0%
Close
This image is inspired by the stories told about gold miners who arrived in Stó:lō Téméxw without sufficient supplies. During the winter of 1858 many of these men found themselves starving and at the mercy of the Stó:lō who shared food with them.
In the Halq’eméylem language, the world for people of European descent is Xwelitem. Stó:lō elders explain that Xwelitem translates as “hungry people” or “starving people.” No one remembers exactly when the Stó:lō adopted this term to describe the immigrants who came to their land, but elder Dan Milo was of the opinion that it dates back at least as far as the 1858 gold rush when thousands of poorly provisioned miners arrived in Stó:lō territory. The term continues to be used today and when asked, most Stó:lō say it refers to the Xwelitem’s insatiable appetite for land and resources.
- From the book You Are Asked to Witness: The Stó:lō in Canada’s Pacific Coast History, edited by Keith Thor Carlson.
Please rotate your phone to continue...
Close
