Language : Halq'eméylem, a part of the Salishan Language family tree(Family of languages from the Coast Salish Languages).

 ''Stó:lō'' is the Halq'eméylem word for the Fraser River.

 

The colonial discrimination and the impact of Indian Act ok the Stó :lō nation : The main affect of the Indian Act on the people of Stó :lō is the assimilation policies of residential school. The Stó :lō people were directly impacted by the Indian Act passed in 1876 which were dishonest to assimilate all indigenous communities into a Canadian “citizen” by prohibiting the traditional culture of rhe Stó :lō people. Residential schools played a large impact of the people where children were forced to attend St. Mary’s Residential School which aimed to "civilize" Indigenous children by removing them from their families and communities and forcing them to adopt Euro-Canadian traditions and were often subject to emotional, psychological and physical abuse. As the indigenous groups were stripped of their traditions, the children were forbidden to speak their language and caused turmoil between the children and their families.  The intergenerational trauma caused by these policies has led to high rates of poverty, unemployment, and social issues within the Stó:lō community. However, the community of about 8876 are still recovering showing signs of resilience to their past and showing within their community