Xaxli'p

Xaxl’íp, meaning "brow of the hill”, formally known as the Fountain Indian Band, is located 15 km east of the town of Lillooet and is the second largest St’át’imc community, having a population of 981 members and a total reserve size of 1581.6 hectares.

At the beginning of time, the Xaxli’p people descended from the mythological cultural icon Coyote, who travelled about and destroyed the evil in the area to prepare the land as well as its food for the people. Fishing, hunting and plant gathering are central components of Xaxli’p culture. The Six-Mile fishery, Sxetl’, meaning "drop off” is the main fishery for Xaxli’p that was created by Coyote when he brought the salmon up the Fraser creating the water-falls so it would be a good fishing spot for the Xaxli’p people. When he finished creating the water-falls, he sat down on a rock overlooking the river, leaving the marks of his seat and feet, which is still visible today.

Currently Xaxli’p is implementing their land use plan that is based on their Traditional Use Study and Ecosystem-Base Plan. This initiative prioritizes the protection and restoration of ecosystem functions, and combines traditional ecological knowledge with western science to protect both Xaxli’p traditional lands and cultural values at all scales.

Chief and Council

The current Chief and Council was appointed on March 22, 2010. Their term is up on March 21, 2014.

Arthur Adolph, Chief
Isaac Adolph, Councillor
Howard Bob, Councillor
Bradley Bob Jr., Councillor
Valerie Diablo, Councillor
Pauline Michell, Councillor
Jeffrey Saul Sr., Councillor