Musqueam
/məˈskwiːəm/noun
A Coast Salish Indigenous nation and the name of its traditional territory and community in the Vancouver area of British Columbia.
Did you know?“Musqueam” is an English spelling of a name connected to hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, the language of the Musqueam people; its traditional form is often written məθkʷəy̓əm and refers to a local plant or grass.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-contact era
hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓
məθkʷəy̓əm
“A traditional Musqueam place-name associated with a local grass or plant and the territory where it grew.”
Traditional Coast Salish usage
hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓
məθkʷəy̓əm̓
“The Indigenous name for the Musqueam homeland; exact English glosses vary among sources, including “place of the grass.””
18th–19th Century
English colonial records
Musqueam
“An Anglicized spelling used by colonial mapmakers and writers for the people and their territory.”
20th Century
English
Musqueam
“Standard English name for the Indigenous nation, community, reserve lands, and traditional territory near Vancouver.”
Modern English
English
Musqueam
“The recognized English name of the Musqueam First Nation, whose traditional territory includes parts of present-day Vancouver and surrounding areas.”
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