Evidence on the Adequacy of First Nations Consultation - BC Hydro ...

DRAFT REPORT: Rights and Title Interests in the Columbia Valley Transmission Project Area
Lakes area, catching and drying salmon. 210 After this time, some of them went across the
Rockies to the fall bison hunt, and others went down the Columbia to Golden, or even beyond, to
Yellowhead Pass, to hunt deer and elk. The “kátamukinik” were also known as “kulnaki” from
their practice of pulling hide sleeves over the bows of their bark canoes as a protection in icefilled
streams. Schaeffer pointed out that the “kátamukinik” sometimes moved up Sheep Creek
and across Elk Pass to the headwaters of Elbow River. The “kátamukinik” people were almost
entirely wiped out by the smallpox epidemic of 1781-1782, Schaeffer wrote, although their
leader, a man named “Gray-Head” survived and eventually repopulated his group who then
became known as the “akískənəkinik”. 211
Still under the leadership of “Gray-Head,” former leader of the “kátamukinik” people prior to
their decimation by smallpox, and followed by subsequent leaders, the “akískənəkinik” people
continued a similar annual round as that which had been followed by the “kátamukinik”. One
exception was that the “akískənəkinik” tended to abandon the deer and elk hunting trips down the
Columbia and Canoe Rivers undertaken by their predecessors, in favour of bison hunting
excursions across the Rockies. 212
Elsewhere Schaeffer stated that “akískənəkinik” is derived from the term “akískənik” meaning
‘two lakes,’ referring to the main camp site—and one of the wintering sites of these people—
located “near Fairmont Springs between Columbia and Windermere Lakes.” 213 On another
occasion in his fieldnotes Schaeffer wrote that the “akískənəkinik” people made use of the hot
210 On another occasion, a different Aboriginal consultant interviewed by Schaeffer (1934-1969, Reel 2)
stated that “kátamu” was “a regular place on Toby Creek, at Columbia Lakes, where these people [the
“kátamukinik”] secured their second batch of salmon” (as mentioned below, they obtained their first catch of salmon
in the vicinity of Brisco). To this Schaeffer added they, “must have spend considerable time there [at “kátamu”],
since that name was given them.” He also mentioned two other consultants’ statements that the “kátamukinik” “lived
more on fish than on game.” As well, Schaeffer noted there was a camp site at “kátamu”.
211 Schaeffer 1934-1969, Reels 1 and 2.
212 Schaeffer 1934-1969, Reel 1.
213 Schaeffer (1934-1969, Reel 2) identified three other wintering sites within this general area:
“akinmiłukóuwat” meaning ‘bunch grass’, described as a post-horse site located “at mouth of small creek emptying
in [into] Columbia Lake” and said to be a good place to winter horses as there was lots of bunch grass here. No
further information was provided as to this site’s exact location; “ya’kuwʋłak” meaning ‘inlet’ and described as an
“inlet on east side of Columbia, about 8 to 10 miles north of Canal Flats.” This description fits the location of what
appears to be a small inlet forming the northeasternmost end of Columbia Lake, across from the outlet of Dutch
Creek. Other information provided by Schaeffer about this place includes the statement that there are “rock paintings
near here at inlet”; and, “yakinukuk” (?) meaning ‘rib of yawunik’, described as a “small prairie at mouth of Dutch
Creek” which is located at the northwesternmost end of Columbia Lake. Concerning this place, Schaeffer also
noted: “Moss abundant here and roasted in spring—presumably this is a reference to “tree moss” [black tree lichen
(Alectoria fremontii)] which was gathered and pit-cooked as food (see the “Gathering” section that follows).
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