Skatin First Nation
Encyclopedia
The Skatin First Nations, aka the Skatin Nations, are a band government of the In-SHUCK-ch Nation
, a small group of the larger St'at'imc
people who are also referred to as Lower Stl'atl'imx. Skatin, the St'at'imcets version of the Chinook Jargon Skookumchuck, is located 4 km south of historic St. Agnes' Well Skookumchuck Hot Springs The community is 28km south of the outlet of Lillooet Lake
on the east side of the Lillooet River
. It is approximately 75 km south of the town of Pemberton
and the large reserve of the Lil'wat branch of the St'at'imc
at Mount Currie
. Other bands nearby are Samahquam
at Baptiste Smith IR on the west side of the Lillooet River at 30 km. and Xa'xtsa First Nations; the latter is located at Port Douglas
, near the mouth of the Lillooet River where it enters the head of Harrison Lake
. The N'Quatqua First Nation
on Anderson Lake, between Mount Currie
and Lillooet
, was at one time involved in joint treaty negotiations with the In-SHUCK-ch but its members have voted to withdraw, though a tribal council including the In-SHUCK-ch bands and N'Quatqua remains, the Lower Stl'atl'imx Tribal Council
.
The site of the hot springs was used by travellers on the old Douglas Road
prior to the abandonment of that route by most traffic in about 1864, when the Cariboo Road
via the Fraser Canyon
became the main access to the BC Interior
from the Lower Mainland
. The Oblate Fathers
established a mission there and encouraged the native people in the surrounding wilderness to settle there. The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate instructed the natives in Christianity, and to this day the Church of the Holy Cross, Skatin
, stands as a stunning example of the North American architectural style known as Carpenter Gothic
. In 1981, the Church was designated as a National Historic Site by Heritage Canada. A community-based group Ama Liisaos Heritage Trust Society is working on conservation of the church.
Skatin community includes about 30 houses, a band office, and a new school and gymnasium built in 2003. The population living at Skatin is less than 100 today. Many members live in the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland.
In-SHUCK-ch Nation
The In-SHUCK-ch Nation, also known as Lower Lillooet people, are a small First Nations Tribal Council on the lower Lillooet River south of Pemberton-Mount Currie in the Canadian province of British Columbia...
, a small group of the larger St'at'imc
St'at'imc
The St'át'imc are an Interior Salish people located in the southern Coast Mountains and Fraser Canyon region of the Interior of the Canadian province of British Columbia.St'át'imc culture displayed many features typical of Northwest Coast peoples: the...
people who are also referred to as Lower Stl'atl'imx. Skatin, the St'at'imcets version of the Chinook Jargon Skookumchuck, is located 4 km south of historic St. Agnes' Well Skookumchuck Hot Springs The community is 28km south of the outlet of Lillooet Lake
Lillooet Lake
Lillooet Lake is a lake in British Columbia, Canada about 25 km in length and about 33.5 square kilometres in area. It is about 95 km downstream from the source of the Lillooet River, which resumes its course after leaving Little Lillooet Lake, aka Tenas Lake...
on the east side of the Lillooet River
Lillooet River
The Lillooet River is a major river of the southern Coast Mountains of British Columbia. It begins at Silt Lake, on the southern edge of the Lillooet Crown Icecap about 80 kilometres northwest of Pemberton and about 85 kilometres northwest of Whistler...
. It is approximately 75 km south of the town of Pemberton
Pemberton, British Columbia
Pemberton is a village north of Whistler in the Pemberton Valley of British Columbia in Canada, with a population of 2,192. Until the 1960s the village could be accessed only by train but that changed when Highway 99 was built through Whistler and Pemberton.-Climate:The climate of Pemberton is...
and the large reserve of the Lil'wat branch of the St'at'imc
St'at'imc
The St'át'imc are an Interior Salish people located in the southern Coast Mountains and Fraser Canyon region of the Interior of the Canadian province of British Columbia.St'át'imc culture displayed many features typical of Northwest Coast peoples: the...
at Mount Currie
Mount Currie, British Columbia
Mount Currie is a small community in British Columbia, 164 kilometres north-west of Vancouver and 40 kilometres north-west of Whistler along Highway 99....
. Other bands nearby are Samahquam
Samahquam First Nation
Samahquam First Nation, aka the Semahquam First Nation are a band of the In-SHUCK-ch Nation, a subgroup of the larger St'at'imc people . The Douglas, Skatin and Samahquam communities are related through familial ties as well as culturally and linguistically...
at Baptiste Smith IR on the west side of the Lillooet River at 30 km. and Xa'xtsa First Nations; the latter is located at Port Douglas
Port Douglas, British Columbia
Port Douglas, sometimes referred to simply as Douglas, is a remote community in British Columbia, Canada at the head of Harrison Lake, which is the head of river navigation from the Strait of Georgia...
, near the mouth of the Lillooet River where it enters the head of Harrison Lake
Harrison Lake
Harrison Lake is the largest lake in the southern Coast Mountains of Canada, being about 250 square kilometres in area. It is about 60 km in length and at its widest almost 9 km across. Its southern end, at the resort community of Harrison Hot Springs, is c. 95 km east of...
. The N'Quatqua First Nation
N'quatqua First Nation
The N'Quatqua First Nation, also known as the N'quatqua Nation, the N'Quatqua Nation, the Nequatque First Nation, the Anderson Lake Indian Band, the Anderson Lake First Nation and the Anderson Lake Band , is a First Nations government of the St'at'imc people, located in the southern Coast...
on Anderson Lake, between Mount Currie
Mount Currie, British Columbia
Mount Currie is a small community in British Columbia, 164 kilometres north-west of Vancouver and 40 kilometres north-west of Whistler along Highway 99....
and Lillooet
Lillooet, British Columbia
Lillooet is a community on the Fraser River in western Canada, about up the British Columbia Railway line from Vancouver. Situated at an intersection of deep gorges in the lee of the Coast Mountains, it has a dry climate- of precipitation is recorded annually at the town's weather station,...
, was at one time involved in joint treaty negotiations with the In-SHUCK-ch but its members have voted to withdraw, though a tribal council including the In-SHUCK-ch bands and N'Quatqua remains, the Lower Stl'atl'imx Tribal Council
Lower Stl'atl'imx Tribal Council
The Lower Stl'atl'imx Tribal Council is a First Nations tribal council in British Columbia, Canada, comprising four band governments of the St'at'imc people:* N'quat'qua First Nation* Semahquam First Nation* Douglas First Nation...
.
The site of the hot springs was used by travellers on the old Douglas Road
Douglas Road
The Douglas Road, aka the Lillooet Trail, Harrison Trail or Lakes Route, was a goldrush-era transportation route from the British Columbia Coast to the Interior...
prior to the abandonment of that route by most traffic in about 1864, when the Cariboo Road
Cariboo Road
The Cariboo Road was a project initiated in 1860 by the colonial Governor of British Columbia, James Douglas...
via the Fraser Canyon
Fraser Canyon
The Fraser Canyon is an 84 km landform of the Fraser River where it descends rapidly through narrow rock gorges in the Coast Mountains en route from the Interior Plateau of British Columbia to the Fraser Valley...
became the main access to the BC Interior
British Columbia Interior
The British Columbia Interior or BC Interior or Interior of British Columbia, usually referred to only as the Interior, is one of the three main regions of the Canadian province of British Columbia, the other two being the Lower Mainland, which comprises the overlapping areas of Greater Vancouver...
from the Lower Mainland
Lower Mainland
The Lower Mainland is a name commonly applied to the region surrounding and including Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. As of 2007, 2,524,113 people live in the region; sixteen of the province's thirty most populous municipalities are located there.While the term Lower Mainland has been...
. The Oblate Fathers
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate is a missionary religious congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded on January 25, 1816 by Saint Eugene de Mazenod, a French priest born in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France on August 1, 1782. The congregation was given recognition by Pope...
established a mission there and encouraged the native people in the surrounding wilderness to settle there. The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate instructed the natives in Christianity, and to this day the Church of the Holy Cross, Skatin
Church of the Holy Cross, Skatin
The Church of the Holy Cross is a National Historic Site of Canada, located on one of the Indian Reserves of the Skatin First Nation, in southwestern British Columbia. It is located on the east side of the Lillooet River on BC's first inland Gold Rush trail, the Douglas Road...
, stands as a stunning example of the North American architectural style known as Carpenter Gothic
Carpenter Gothic
Carpenter Gothic, also sometimes called Carpenter's Gothic, and Rural Gothic, is a North American architectural style-designation for an application of Gothic Revival architectural detailing and picturesque massing applied to wooden structures built by house-carpenters...
. In 1981, the Church was designated as a National Historic Site by Heritage Canada. A community-based group Ama Liisaos Heritage Trust Society is working on conservation of the church.
Skatin community includes about 30 houses, a band office, and a new school and gymnasium built in 2003. The population living at Skatin is less than 100 today. Many members live in the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland.
Indian Reserves
Indian Reserves under the administration of the Skatin Nations are:- Franks Indian Reserve No. 10, on the left bank of the Lillooet River, at the 11 Mile Post of the Douglas Portage (i.e. the Douglas Road), 44.90 ha. nsesq was the name in Ucwalmicwts for the village formerly on this site. 49°53′23"N 122°18′04"W
- Glazier Creek Indian Reserve No. 12, on the right bank of Snowcap Creek, at the south end of Glacier Lake, 113.30 ha. 49°52′00"N 122°27′00"W
- Morteen Indian Reserve No. 9, on the left bank of the Lillooet River, adjoined on the north by Skookumchuck IR No. 4A, 50.60 ha. 49°55′00"N 122°22′00"W
- Perrets Indian Reserve No. 11, on the left bank of the Lillooet River at the 10 Mile Post of the Douglas Portage, 12.10 ha. cúmlvqs was the name in Ucwalmicwts for the village formerly on this site.49°52′40"N 122°17′34"W
- Sklahhesten Indian Reserve No. 5, at the 14 Mile Post of the Douglas Portage, on the Lillooet River, 32 ha. k'acsten was the name in Ucwalmicwts for the village formerly on this site.49°54′54"N 122°19′28"W
- Sklahhesten Indian Reserve No. 5A, on the left bank of the Lillooet River adjoining Sklahhesten IR No. 5 on the north, 74.9 ha. 49°55′14"N 122°20′04"W
- Sklahhesten Indian Reserve No. 5B, on the left bank of the Lillooet River, 35.2 ha.49°54′26"N 122°19′16"W
- Skookumchuck Indian Reserve No. 4, both banks of the Lillooet River opposite Snowcap Creek, at the 19 Mile Post on the Douglas Portage, on the Lillooet River, 212.9 ha. (s)qátin(a) was the name in Ucwalmicwts for the village formerly on this site.49°56′39"N 122°24′39"W
- Skookumchuck Indian Reserve No. 4A, on the left bank of the Lillooet River, southeast of Skookumchuck IR No. 4, 86.2 ha. 49°56′00"N 122°23′00"W
- Sweeteen Indian Reserve No. 3, near the 21 Mile Post on the Douglas Portage, on the Lillooet River, 14.50 ha. (s)cwíten was the name in Ucwalmicwts for the Whistling Rock and farm on this site. 49°58′25"N 122°26′42"W