Cultural Place Names Tour

Naxaxalhts'i, also know as Albert (Sonny) McHalsie, is currently the Co - Director & Cultural Advisor of the Stó:lō Research and Resource Management Centre.  The Centre operates on behalf of the Stó:lō Nation and Stó:lō Tribal Council - representing 18 of the 24 Stó:lō Bands within the Lower Fraser River Watershed of southwestern British Columbia.  Sonny was a co-author of the book I am Stó:lō: Katherine explores her heritage (1997) - focusing on his family and his daughter Katherine.  He sat on the editorial board and was a contributor to the award winning publication A Stó:lō Coast Salish Historical Atlas (2001). He has worked for the Stó:lō since 1985. Some of his areas of expertise include Stó:lō Place Names and cultural landscape features.  He is a member of the Shxw’owhamel First Nation, is married, and is the proud father of two girls and six boys, and he has three grandchildren. He continues to fish at his ancestral fishing ground at Aselaw (‘Es-l-ow’) in the Fraser Canyon in the north-eastern portion of Stó:lō Territory.

First Salmon Ceremony	Remembrance Day	People of the River Conference
Every year Stó:lō people along the Fraser River have a First Salmon Ceremony to show honour and respect to the Salmon for giving its life to nourish them.  The first one caught is cooked in the traditional way and shared with everyone present at the ceremony.  The bones are then collected and placed back into the river with a prayer thanking Chichelh Siyá:m for the salmon.  The purpose of the ceremony is to ensure that there will be plenty of salmon for all Stó:lō families during the fishing season to provide for their nourishment in the winter months. The Annual First Salmon Ceremony shows respect toward our Stó:lō ancestors.  Continuing Stó:lō culture and tradition will prove the existence of Shxweli in all living things great and small.	Every 11th day of November a special ceremony is held to honour Stó:lō veterans at the Coqualeetza grounds in Chilliwack, BC.  The event is to recognize and pay tribute to the men and women that served in the Canadian Armed Forces - also U.S..  A special emphasis is made to not only credit their military contributions but also their post-war contributions to their communities.	In 1997 Stó:lō Nation hosted the first People of the River Conference.  For many years the Stó:lō Nation Aboriginal Rights and Title Department (now SRRMC)  worked with Stó:lō communities in numerous areas. The conference provides a venue to showcase recent research and future projects.  Based on the success of the initial conference SRRMC decided to host the conference bi-annually.

For more information contact Tracey.Joe@stolonation.bc.ca

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