This geocache is part of the Gold Country GeoTour – The Prequel: Be A Guest. This GeoTour focuses on a step back in time to learn about before the Gold Rush ensued: languages of the region’s culturally diverse families, handed down traditions such as recipes, flora and fauna, historic sites of significance, and points of interest. These stories will help preserve the oral languages and traditions of the region as well as assist in educating visitors and locals alike to the cultural diversity and environmental sensitivity of the region.
Oregon Jack Provincial Park
The Nlaka'pamux used to reside in the Oregon Jack Creek region long before Europeans arrived. They were part of the larger Shuswap Nation and had a vast territory. Nlaka'pamux Interior Salish, which covers much of the British Columbia plateau into Washington State's southwestern corner. The confluence of the Thompson and Fraser rivers, where LTLKumchEEn is located (Lytton) at the junction of the Thompson and Fraser Rivers is considered by many to be the spiritual, physical, and political center of Nlaka'pamux culture (Hanna and Henry 1996; Teit 1900,1912). This grand land includes a diverse topography from the wet forests on the northeast shore of Harrison Lake, along the Coastal Mountains from Spuzzum north along the Fraser River to the dry country of Texas Creek south of Lillooet. East from the center, TLKumcheen, the dry Plateau portion of the territory follows the Thompson River to nlKumcheen (Spences Bridge) and on to the open country and of Ashcroft and the karst country of Oregon Jack Valley.
Located in the interior of British Columbia, 25 km southwest of Cache Creek is an ancient place known as Oregon Provincial Park. Access is from TransCanada Hwy # 1, 17 km south of Cache Creek, turn onto the Hat Creek Rd. Follow this road, which bisects the park, for approximately 12 km. A wonderous place to explore full of trees like the Douglas Fir variety and Ponderosa Pine, and rock structures to climb. The fallen trees along the moss-covered rocks are a photographer’s dream come true. The Oregon Jack Creek area is also home to a variety of wildlife such as mule deer, bighorn sheep and many bird species.
Oregon Jack Provincial Park is home to some of the most spectacular and well-preserved rock art in North America. In 1989, the first archeologically controlled excavations of an Nlaka'pamux rock painting site were done at two rock shelters (EdRi-2 and EdRi-10) located along the base of the northernmost of three limestone promontories in a general area known as Three Sisters. These excavations yielded a number of radiocarbon dates that provided the first firm chronological framework for Oregon Jack rock art (Lock and Taylor 1990, 1992).
The Oregon Jack petroglyph site consists of three main elements: the main panel, a series of smaller panels, and a large natural shelter. This site was said to be a place where pubescent youth would come on their spirit quests to obtain knowledge or a spirit animal. Once a person enters Oregon Jack Creek Provincial Park you can feel the coolness of the higher elevation, the calming nature of the wilderness, and the overwhelming feeling of being in a very majestic place.
Researched by Misty Antoine and written by Brandy Cooper-Chardon
Sources:
https://open.library.ubc.ca/soa/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/24/items/1.0300422
https://bcparks.ca/explore/parkpgs/oregon_jack/