The Nations served by SSHS
The SSHS's membership consists of The People of four remote First Nations located between 40km and 100km from the service centre of Mount Currie, BC. The People of these communities face many barriers to receiving the care and services necessary to promote and maintain good health and well-being. The SHSS works to remove these barriers.
N'Quatqua First Nation
Located near Anderson Lake, BC and encompassing the community of D’Arcy, N̓Quatqua First Nation is a unique member of the SSHS as it is a Northern Stl’atl’imx community and is rural in nature, rather than remote. However, it shares strong social and geographical connections with the other member communities. The largest of the four SSHS communities, 207* of N̓Quatqua’s 362 members live in the community. The Nation has developed many of its own health services through its Health Station and Child and Family Development Centre. Accessible year round by a serviced highway, N̓Quatqua is approximately 40 km north of the SSHS offices located in Mount Currie. Moderate speed Internet access (DSL) is available to 76 residences.
Samahquam
The first of the Southern Stl’atl’imx communities encountered when traveling east on the forest service road that runs alongside Lillooet Lake, Samahquam is located 50 km from the SSHS offices. The community has an onsite population of 113, which is approximately one-third of its total membership of 368. Road access, particularly in the winter, is unreliable. Some residents have access to dial-up Internet that is hampered by unreliable land lands.
Skatin Nations
With a population of 133 of its 383 registered members living on-reserve, Skatin Nations is the second largest of the four SSHS communities. Located 60 km east of the SSHS offices, the community is accessible by the Lillooet forestry service road that is subject to washouts and extremely poor winter driving conditions. Some residents have access to low-bandwidth, fixed wireless Internet.
Xa'xtsa (Douglas) First Nation
Located at the head of Lillooet Lake, Xa'xtsa Nation is comprised of two communities, Tipella and Port Douglas, which are home to 103 of the Nation’s 325 registered members. In 2015/16, the Nation completed its own child care centre in Tipella and, with the support of SSHS, expanded its early childhood development offerings.