Kwikwetlem First Nation

The Kwikwetlem First Nation, also known as the Coquitlam Indian Band, is the band government of the Kwikwetlem, a Sto:lo people living in the Coquitlam area of British Columbia, Canada. They traditionally speak the Downriver dialect of hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, one of the Salishan family of languages. The name Kwikwetlem refers to "red fish up the river".
The Nation is made up of two reserves, a small 2.6-hectare site near the mouth of the Coquitlam River where it drains into the Fraser River, and a much larger 82-hectare site approximately 2.5 km north. About 36% of all Kwikwetlem members live on Coquitlam No. 1, 43% live elsewhere in Canada, and roughly 21% reside throughout the United States.

WWW Official Site

Government

The band is led by an elected council, with the current term running from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2027:

Chief: Ron Giesbrecht
Councillor: George Chaffee
Councillor: John Peters

Geography

Historically, the Kwikwetlem's territory covered and extended a moderate distance beyond the Coquitlam River and Pitt River watersheds. Today, there are two Indigenous Reserves under the administration of the Kwikwetlem First Nation.

Coquitlam 1

Coquitlam Indian Reserve No. 1 is the main reserve for the Kwikwetlem Nation, housing its administrative offices and all of its on-reserve population. It is situated at an ancient village site. It has an area of.

Coquitlam 2

Coquitlam Indian Reserve No. 2 is the secondary reserve of the Kwikwetlem Nation. Making up the vast majority of the total reserve land, it has an area of approximately. Planning for the development of the area began in 2020.