Annual Report 2022 / 2023
Section:
Ta néwyap síiyam̓, síiyay̓, siiyúxwa7 iy ta s7eḵw’í7tel-cht,
nilh ti syel̓ánem tl’a 2023 na7 tkwi nach’aw̓icháwanexw, ta síiyam̓cht tl’a úpen i kwi t’áḵach úxwumixwcht na mi ḵx̱wúsemwit ses men ánulhwit kwis mi nch’ú7mut tl’a úxwumixwcht. nilh melh ses wa tsut ta stélmexw kwis men nch’u7s kwi welh tiná7chet. nekw nach’aw̓icháwanexw ta úxwumixwcht.
wé7us chet kwi ḵwetḵ sts’its’áp’ tl’a swa7ám̓cht ti esxwexwkw sts’its’áp’ kwi ses mistaswit yew̓án̓iwilh tl’a nímalh ti stsi7s na húyutaswit ta Nexwsxwniw̓tm ta Úxwumixw ti stsi7s iy kwis chet mi áyatnew̓as iy kwis chet mi shew̓áynew̓as na7 ta úxwumixwcht. na wé7us ta sts’its’áp’ kwis mi shew̓áynit iy iyím̓entm tl’a úxwumixw iy ta stélmexwcht ti stsi7s iy kwi hem̓í eḵ’ stélmexw á7awt tl’a nímalh, iy wé7us kwis chet nexwiyáy̓us na7 ta sts’its’áp’cht. ta sḵwálwenswit ta úxwumixwcht nilh an esxwéxwkw. stl’i7cht kwis tkwáya7nnit kwis stl’i7swit tl’a s7ulh lemlám̓ iy ta skwulcht iy ta sníchimcht iy ta wa lh7tim̓ácht. chet estétx̱w sḵwálwncht kwis nám̓stet ta úxwumixwcht tkwa tsixwnúmulh.
chet kw’enmántumiyap kwis ḵw’ú7tsutyap na7 ta sḵeḵx̱wcht. an ha7lh sḵwálwencht kwis húynexwaswit ta syétsem tl’a Eslhílhkw’iws Chet, ta Census tl’a Sḵwx̱wú7mesh. kwi ḵwetḵ syel̓ánem na yuultaswit ta úxwumixwcht stl’i7swit kwis ḵ’ánatsuts ta skwulcht iy tsetsiy̓áḵwustay̓ ta sḵwálwenswit tl’a syétsem ta lemlám̓cht. chet wa ḵ’ánatsut na7 tkwa Sen̓áḵw Úxwumixw iy ti-lam̓ chet na wa xwukws kwi ḵex̱ tála tiná7 tl’a Canada Mortgage iy ta Housing Corporation (CMHC). chet uutaswit kwi swataswit tiná7 tl’a Ḵ’émḵ’emelay̓ na chén̓chenstumulh.
chet wa ḵ’áyachtn ta úxwumixwcht ti stsi7s iy kwi hem̓í eḵ’ stélmexw á7awt tl’a nímalh.
huy chexw a (thank you) to Norman Guerrero Jr, Setálten and Victoria Fraser for recording the audio version of this Welcome Message.
To you all, respected leaders, friends, Elders, and relatives,
This year of 2023, one hundred years ago our chiefs of 16 villages came together and agreed to be one Nation. This is why people say that we come from one (Nation). Our Nation is now one hundred years.
We (Council) are continuing the past work of our ancestors. This important work is being brought to us today and is shaping our current Council, reconciliation, and prosperity. The work continues to grow and strengthen the Nation and our people today as well as the future generations.
We continue to be far-sighted in our work. The thoughts and feelings of our Nation are very important. We want to hear what they say about our housing, education, language, and culture. We are determined to take our people to the destination.
We thank you all for including yourself in our People’s Assembly. We are pleased to see so many of our people complete Eslhílhkw’iws Chet, the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Census. This past year our people voted yes to Reclaiming Education and shared their thoughts and feelings on housing. We are returning to the village of Sen̓áḵw and building our homes supported with funding from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). We invite those from Vancouver to support us (in our work).
We raise our hands to our people today as well as those who have come before and those who will come after.
Our people are at the heart of everything we do. We honour our ancestors by continuing their work to ensure our people have a better quality of life than the previous generation. The Nation continued to deliver services and programs to Members while making progress on the four pillars of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw 2026, our Strategic Plan.
Icons below designed by Marissa Nahanee.
The Nation’s total revenue in 2022/2023 was $215.6 million, exceeding the original projection by $113 million.
The majority of our revenue was Own Source Revenue (OSR), which includes revenue streams generated directly by the Nation (eg. from taxes and land leases). In the last fiscal year this accounted for 79 percent of the Nation’s revenue. The remaining 21 percent last year came from government transfers.
Total expenditure was $121.6 million. In 2021/2022 the Nation saw its operations begin to rebound from the impacts of COVID-19, and in 2022/2023, we expanded the scope and scale of our programs and services to Members which resulted in expenses exceeding the original budget.
Operating surplus
2022/2023 saw a $94 million surplus, an increase of $56.6 million from the surplus in the 2021/2022. This increase in operating surplus was primarily driven by the receipt of the Phase 1 Nation Amenity Contribution for the Sen̓áḵw development. The Nation remains dedicated to responsible financial management by seizing sustainable growth opportunities and adapting to ever-changing circumstances. As such, a substantial portion of this surplus has been allocated towards strategic initiatives that align closely with our organizational goals.
($ millions)
Total $81.2 million
Total $106.3 million
2023 marks the 100th year since 16 villages amalgamated to become Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw. Over the past year, the Nation has been building on the work of the ancestors and defining a new era of self-determination, reconciliation, and economic independence.
In tem tsá7tsḵay̓ (April) 2022, Nexwsxwníw̓ntm ta Úxwumixw (Council) approved the appointment of nine Commissioners to sit on Paháyikwup, the Language Commission. Nominated by Members, the Commissioners provide guidance on Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim (Squamish Language) including certifying teachers, determining speaker proficiency levels, and creating a strategic plan for language revitalization. This work is guided by a Terms of Reference and the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim Policy which was approved in 2021.
On tem cháyilhen (September) 6, 2022 Council Chairperson Khelsilem was joined by the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, for the announcement that the federal government will provide a $1.4 billion loan to the Nch’ḵay̓ West partnership to support the first two phases of the Sen̓áḵw development. This is the largest loan from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) in Canadian history and is provided through the Rental Construction Financing Initiative (RCFI).
87.5% of Members who voted in a referendum said yes to reclaiming education and building a Sḵwx̱wú7mesh education law and system for on-reserve schools. The etl’ím lhḵaych’ (December) 2022 vote was the culmination of the efforts of those who have been working towards reclaiming our inherent right to reclaim the education of our community for decades. The s7ulh wa nexwniw̓éyalh (Our Ways of Education) project continues its work on developing the education law.
On tem lhawt’ (March) 29, 2023, the Nation and Nch’ḵay̓ Development Corporation announced an immediate one-year moratorium on third-party development proposals so that long-range capital plans and land use strategies could be developed for high priority areas of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh territory in North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Squamish, and Gibson’s Landing. This will open the door to socio-economic growth for the Nation in a way that reflects our values, culture, and worldview.
Today, with nearly 4100 Members, the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw is one of the largest First Nations in British Columbia and a dynamic force in the region. The majority of our people live in three communities in West Vancouver and North Vancouver while approximately 10 percent of our population lives in communities along the Squamish River.
We are the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh – descendants of the original Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking villages throughout the watersheds of the Squamish River, Mamquam River, Howe Sound, English Bay, False Creek, and Burrard Inlet.
Our people’s history spans many millennia of living on and governing our territory. Our oral literature speaks to our origins as a people in our lands through the stories of these first ancestors. ha7lh stélmexw kwelh tiná7 chet (we come from good people).
In 1923, the partitioned Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Indian Bands joined together to better protect the interests of the people and amalgamated to become the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw. The Prayer of Amalgamation document was signed by 76 Squamish People and sixteen chiefs for each of the Indian Bands at the time. The Amalgamation created the conditions for the success of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw.
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh culture has been created from our lands, waters, and people over generations. Our people continue to practice and pass on many of the traditions, customs, and ways of our ancestors. wa iy̓ím ta Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish strong).
The Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw is s7eḵwí7tel, úxwumixw, and stélmexw. We honour our ancestors by continuing their work for our people to have a better quality of life than the previous generation. We use, create, and borrow the tools we need for our people to care for themselves and their loved ones. We offer knowledge of our ancestors to create ha7lh sḵwálwen and nexwniw̓ that can be passed on to our descendants.
Our government excels at performing our governance responsibilities. We deliver services now and into the future while maintaining Sḵwx̱wú7mesh values and ways of being. We continue to assert our rightful place as decision-makers with the power to influence and control what happens on our lands, waters and in the delivery of quality services for our people.
What we do on our lands and waters define who we are. We protect, take care of, and respect our land and waters. We fulfill our responsibilities to our lands and waters so that future generations can have a healthy relationship with each other and our territory.
We seek to work with external relations who respect our Sḵwx̱wú7mesh values and our inherent rights as Indigenous People. We value relationships initiated in good faith and maintained through collaboration, meaningful engagement, and accountability. We cherish our relations with Indigenous neighbours.
