Being Ts'elxweyeqw: First Peoples’ Voices and History from the Chilliwack-Fraser Valley, British Columbia

Our stories identify for us the land which surrounds us and tie us to our ancestors. We find ourselves inextricably linked to the past, to the land, to the river, to each other, to the future. Shirley Hardman, contributor. The traditional territory of the Tselxweyeqw First Nation covers over 95,000 hectares of land in Southwestern BC. It extends throughout the central Fraser Valley, encompassing the entire Chilliwack River Valley (including Chilliwack Lake, Chilliwack River, Cultus Lake and areas, and parts of the Chilliwack municipal areas). In addition to being an area of natural beauty and abundant resources, it also has a rich cultural history. The Chilliwack region gets its name from the Tselxweyeqw tribe, and this volume delves into what this name meansand also what it means to be Tselxweyeqw. Being Tselxweyeqw portrays the people, artifacts and landscapes that are central to the Tselxweyeqw people, and represents a rich oral record of an aboriginal heritage that has been kept aliveeven through adversityfor thousands of years. Lavishly illustrated with over seven hundred historic and current photos and maps, this book amalgamates a variety of voices and personal histories from elders, while providing background into eighty-five place names within the region. The books unique compositionwith an emphasis on visual storytellingshowcases a culture with a deep connection to the surrounding land and the watershed.