Indigenous People Of The Chilcotin

September 1, 2021

When traveling the Chilcotin it is very evident you are guests on predominantly

indigenous land.  This entry will try to give a little context to the lives of indigenous

people in this part of the world.

Most of the following information was taken from the Canadian Encyclopedia website: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/chilcotintsilhqotin.

The Tsilhqot'in (Chilcotin) live between the Fraser River and the Coast Mountains in west-central British Columbia. In the 2016 census, 2,805 people of the Indigenous population reported Tsilhqot’in ancestry.  Traditionally Dene (Athabascan) speaking, their name means "people of the red river" and also refers to the Chilcotin Plateau region. 

Through most of the 19th century, the Tsilhqot’in were organized into autonomous bands. However, through much of the year, families moved about independently hunting, fishing, and gathering roots and berries. There were leaders, some of whom were forceful, but the society was basically egalitarian and individuals and their families valued their autonomy. In late summer, most families gathered along the rivers to fish the salmon runs. In mid-winter, they moved to sheltered locations, usually near lakes suitable for ice fishing, where they lived in shed-roofed homes or pit houses. 

 

The Tsilhqot'in traditional culture is similar to that of other Northern Dene peoples. Drumming, storytelling, and community celebrations feature prominently in Tsilhqot’in cultural life.  Protection of the environment and of nature is also important to Tsilhqot’in culture.

   

In 1864 the Tsilhqot’in resisted the European intrusion into the area via the pack-train trail established from the Bella Coola Valley through Tsilhqot'in territory to the developing gold mine centres to the east. A small group of Tsilhqot'in killed several European workers on this road in what is known as the Chilcotin War of 1864. Six Tsilhqot'in were eventually tried and executed for these killings. On 26 March 2018, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau exonerated the Tsilhqot'in chiefs of any wrongdoing, and on 2 November 2018, Trudeau formally apologized.

The Tsilhqot’in National Government is a tribal council established in 1989 that represents the six-member First Nations of the Chilcotin Plateau. In 2014, the Tsilhqot’in people won a Supreme Court of Canada case that focused on the issue of Aboriginal title. The Court agreed that the land had been both continually occupied and defended for the exclusive use of the Tsilhqot’in.  The ruling gives the Tsilhqot’in exclusive right to use and enjoy the land, as well as any benefits and profits derived therefrom. Any economic development on the land will require the consent of the Tsilhqot’in Nation.

As you explore the area you cannot help but notice the impressive new tribal offices, schools, and businesses.

  

Anahim to Bella Coola

September 3, 2021

We enjoyed a quick tour of Anahim Lake.  It doesn’t take long.  It is not a large place but as one resident told me, there are two flights a week to Vancouver so you’re not completely in the wild in Anahim.  He also reminded me that the name is pronounced “An-a-him”.  “You’re not in Disneyland’s An-a-heim!”  The town is also home to Canada’s Winter Olympic gold medal-winning hockey goalie Carey Price.  He is revered and has been known to compete at the local rodeo in the off-season.  His family still keeps a home in the area.

After a quiet night on the shores of Anahim Lake at the Escott RV Resort, we took the trip to Bella Coola.  The drive to Bella Coola on Highway 20 is one of BC's most treacherous and scenic roads.  It is 135 kilometers of all-season gravel.  Tourists are not advised to take their recreational vehicles due to steep inclines.  While we did see others hauling trailers, we decided the most prudent action was to leave the RVs behind and ride together in Doug’s truck.

The road includes 11km of switchbacks on the way to Heckman Pass, at 1.524m above sea level. The road descends 43 km of steep, narrow road with sharp hairpin turns and two major switchbacks to the Bella Coola Valley. The descent includes a 9 km section with grades of up to 18%. It was reported to us that tourists who have driven to Bella Coola from Williams Lake have been known to refuse to drive back and have had to be taken out by boat or floatplane.

Until 1953, the road from Williams Lake ended at Anahim Lake, 135 km short of Bella Coola because the provincial government refused to extend it – claiming the mountainous terrain was too difficult. Local volunteers working from opposite ends with two bulldozers and supplies purchased on credit finished the job. The rustic road was not really considered a highway when first completed, but it was enough to convince the government to take over maintenance and improvements in 1955.  We were told to look for the marker where the two dozers met but I think we missed it.

Our drive proved to be spectacular in terms of scenery but thankfully devoid of any on-road dramas.

We descended the pass into the lush green coastal vegetation of the Bella Coola Valley.  The valley has many older homes and farms first established by Norwegian immigrants from Minnesota, USA.  Bella Coola is situated on the ocean but far inland at the head of the North Bentinck Channel.  The ocean water is quite green with a glacial water hint.  It is regularly served by BC Ferries from Port Hardy.  

The town itself is quite small but has a large, well-stocked general store and a few small restaurants.  We enjoyed our lunch and poked around the harbour and the “run of the river” power plant.  Unfortunately, the local museum was closed due to COVID concerns.

Other than Doug’s white truck changing colour to a brown, mud textured finish, we had an equally non-dramatic ride home and got to enjoy most of the same scenery but from a different perspective.

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