About Us

The SC’IȺNEW First Nation is located 30 km southwest of Victoria BC.

About

The word SC’IȺNEW (pronounced CHEA-nuh) translates from the KLALLAM language as “the place of the big fish”, indicating the richness of the sea life in the region that sustains the SC’IȺNEW and neighboring First Nation communities with food, shelter, medicine, and clothing.

Part of SC’IȺNEW traces their ancestry to people who spoke four different dialects. The community recognizes all four languages although they are not all currently spoken. As with other First Nation names in the region, the place name SC’IȺNEW identifies what the inhabitants need to know about the locale.

Lands

SC’IȺNEW lands also include Fraser Island, Lamb Island, Long-neck Island, Twin Island, Village Island, and Whale Island. Today, the SC’IȺNEW community continues to apply their long knowledge of environmental management in sharing their land and marine resources.

SC’IȺNEW First Nation is a party to the Douglas Treaties and is negotiating a modern treaty as a member of the Te’mexw treaty nations through the BC treaty process.

A Chief and two Councillors govern SC’IȺNEW First Nation and also incorporates traditional leadership components including Elders and the Hereditary Chief. Elections were held every two years in October on odd-numbered years but recently changed to every four years in 2019.

F.A.Q.

SC’IȺNEW Nation is located approximately 30 km southwest of Victoria, British Columbia, and encompasses Fraser Island, Lamb Island, Long-neck Island, Twin Island, Village Island and Whale Island.

SC’IȺNEW is governed by a Chief and two Councillors, with additional guidance from Elders and the Hereditary Chief. Elections are held every four years. 

To learn more about our leadership, visit our Governance page.

SC’IȺNEW Nation has many programs and services available to community members. From Financial guidance to Educational resources, there are many ways to receive the support you need.

To discover our full program offerings, please visit our Programs page.

SC’IȺNEW Nation actively protects the Salish Sea. Our Ocean Resources department is responsible for ensuring the health and safety of the ecosystem through regular environmental monitoring and data capture. They are working to integrate traditional stewardship with modern technological practices. 

If you need to contact SC’IȺNEW Nation, you can reach the main office by phone at 250-478-3535 or at reception@beecherbay.ca.

Please visit our Contact page for more information or other ways to get in touch.