Nyan Wheti is an ancient land route in northern British Columbia, Canada from the Dakelh villages on Fraser Lake (Nadlehbunk'ut) to villages on Stuart Lake (Nak'albun), [1] about 50 km to the north. The name in Carrier means "The Way Across." [2]
British Columbia is the westernmost province of Canada, located between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. With an estimated population of 5.016 million as of 2018, it is Canada's third-most populous province.
Canada is a country in the northern part of North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering 9.98 million square kilometres, making it the world's second-largest country by total area. Canada's southern border with the United States, stretching some 8,891 kilometres (5,525 mi), is the world's longest bi-national land border. Its capital is Ottawa, and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. As a whole, Canada is sparsely populated, the majority of its land area being dominated by forest and tundra. Consequently, its population is highly urbanized, with over 80 percent of its inhabitants concentrated in large and medium-sized cities, with 70% of citizens residing within 100 kilometres (62 mi) of the southern border. Canada's climate varies widely across its vast area, ranging from arctic weather in the north, to hot summers in the southern regions, with four distinct seasons.
The Dakelh or Carrier are the indigenous people of a large portion of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada.
The trail, was part of the vast network called the Grease Trail which was used by the Dakelh people for as a major trade, travel and communication line. [3] and its use only increased when European fur trade forts were set up on the two lakes, Fort Fraser and Fort St. James respectively. From Stuart Lake, the route follows Sowchea Creek south to Nanna (Chus-Kan) Lake, then past Marie (Kwah) Lake, Sutherland Lake, and Pitka Mountain, where it passes through the Porte de l'enfer (Hell's Gate) Pass, ending finally in Nadleh Village on Fraser Lake. From Nadleh, the Cheslatta Trail continues south to Cheslatta Lake.
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued. Historically the trade stimulated the exploration and colonization of Siberia, northern North America, and the South Shetland and South Sandwich Islands.
Fort Fraser is an unincorporated community of about 500 people, situated near the base of Fraser Mountain, close to the village municipality of Fraser Lake and the Nechako River. It can be found near the geographical centre of British Columbia, Canada, 44 km (27 mi) west of Vanderhoof on the Yellowhead Highway. Originally established in 1806 as a North West Company fur trading post by the explorer Simon Fraser, it is one of present-day British Columbia's oldest permanent European-founded settlements. The area around the community is also recorded as the site of the first land in British Columbia cultivated by non-First Nations people.
Fort St. James is a district municipality and former fur trading post in north-central British Columbia, Canada. It is located on the south-eastern shore of Stuart Lake in the Omineca Country, at the northern terminus of Highway 27, which connects to Highway 16 at Vanderhoof.
At present, the trailhead in Fort St. James is located at the end of Baker Drive, off Sowchea road, between Paarens Beach Provincial Park and Sowchea Bay Provincial Park. It ends near the Nadleh Whut'en First Nation reserve, just off the Yellowhead Highway. It is a class 5 trail, and it recommended only for skilled hikers.
Paarens Beach Provincial Park is a provincial park in central British Columbia, Canada. It is located on the south-west shore of Stuart Lake, to the west of Fort St. James.
Sowchea Bay Provincial Park is a provincial park in central British Columbia, Canada. It is on Stuart Lake, west of Prince George. The park is 13 hectares in area. It is a busy destination for boaters and anglers, with a single lane concrete boat launch available with limited parking.
Highway 16 is the British Columbia, Canada, section of the Yellowhead Highway. The highway closely follows the path of the northern B.C. alignment of the Canadian National Railway. The number "16" was first given to the highway in 1942, and originally, the route that the highway took was more to the north of today's highway, and it was not as long as it is now. Highway 16 originally ran from New Hazelton east to an obscure location known as Aleza Lake. In 1947, Highway 16's western end was moved from New Hazelton to the coastal city of Prince Rupert, and in 1953, the highway was re-aligned to end at Prince George. In 1969, further alignment east into Yellowhead Pass was opened to traffic after being constructed up through 1968 and raised to all-weather standards in 1969. Highway 16's alignment on the Haida Gwaii was commissioned in 1984, with BC Ferries beginning service along Highway 16 to the Haida Gwaii the following year.
