Nanaimo - WelcomeBC

About British Columbia and Nanaimo
Many names of places in B.C. are named after
Aboriginal words, for example, Nanaimo,
Tsawwassen, Sooke, Esquimalt, Kamloops, and
Chilliwack. The name of the country, Canada,
is Aboriginal in origin. “Canada” is from
the word “kanata” which in Huron-Iroquois
language means “village” or “settlement”.
There are three main groups of Aboriginal
people in Canada: First Nations, Métis and
Inuit. They have many different cultures,
languages, and traditions. Sixty percent of
First Nations languages in Canada are found
in B.C. British Columbia has 32 languages
and 59 dialects.
Métis are people of mixed Aboriginal and
European ancestry. Culture and history
are important parts of being Métis. Their
language is Michif. Inuit people live in
northern Canada. They speak Inuktitut.
Before people came here from Europe,
Aboriginal people had their own societies,
cultures, lands, and laws. In the past, the
federal and provincial governments tried to
change the way of life of Aboriginal people.
For example, children were taken away to
schools, and were not allowed to see their
families or speak their own language.
Now Aboriginal people live in cities, towns and
in their own communities. Aboriginal people
and the governments of B.C. and Canada are
working to make treaties (agreements) to keep
Aboriginal rights and lands, and to improve
education and health in their communities.
The name Nanaimo comes from
Snunéymuxw. The Snunéymuxw are a Coast
Salish people who have lived on the eastern
coast of Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands,
and the Fraser River for thousands of years
before Europeans arrived. The true meaning
of the word is lost, but many elders believe
that it means “a great people”.
Like other Coast Salish peoples, the
Snunéymuxw depended on the ocean for
food and resources. They travelled in spring
and summer to fish. In the fall and winter
they lived in large log longhouses. The
Snunéymuxw First Nation has a population
of over 1,700 people.
Settlers
British and Spanish explorers came to the
Pacific coast in the 1700s. The British explorer
George Vancouver arrived in 1792. Vancouver
Island and the city of Vancouver are named
after him. Other European explorers came to
the Pacific coast by river and on land. One of
these early explorers was Simon Fraser. The
Fraser River is named after him. People found
gold along the Fraser River in 1857. Thousands
of people came to B.C. to look for gold.
In 1867, the provinces of Ontario, Quebec,
New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia joined
together to form Canada. British Columbia
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