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Sen̓áḵw
Sen̓áḵw (Squamish: Sen̓áḵw [sən̰ˈaqʷ], literally 'the place inside the head of False Creek') is an area located in Vancouver in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It lies on the south side of False Creek, covering lands near present-day Vanier Park and Squamish Nation's Kitsilano First Nations Reserve No. 6.
Historically home to the Squamish people (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh), Sen̓áḵw holds significant cultural and historical importance for Coast Salish peoples. Over time, the community faced forced relocation, land expropriation, and prolonged legal disputes. In the early 2000s, the Squamish Nation regained a portion of Sen̓áḵw, paving the way for a large-scale redevelopment project launched in 2019. The area was also the birthplace of prominent Squamish siy̓ám̓ ('chief') August Jack Khatsahlano, widely recognized for documenting local Indigenous history.
Many present-day Squamish families are descendants of those who once lived at Sen̓áḵw. The area was officially designated as a First Nations reserve in 1869 by colonial authorities, then expanded to 80 acres (32 ha) by the Joint Reserve Commission in 1877, referred to as the Kitsilano Indian Reserve. Following intense settler-driven land demands, the village was illegally sold and largely destroyed in 1913. Decades of legal challenges culminated in a 2001 court settlement that restored 11.7 acres (4.7 ha) to Squamish Nation control.
Sen̓áḵw was originally a seasonal village site of the Squamish people at the head of False Creek, which offered abundant resources such as cedar, salmon, and shellfish. Coast Salish nations, including the Musqueam, also used the area for seasonal harvesting, potlatches, and trade. No permanent structures existed until the mid-19th century, when some Squamish families moved from the upper Squamish River valley to establish permanent homes. Though the Musqueam also visited, historical records indicate they did not settle there permanently.
Following the passage of the Indian Act in 1876, the Joint Indian Reserve Commission began surveying Indigenous lands. In 1869, a colonial survey recognized an Indigenous village at the south shore of False Creek, referred to as the Kitsilano (False Creek) Reserve. By 1877, the Commission had formally designated 80 acres (32 ha) as "Kitsilano Indian Reserve No. 6," thereby restricting the Squamish people’s use of their ancestral lands.
A petition in 1868 from 42 residents (14 men, 16 women, 12 children) spurred the 1869 survey that confirmed the site’s reserve status. Chief George ("Chepx̱ím”) was recorded as the local leader. Historical censuses document 40–50 residents (sometimes up to 57), chiefly Squamish families, who sustained themselves through fishing, resource harvesting, and employment in Vancouver.
Between the 1870s and 1916, Sen̓áḵw functioned as a cohesive settlement primarily inhabited by Squamish families. Residents lived in several dwellings, including a large community house owned by Chief George. While some individuals had Musqueam heritage, they typically resided at Sen̓áḵw through marital or familial connections, reinforcing the village’s predominantly Squamish identity.
As Vancouver expanded, local authorities increasingly viewed Sen̓áḵw as an obstacle to development. Portions of the reserve were expropriated in 1886 and 1902 for railway infrastructure. By 1903, Vancouver Mayor Thomas Neelands proposed repurposing the reserve for civic amenities such as courthouses and fairgrounds, and land speculation in the Kitsilano area—named after the Squamish Chief Xats’alánexw—intensified settler interest in dispossession.
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Sen̓áḵw
Sen̓áḵw (Squamish: Sen̓áḵw [sən̰ˈaqʷ], literally 'the place inside the head of False Creek') is an area located in Vancouver in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It lies on the south side of False Creek, covering lands near present-day Vanier Park and Squamish Nation's Kitsilano First Nations Reserve No. 6.
Historically home to the Squamish people (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh), Sen̓áḵw holds significant cultural and historical importance for Coast Salish peoples. Over time, the community faced forced relocation, land expropriation, and prolonged legal disputes. In the early 2000s, the Squamish Nation regained a portion of Sen̓áḵw, paving the way for a large-scale redevelopment project launched in 2019. The area was also the birthplace of prominent Squamish siy̓ám̓ ('chief') August Jack Khatsahlano, widely recognized for documenting local Indigenous history.
Many present-day Squamish families are descendants of those who once lived at Sen̓áḵw. The area was officially designated as a First Nations reserve in 1869 by colonial authorities, then expanded to 80 acres (32 ha) by the Joint Reserve Commission in 1877, referred to as the Kitsilano Indian Reserve. Following intense settler-driven land demands, the village was illegally sold and largely destroyed in 1913. Decades of legal challenges culminated in a 2001 court settlement that restored 11.7 acres (4.7 ha) to Squamish Nation control.
Sen̓áḵw was originally a seasonal village site of the Squamish people at the head of False Creek, which offered abundant resources such as cedar, salmon, and shellfish. Coast Salish nations, including the Musqueam, also used the area for seasonal harvesting, potlatches, and trade. No permanent structures existed until the mid-19th century, when some Squamish families moved from the upper Squamish River valley to establish permanent homes. Though the Musqueam also visited, historical records indicate they did not settle there permanently.
Following the passage of the Indian Act in 1876, the Joint Indian Reserve Commission began surveying Indigenous lands. In 1869, a colonial survey recognized an Indigenous village at the south shore of False Creek, referred to as the Kitsilano (False Creek) Reserve. By 1877, the Commission had formally designated 80 acres (32 ha) as "Kitsilano Indian Reserve No. 6," thereby restricting the Squamish people’s use of their ancestral lands.
A petition in 1868 from 42 residents (14 men, 16 women, 12 children) spurred the 1869 survey that confirmed the site’s reserve status. Chief George ("Chepx̱ím”) was recorded as the local leader. Historical censuses document 40–50 residents (sometimes up to 57), chiefly Squamish families, who sustained themselves through fishing, resource harvesting, and employment in Vancouver.
Between the 1870s and 1916, Sen̓áḵw functioned as a cohesive settlement primarily inhabited by Squamish families. Residents lived in several dwellings, including a large community house owned by Chief George. While some individuals had Musqueam heritage, they typically resided at Sen̓áḵw through marital or familial connections, reinforcing the village’s predominantly Squamish identity.
As Vancouver expanded, local authorities increasingly viewed Sen̓áḵw as an obstacle to development. Portions of the reserve were expropriated in 1886 and 1902 for railway infrastructure. By 1903, Vancouver Mayor Thomas Neelands proposed repurposing the reserve for civic amenities such as courthouses and fairgrounds, and land speculation in the Kitsilano area—named after the Squamish Chief Xats’alánexw—intensified settler interest in dispossession.