Part of the ongoing Gold Country GeoTourism Program. All the fun of geocaching with an added tourism twist; discover tales of our pioneers, unearth geological wonders or reveal magnificent sites of beauty. If you enjoyed this adventure look for more in this series.
New rewards and faster ways to claim them are coming soon!
Pear Lake
Clinton, BC is rich with family history and many branches of these family trees that span across Secwepemcúl’ecw (territory of the Secwepemc people) are intertwined with this specific geographical area. Big Bar Creek and Kelly Lake are located west of the Village of Clinton and hold many traditional slexéy̓em (stories) of the Pellti’qt which means People of the White Earth (Kelly Lake) and Steke’7us which means People of the Little Hanging Bridge (Big Bar Creek).
The ancestors of Pellti’qt have much evidence of their existence in the Clinton area, including their winter pit homes west of Pear Lake and above the Fraser River. A pit house is a dwelling built by Indigenous people for use in the winter season and have been widely used in this region for at least 3,500 years. Circular in footprint, they housed between 15 and 30 people, were partially built into the ground, usually dug to a depth of 1 meter. The roof was upheld by four logs placed at an angle with a layer of poles and topped with pine needles and grass with a centre smoke hole and a ladder placed in the centre smoke hole to access the interior of the pit house. (https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/pit-house). The Hut-tsat-tsl or “Cold Spring” site is the largest recorded pit house village site in the Secwepemc Nation with an estimated population of 17,000 at the time.
Present day, Pear Lake remains of particular importance to descendants of both Pellti’qt and Steke’7us and is actively used as camping spots throughout the year. During the summer months families gather at Pear Lake in ceremony and to access their traditional fishing rock on the Fraser River when the salmon run. It is during this time, that families gather, share knowledge with their children and grandchildren, pass on stories of their ancestors, collect medicine, pick berries and dry and or preserve their salmon. The salmon is a part of both food security as well as a traditional food to feed their families and share with Elders.
During the fall and winter months, hunters meet at traditional landmarks all throughout the mountain ranges in the area to hunt and feed their families. As part of a long-standing tradition, horses are used to navigate the rugged mountain terrain and feed on the unique and nutrient dense grass found in the meadows around Pear Lake in order to prepare for the hunting season. Despite the historic forced relocation to Whispering Pines Indian Reserve, the people of Pellti’qt and Steke’7us hold the land surrounding Clinton as their traditional territory, are Yucwmenúl’ecw (caretakers of the land) and continue to practice what their Elders have taught and all the traditions that have been passed down since time immemorial.
Researched and written by Krystal Mckay