Our Territory
Oral tradition tells us that the Upper Similkameen people have lived in this valley, known as eagle country, since time immemorial, living along the banks of the Similkameen and its tributaries. Today, our territory is located in the upper Similkameen watershed between the US-Canada border (to the south), the Skagit Valley (to the west) and Aspen Grove (to the north).
Our name for the Hedley area is Snaza’ist (sna-za-ee-st), meaning striped rock place. There are as many stories about this place as there are stripes on the rock. The most common character in the stories is the trickster, Coyote. Many say he scarred the rock with his claws, creating the stripes of Nickel Plate Mountain.
