The Slocan Valley has a rich and varied Indigenous history and the Sinixt Nation claim it as part of their traditional territory. In the early 1900s they were granted reserve lands at Oatscott, a small, historically established reserve located on the Arrow Lakes opposite Burton, BC. But, in the 1950s, when the Sinixt Nation was declared extinct, the land was sold. They currently occupy a Sacred Village Site in Vallican in the lower Slocan Valley.
The Ktunaxa Nation, Secwépemc Nation (also known as Shuswap), and Syilx Nation (also called the Okanagan Nation Alliance) all either claim or include the Slocan Valley as their part of their traditional territory. There is no doubt that many Nations spent time and gathered resources here in the area.
When mining opened up the area, miners and other settlers flooded in. There is a story about Indigenous People camping on the beach at what is now the Village of Slocan. They left the beach soon after the miners’ arrival. Through archaeological digs that uncovered pit-houses at the Slocan Narrows Archaeological Project, we know that the first peoples who occupied this area did so off and on for thousands of years. We can see the pictographs on the rocks around Slocan Lake, and know that First Nations people were here. Some believe that the pictographs may have been produced during vision quests.
We, who are newcomers to this Valley, cannot begin to know how this area was used by the Indigenous people but we can imagine that with the salmon runs and the abundance of wildlife that this area was a “hidden” gem known only to some.
The First Peoples Map of BC is an interactive map which showcases Indigenous Peoples’ art, culture and language and the BC Assembly of First Nations also has an interactive map for free use.
