Sliammon First Nation- Home of the Tla‘Amin people

The Coast Salish Village of Sliammon is located along Highway 101 approximately 10 kilometres north of Powell River and is home of the Sliammon First Nations people.

At the turn of the 20th century the Sliammon people lived along both shores of the Northern strait of Georgia, living off the land and animals that were abundant in the area and traveling through traditional territories known for thousands of years as home. The myriad of inlets, bays, river estuaries and sheltered coves along the coastline allowed the Sliammon people to build their villages as close as possible to the natural resources needed to support their communities. The main settlements were Theodosia, Desolation Sound, the Coastline of Malaspina Strait, Powell River, and numerous islands within the Strait of Georgia.

The Sliammon people once occupied two permanent settlements in the Powell River region. What is now Grief Point was used during the Fall and Winter months and the Powell River, where the NorskeCanada Paper Mill is located today was used during the Spring and Summer. High-ranking families would keep houses at both locations. The Sliammon people traveled by water, searching out the best places to fish, hunt, pick berries or dig roots. Some of the locations were simply over-night campsites while others became seasonal villages with spacious houses constructed from the giant red cedars that were abundant along the shores. Evidence of these sites is easy to locate by the presence of shell middens (Layers of shells and earth accumulated along the shoreline from thousand of years of discarded seashells).

In 1912, the flooding of the main village site Tiskw'at, and rise in the water level after the construction of the Powell River Dam to make way for hydroelectric development and the construction of the Powell River Co. Pulp and Paper Mill forced the relocation of the village to its' current site and destroyed much of the prehistoric evidence of the Sliammon people. In recent years awareness and interest in BC's First Nations history and culture has expanded dramatically and historical sites and artifacts are now protected by law.

Today Sliammon Village is developing into a bustling community with tourism viewed as a major factor in the future economic growth of the village. Other businesses that operate within the community include a fish hatchery, logging operations and a retail store. Fish hatchery tours can be arranged by contacting 604-483-4111.

With the recent purchase and remodelling of the Historic Lund Hotel the Community now has a new place to showcase Coast Salish culture and the hotel is a very popular place for both visitors and local residents.

For more information about Sliammon and the Coast Salish People visit Sliammon Treaty Society or the Lund Hotel.