Sen̓áḵw: The Squamish Nation’s Impossibly Simple Solution to Vancouver’s Housing Crisis

That’s because this site is not part of Vancouver. The development, Sen̓áḵw, which roughly translates to “the place inside the head of False Creek,” is a reserve that belongs to the Squamish Nation (Sḵwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw), who have lived in North America since long before the arrival of Europeans. With 250 to 300 of its 6,000 rental apartments reserved for Squamish families, Sen̓áḵw’s construction represents an incredible moment of return: No Squamish had lived on this land since 1913, when residents were forced out and the provincial government burned the original Sen̓áḵw village behind them. After a decades-long court case, the Squamish reclaimed these 10.5 acres in the early 2000s.