The posted co-ordinates do not lead you
to this cache, they will however lead you to a view of the
Chilliwack River.
My name is: sxíxets' tl'éqtele which
in english means "Forest Deer"
Many years ago, I found this First Nations
artifact while scuba diving off the west coast of Galiano Island
near Porier Pass.
The artifact was found in about 120 ft of water and was not real
close to shore, although the shoreline dropped off very quickly in
the area. The picture of the artifact shows the encrusting of sea
life over the years. Some of the First Nations locations of the
area, which have been identified, are shown on the map
below.
Since the beginning, First Nations
Peoples have occupied most, if not all of the territories of
Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands as well as the rest of this
province and the whole of this country, their presence and
influence can be found far and wide. Could the artifact have come
from far away? or was it made and used by one of the local peoples?
How do you think this artifact found it’s way to the ocean
floor? Did if fall from a canoe while a family was traveling, was
it thrown there by someone who did not know what it was, what do
you think?
The artifact has traveled far and wide
with me, and has now found its way into the territory of the Coast
Salish peoples of the Fraser
Valley and is still in my possession. I would like others to see
this artifact or it's likeness, so I have created a place to
display a likeness of it. A life size photograph of the artifact
has been placed in a cache so that those visiting this cache can
attempt to identify it and confirm where it’s history lies.
The peoples of this area where the cache resides speak the
“up river” dialect or
Halq'eméylem
The elk hide in the picture below is now etched with
the writing of our language, and is used to record and identify the
location of the cache, the language used on the elk hide is that of
the peoples of the Gulf Islands where the artifact was found. This
language is similar to the Halq'eméylem dialect, but is the
“Island dialect”. You will have to determine this
dialect and decipher the words on the elk hide in order to find the
cache. This is a genuine elk hide, taken while hunting in the
country of the Ktunaxa tribes.
Certain words were not a part of the
language of the tribes who spoke the "Island dialect", for that
reason I have used a word from the Halq'eméylem
dialect to indicate a zero, while the word used is not zero, it
does mean "nothing". The word North and West, have also been
substituted with words which will indicate N and W. The writing
below the artifact is also that of the Halq'eméylem
dialect.
As you work at deciphering the words,
try to imagine using this tool and the other tools created from
natural materials long before the First Nations Peoples had metal
of any kind, imagine also their means of travel and the homes they
occupied, imagine this great land before highways and paved streets
replaced forests of trees hundreds of years old. We see evidence of
these old trees today, but seldom are we honored to be able to see
trees still living after hundreds of years. Those of us who through
geocacheing are taken to places where we can feel the silence of
the forest, and the wonder of nature herself, are very fortunate.
Sometimes if we stop and are very still, we might just feel the
presence of others who have passed by these places long
ago.
When you visit this cache, please identify the location
of your village and your ancestral name, and what you believe this
tool might have been used for, in the day to day lives of the
peoples of your village. Please also indicate how old you think the
artifact is.
Please feel free to make up your own village name and
ancestral name in your log posting.
This is a picture of the FTF prize: Which is the
finest piece of the elk hide, and is inscribed with the cache
co-ordinates, as well a 5.5" x 4.5" picture of the
artifact.
I, sxíxets' tl'éqtele
say to you: go and place hidden cache's in the forests, beside the
rivers, on mountains and in the valleys, write about them, pass
them on in your stories, so that others will come to visit the
wonders of our land.