Stʼatʼimc

The Statimc (ˈʃt͡ɬʼæt͡ɬʼemx), also known as the Lillooet (ˈlɪluɛt), St̓át̓imc, Stl'atl'imx (slætˈliːəm), etc., are an Interior Salish people located in the southern Coast Mountains and Fraser Canyon region of the Interior of the Canadian province of British Columbia. Statimc culture displayed many features typical of Northwest Coast peoples: the potlatch, clan names, mythology, prestige afforded the wealthy and generous, and totem poles in some communities, especially in the Lil'wat First Nation (Lil'wat7ul), whose tribal lands and trade routes in the Whistler Valley and Green River Valley overlapped with those of the Squamish First Nation, a Coast Salish people. Today they total about 6259. The Statimc are divided linguistically, culturally and geographically into two main tribes or First Nations. The Upper Statimc (Upper Lillooet or Fraser River Lillooet), living near the present city of Lillooet on the Fraser River. They refer to themselves as STLA'tlei-mu-wh-talk and speak Statimcets dialect. The Lower Statimc (Lower Lillooet or Mount Currie Lillooet), living in the vicinity of today's Mount Currie in the Pemberton Valley and south to Skookumchuk. They refer to themselves as LEEL'-wat-OOL - 'The true People', 'The true Lillooet' (of which were the words 'Lillooet' and 'Lilwat' derived) and speak Ucwalmícwts dialect. The Lakes Lillooet (Lexalexamux or Tsala'lhmec - 'Lake People'), a group only sporadically recognized, living between the territories of Upper Statimc and Lower Statimc around Seton Lake and Anderson Lake - whose descendants are today's N'quatqua First Nation (also known as Anderson Lake Indian Band) and Seton Lake First Nation (also known as Seton Lake Indian Band), historically a group at the foot of Seton Lake, near Lillooet, known as the Skimka'imx were also included in this group.