Tzeachten First Nation became an independent First Nation in the late 1960’s according to the Department of Indian Affairs (DIA). At the time, Tzeachten had a community hall and a sports field, where the current Vedder Crossing Plaza is now located.
In 1971, the Tzeachten longhouse was built. This was used for many community events and gatherings but unfortunately it burnt down in 1976. There is currently no longhouse on Tzeachten; however, there is a possibility of building one in the future.
Chilliwack Area Indian Council (CAIC) was formed in 1970 when the local DIA office was closed. CAIC was solely concerned with the provision of services and was the first Stó:lō authority delegated to administer benefits under the health, social assistance and education programs of the DIA.
In 1977, twenty-four First Nations banded together to sign the Stó:lō Declaration and creating Stó:lō Nation (SN).
By 1994 Stó:lō Nation Canada (SNC) and the Stó:lō Tribal Council (STC) agreed to form a single organization under the leadership of Chief Steven Point. The Constitution, signed on June 30th 1995, states in part that the purposes of the Society are to:
- Revive and maintain Stó:lō cultural values, re-establish self-government, maintain health Stó:lō communities
- Maintain and enhance our unique Stó:lō identity
- Support the growth of Stó:lō identity in our children
- Assist the general public to better understand and appreciate Stó:lō culture, traditions and spirituality
- Improve capacity within our Stó:lō community to create and carry out Stó:lō policy, programs and services.
In 2004 the unified Stó:lō Nation, which had been providing services and programs to 19 member bands, had to deal with the withdrawal of 8 bands that chose to join the newly reconstituted Stó:lō Tribal Council. This resulted in changes to the structure of SN departments. Tzeachten is one of the eleven bands that stayed with Stó:lō Nation and that chose to proceed with the treaty in 2005.
More recently, in 1997, Tzeachten built a new community hall with 3 governance offices and in 2010 added a new extension for more office space. In 2011, with the need for even more space, Tzeachen expand their offices by the Lands and Taxation departments moving into a secondary building located in Vedder Crossing Plaza.