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The Nlaka'pamux or Nlakapamuk (/ɪŋkləˈkæpmə/ ing-klə-KAP-mə; Salish [nɬeʔképmx]), also previously known as the Thompson, Thompson River Salish, Thompson Salish, Thompson River Indians or Thompson River people, and historically as the Klackarpun, Haukamaugh, Knife Indians and Couteau Indians, are an indigenous First Nations people of the Interior Salish language group in southern British Columbia. Their traditional territory includes parts of the North Cascades region of Washington.
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Other names
Frontier-era histories and maps transliterate the name Nlaka'pamux as Hakamaugh or Klackarpun; they were also known as the Couteau, Kootomin or Knife Indians. In the dialect of the Thompson language used by the Ashcroft Indian Band, the variant Nl'akapxm is used.
The Nlaka'pamux of the Nicola Valley, who are all in the Nicola Tribal Association reserves refer to themselves Scw'exmx and speak a different dialect of the Thompson language. Together with the Spaxomin people, a branch of the Okanagan people (Syilx) who live in the upper Nicola valley and also belong to the Nicola Tribal Association, they are collectively known as the Nicola people, or Nicolas.
Religion
The Nlaka'pamux were the object of both Anglican and Roman Catholic missionary efforts in the nineteenth century, resulting in the vast majority belonging to one of the two denominations by the beginning of the Twentieth Century.
Governments
The Nlaka'pamux Nation Tribal Council despite its name does not include all Nlaka'pamux people, but is one of two main tribal bodies within the region, the other being the Nicola Tribal Association. The Lytton First Nation or Lytton Band, focussed on the town of the same name, which is named Camchin or Kumsheen in the Nlaka'pamux language and is one of the largest Nlaka'pamux communities, does not belong to any of the three Tribal Association. Lower Nicola Indian band is also independent of all and any Tribal affiliations and is located in Lower Nicola, British Columbia, Canada.
None of the Nlaka'pamux governments are in the British Columbia Treaty Commission process at present.
Nlaka'pamux Nation Tribal Council
Nicola Valley Tribal Association
Unaffiliated
Language
The Nlaka'pamux speak an Interior Salishan language named nɬeʔkepmxcín, usually transliterated as Nlaka'pamuxtsn and known in English as the Thompson language. The Scw'exmx of the Nicola Valley speak a dialect also called Scw'exmx.