Contacts re Stuwix

[Mike Cleven]

I'm happy to report that the Union of BC Indian Chiefs has an extensive
set of links and other resources in its website at
http://www.ubcic.bc.ca/.  Off its links page I managed to find:

http://vancouver.miningco.com/local/vancouver/msub21.htm

which includes links to directories of band addresses and other
resources.  The band addresses are actually at
http://www.dickshovel.com/, which some of you may be familiar with as a
major native political and cultural site-resource; if I recall correctly
that was also the site that had a fascinating on-line history of
railway/native/Metis politics in the 19th Century that's well worth the
read.

The main UBCIC links page is:

http://www.ubcic.bc.ca/links.htm

If anyone wants to write or fax directly to any of the following bands,
"ATTN Language Dept." or something to that effect would make sure it
gets to the right person.  I'm sure any local native historian would be
glad to hear of an opportunity to solve the mystery of the Stuwix'
origin and might already have a list of such unknown words already
researched.  "Stuwix" is, I think, Nlaka'pamux although the book never
quite says it that way; it may be Syilx (Okanagan); it's not clear from
the book if it means "the strangers" or not.

The Upper and Lower Similkameen Bands are Okanagan.  The Lower Nicola
Band is Nlaka'pamux; I'm not sure if the Upper Nicola Band is
Nlaka'pamux or Spaxomin, or both; there is no mention of a separate
Douglas Lake community government, which is the core locality of the
Spaxomin; they may have merged with the Nlaka'pamux (Sce'exmx)
neighbours in Merritt a while ago (maybe Terry G knows).  Sounds as if
the Stuwix were current through the upper Similkameen as well as up to
Douglas Lake and maybe Tulameen; it'll be interesting to see the
distribution of those placenames.

I'll see if I can find out who the relevant specialist at Simon Fraser
Univ. is.....

Upper Similkameen Indian Band
P.O. Box 310
Keremeos, BC VOX I N0
(250) 499-2221
FAX 499-5117

Upper Nicola Indian Band
P.O. Bag 3700
Merritt, BC VOK 2B0
(250) 350-3342
FAX 350-3311

Lower Nicola Indian Band
R.R. 1, Site 17, Comp. 18
Merritt, BC VOK 2BO
(250) 378-5157
FAX 378-6188

Lower Similkameen Band
Admin.Office
P.O. Box 100
Keremeos BC V0X 1N0
(250) 499-5528
FAX 499-5335