'; 'people’.
Snew̓íyelh can mean advice as in an opinion or recommendation offered as a guide to action, conduct, etc. It can also mean something that is taught as in teachings to be followed.
The Squamish Language Dictionary (2011) defines this noun as 'advice.'
Wanáxws can mean to respect someone or treat someone with respect. It can also mean to honour or believe someone (Squamish Language Dictionary 2011).
A siy̓ám̓ is sometimes used as a title for individuals and sometimes used as an honorific term of endearment for someone highly respected. It can mean highly honoured person; rich person. The suffix /-min/ or /-min̓/ is sometimes added to a word to mean a piece; half; side.
The term siyám̓in can refer to the siy̓ám̓’s area, or an area that a siy̓ám̓ is responsible for. In the late 1800s, when early Christian missionaries worked with our people to translate sections of the Bible, our people at the time translated kingdom as siyám̓in.
Siyám̓in can also refer to Nexwsxwníw̓ntm ta Úxwumixw (Council).
The term nexwnínew̓ means to have the upbringing or to be well brought up (Squamish Language Dictionary 2011). A person who is nexwnínew̓ is considered to have been raised well by their family and community because they conduct themselves well as a good person.
The term nexwníw̓it can mean to advise someone or instruct someone but refers more to advising or instructing someone in how to behave as a good person in our Sḵwx̱wú7mesh society.
Other related terms include nexwníw̓/xwniw̓, which means upbringing, and nexwníw̓en, which means putting teachings inside or absorbing teachings.
The term stélmexw can mean a person, as in a human person, or can be understood as the personhood of all living things. It is usually singular, though can be used to refer to groups of non-Sḵwx̱wú7mesh people.
After Sḵwx̱wú7mesh úxwumixw (Squamish people) met Europeans, stélmexw took on an additional meaning to refer to someone who is Indigenous or First Nations, whereas the European newcomers were called xwelítn.
The Squamish Language Dictionary (2011) defines this noun as ’Indian'; 'person'; 'human being'.
Our Principles
Principles are beliefs for governing one’s behaviour and are based on one’s values. Each action we take to accomplish our strategic visions, goals, and objectives is filtered through the lens of each of these principles. They help define our organizational culture and organizational beliefs. It’s also important to us that these principles are understood, embraced, and acted upon by governments and organizations seeking to work with Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw.
It is our job to ensure that we listen to the voices of our úxwumixw, temíxw, and staḵw. These guide the work that we do.
We are grateful for who we are, the work done to get here, and the opportunities with where we are going. It’s important for us to do things in the right way and to make time for honour and respect.
We live our commitment to uphold, support, affirm our rights & responsibilities. We maintain and defend the rights and responsibility to our lands, waters, natural resources, and ways of being. We gather resources to advance our priorities and the needs of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh úxwumixw, temíxw and staḵw. We require external entities to recognize and affirm our inherent rights and title and to understand our priorities come before their priorities.
We are here for the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh úxwumixw, temíxw, and staḵw. We act with respect and care.
Nation Updates
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw History Book For Sale
We are excited to announce that tiná7 cht ti temíxw (We Come From This Land) will be published in early January 2024! The book is intended to be a snapshot – a collection of some of the multi-faceted stories and histories that are held by the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh People and a starting point for future conversations.
Squamish Strong Protocol Agreements Signed
As a part of the celebrations of the 100-year anniversary of the Amalgamation of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw, we are pleased to announce the Nation is signing a Wa Iyí̓m ta Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Protocol Agreement with the City of North Vancouver, District of Squamish, and the City of Vancouver respectively.
New Squamish Nation Residential Tenancy Regulations for Sen̓áḵw
Today, the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw announces that the protections in the British Columbia Residential Tenancy Act (BCRTA) will be in place for the Sen̓áḵw development and for future on-reserve housing developments.