Related Schools

Lejac (BC), Kamloops (BC)

History of Community Name

The meaning of the name comes from the story of the war between the Nak'azdli and the Little Dwarves. Arrows shot by the Little Dwarves broke the dam at the south end of the lake, causing it to float down stream and form an island. "After that, people called that place 'Utnaneyaz k'a bulh tzdli' or Nak'azdli, which means "the place where the Little Dwarves' arrows floated off"." Nak'azdli was known as an essential fur trading post for the Hudson's Bay Company, known as the Stuart Lake Post. The post was later named Fort St. James, "becoming the new name for the Nak'azdli area" (community's website). "Formerly Necoslie (Pre-1989)" (BCAFN).

Note on Names

Where possible, the community or nation’s name in this record reflects the community’s preference, as indicated on their website. A list of other names is also provided. These include alternatives used by communities as well as names imposed on communities by colonial authorities. Familiarity with the history and context of imposed names is necessary for finding records about Indigenous individuals, groups and lands in the colonial archive.

Our source for colonial names is government and church documents held by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR). For alternative names, we have drawn from lists on the websites of the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations (BCAFN), the First People’s Cultural Council (FPCC), and the National Indigenous Knowledge and Language Alliance (NIKLA). The source of each name can be found in the hovernote that appears when moving the computer's cursor over a name.

If you are aware of other community or nation names that we should include, or would like to comment on those we have listed, please email us at irshdc.reference@ubc.ca.