User:OldManRivers/Sḵwxwú7mesh/Sḵwxwú7mesh society

Governance

The leadership is grouped with each family having a siyam, which translates to, a highly respected person. This person would act in the best interest of his family, and make decision based on the group consensus of the family he represented. Then through potlatching, his status among the villages, and other Indigenous nations, would rise in respect based on how many characteristics of a noble person. These characteristics would be humbleness, respect, generosity, and wisdom. The wealth of these individuals, and their family, is based on how resources they give away, not how much they collect.

Social structure

The Skwxu7mesh class structure is similar to other Coast Salish. Unlike European class strucutre, characterized as a pyramid, Sḵwxwú7mesh classes were structured in a manner similar to a inverted pear. Nobility, aristocrats, and the like were the most populated, with commons make a sizable but smaller portion of society compared to the nobility. The smallest group were slaves, held only by high ranking noblemen.

The nobility was recognized by three ways; the amount of wealth distributed amongst the people, how much one or ones family emulates the values of the people, the knowledge through history, traditions, and culture and the sharing of those, and knowledge of skills, whether practical or spiritual.

The distribution of wealth was the most regarded and most practiced by high ranking and wealthy families. This distribution of wealth takes place with the potlatching or through the display of values celebrated in the culture such as generosity, humbleness and respect. Some families come from nobility because of connection to spiritual powers or ceremonialism. Shamans, prophets and medicine doctors were also considered nobility because of the training and expertise they possessed. Some jobs or positions, taken up by members of the community, also signified members of this class. These jobs and positions would be things related to the mountain goat, like hunting and weaving of mountain goat wool blankets. Before contact commoners or slaves could rise through the ranks to one day also become nobility through this system.

In emulating the values of the culture, of respect for each other, wisdom or knowledge to be passed on in teachings, and generosity of ones own wealth. In Western concept of wealth, the poor are regarded by those who have nothing.

"It was the duty of the more responsible Indians to see that the history and traditions of our race were properly anded down to posterity. A knowledge of our history and legends was similar as an education is regarded among whitemen. Those who possessed it were regarded as aristocrats. Those were indifferent, whether adults or children, were rascals. Being without means of transmitting it into writing, much time was spent by the aristocrats in importing this knowledge to the youth. It was the responsible duty of responsible elders."

Law

Property

In Sḵwxwú7mesh society, many things are considered property which are not in European societies. This included names, stories, ceremonies, and songs. These notions of property are similar to those considered under modern intellectual property law. Other property included fishing spots and hunting trip lines, as well ass berry patches, canoes, and works of art. Through this, rights to places to hunt, fish, or gather food, could be added in marriage with people from other villages or nations.

Names are property of a somewhat different kind. Names, given to a young person after going through rites of passage, would most likley be taken from a deceased ancestor of the same family. Prior to given this name, children would be given nick names or pet names which would hold until they attained a ancestral name. These names are considered important as many have been passed down through generations. It is through this that only blood connection to the ancestor can names be passed down.

Places and resources are also considered property, though in a much less clearly defined way than is found in the European legal tradition. Locations typically did not carry clearly drawn bounded lines, although sometimes certain landmarks serve as boundary markers. Ownership of places is usually correlated with a valuable resource in that location rather than overt physical characteristics. Usually the resources in question are food sources, such as salmon streams, herring spawning grounds, berry patches, and fishing holes.

Family and kinship

The Sḵwxwú7mesh kinship is based on a loose patrilineal structure, with large extended families and communal village life. Numerous villages populated the territory, with each village holding many longhouses. Each longhouse was a community in itself, with a number of related families living in the same home. The number of families varied with size of the house. During the warmer and gathering seasons, there would be numerous fires within each house for each family. But during the winter season, one fire was used for ceremonies and spiritual work taking place in the house.

Historically, marriage would occur through either arranged marriage, or the groom proposing to the father of the prospecting wife. If a father endorsed the marriage, he would invite the groom into his house after a trial conducted on the young man. Polygamy was also practiced, but only the most wealthy individuals would practice this.

Bibliography

• Barman, Jean. Stanley Park's Secrets. Habour Publishing, 2005. ISBN 978155074205.
• Mathews, Major J.S. Conversations with Khahtsahlano, 1932-1954. Out-of-Print, 1955. ASIN: B0007K39O2.
• Clark, Ella E. Indian Legends of the Pacific Northwest. University of California Press, 2003. ISBN 0520239261.
• Hill-tout, Charles. "Salish People: Volume II: the Squamish and the Lillooet". Talonbooks, 1978. ISBN 0889221499
• Khatsahlano, August Jack and Charlie, Domanic. Squamish Legends: The First People". Oliver N. Wells, June 1966. ISBN
• Kolstee, Anton. The Eagle School student dictionary of Squamish langage. Carson Graham Secondary School, October 1993.
• Kuipers, H. Alert. The Squamish language: Grammar, texts, dictionary. Mouton & Co., 1967.