The Ch’íyáqtel First Nation (Tzeachten First Nation) app is now available

Ch'íyáqtel, formerly known as Tzeachten First Nation, means "the place of the fish weir" in Halq'eméylem. The Nation describes itself as proud affiliates of the Stó:lō nation, people of the river, and members of the Ts'elxwéyeqw tribe. Its identity centres on the Chilliwack River, where the ancestors built fishing weirs to catch enough fish to feed everyone. The ancestors also travelled the territory to hunt, pick berries and fish.

The Nation has 358.90 hectares of reserve land, 3 km south of Sardis in Chilliwack. The reserve lies within the Ts'elxwéyeqw Tribes territory, which covers 95,000 hectares across the Chilliwack River Valley. The Nation became an independent First Nation in the late 1960s. In 1977, it was one of 24 Nations that formed Stó:lō Nation, and it remains a member of the Stó:lō Nation tribal council.

Ch'íyáqtel has not signed a treaty with the Crown. It is negotiating in the BC treaty process through the Stó:lō Xwexwilmexw Government, which is in Stage 5 negotiations.

Community and economic life includes:

• Ownership of Vedder Crossing Plaza and many residential developments
• Land management and property tax laws that support independence and economic stability
• A 23-unit rental complex built with BC Housing
• A community garden started in 2018