Chief’s Message

Chief Dalton Silver.

My grandpa used to say, that in the Coast Salish Territory, Semá:th was the central location where the people used to gather.

The people gathered in the summertime as we had Semá:th Lake that once offered every species of fish right there at the front of our village and in the winter time people gathered there from all parts of the Coast Salish Nation for the winter ceremonies and I hope sometime in the future that we can re-establish Semá:th as a central place amongst the Coast Salish.

That we can gather again and maintain the ties that we once had as Salish People.

In the modern context with our new surroundings, we need to interact with our new neighbors. We need to build relationships, share our histories so that we can better understand each other while maintaining our identity as Semá:th. We need to strengthen our position in the local economy and in society itself.

*The name Semá:th had to do with the thick grass or reeds on the shallow waters at the shores of Semá:th Lake.