Skookumchuck Hot Springs

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Tsek Hot Spring
T'sek Hot Springs
Skatin Nations
Nickname: 
Saint Agnes Well
Canada British Columbia location map 2.svg
Red pog.svg
Tsek Hot Spring
Location of Skookumchuck Hot Springs in British Columbia
Coordinates: 49°56′16″N122°24′30″W / 49.93778°N 122.40833°W / 49.93778; -122.40833
CountryFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Province Flag of British Columbia.svg  British Columbia
Government
  Type1st Nation, Native Band
Area code N/A
Website www.tsekhotsprings.ca
This page is about natural hot spring near the First Nations community of Skatin 50 kilometres south of Pemberton Pemberton, British Columbia. For the town and associated rapids in the East Kootenay see Skookumchuck, British Columbia; for the saltwater rapids at the mouth of Sechelt Inlet see Skookumchuck Narrows. For other uses see Skookumchuck (disambiguation).

Skookumchuck Hot Springs is a thermal spring in British Columbia. Its pre-colonial Native and preferred name is Tsek Hot Spring or T'sek Hot Spring. The former name is Saint Agnes Well. The springs are located near the First Nation community of Skookumchuck (Former name on older maps) and more recently renamed /reverted to traditional name of Skatin ("ska-TEEN") [1] is on the historic Harrison Lillooet Gold Rush trail in the Lillooet River valley, south of Lillooet Lake, in British Columbia, Canada.

The hot springs themselves, named Tsek in the St'at'imcets language (pronounced "chick") were on private property purchased from "Goodwin Purcell" family by the Trethewey family after his death in the 1909 and acquired by the Government of Canada in 2008 to be held in trust for the local aboriginal people until a potential treaty settlement. [2]

Tsek Hot Springs, formally known as Skookumchuck Hot Springs was also known as Saint Agnes Well during the days of the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush and the Douglas Road, along which it is located, while Harrison Hot Springs farther south was known as St. Alice's Well; both were named by Justice Bailey for the daughters of Governor Douglas.[ clarification needed ]

Near the community of Skatin were road houses known as "18 Mile House" or "20 Mile House", a reference to its distance from Port Douglas, at the Douglas Road's commencement at the head of Harrison Lake.[ clarification needed ]

An Oblate mission was established in the 1860s and under direction of the priests, the native community began to build a village at Skookumchuck, about 4 kilometres south of the hot springs. As settling progressed, the Stl'itl'imx people built a striking Carpenter Gothic/ Wood Gothic church in 1908, which was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1981, and remains standing and in use today, the Church of the Holy Cross. A prominent feature are the simple but elegant stained red & blue glass windows (see Skatin for details).[ citation needed ]

The hot springs are managed by members of the Skatin community; camping is available for a fee. Many local families still use the hot springs, and visitors are asked to respect local family values, be discreet in language and behaviour, and to wait until children have finished bathing before entering the hot tubs.[ citation needed ]

Road improved most of the way. In the Spring of 2015 dirt In-SHUCK-ch Forest Service Road / FSR was widened from 1 to 1 1/2 lanes to 2 lanes + two 1/2 lane shoulders (i.e. 3 lanes) for the whole length of Lillooet Lake. The Last section is still rough. [3]


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The Skatin First Nations, aka the Skatin Nations, are a band government of the In-SHUCK-ch Nation, a small group of the larger St'at'imc people who are also referred to as Lower Stl'atl'imx. The Town of Skatin - the St'at'imcets version of the Chinook Jargon Skookumchuck- is located 4 km south of T'sek Hot Spring- alt. spelling T'sek Hot Spring - commonly & formerly named both St. Agnes' Well & Skookumchuck Hot Springs The community is 28 km south of the outlet of Lillooet Lake on the east side of the Lillooet River. It is approximately 75 km south of the town of Pemberton and the large reserve of the Lil'wat branch of the St'at'imc at Mount Currie. Other bands nearby are Samahquam at Baptiste Smith IR on the west side of the Lillooet River at 30 km. and Xa'xtsa First Nations; the latter is located at Port Douglas, near the mouth of the Lillooet River where it enters the head of Harrison Lake. The N'Quatqua First Nation on Anderson Lake, between Mount Currie and Lillooet, was at one time involved in joint treaty negotiations with the In-SHUCK-ch but its members have voted to withdraw, though a tribal council including the In-SHUCK-ch bands and N'Quatqua remains, the Lower Stl'atl'imx Tribal Council.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of the Holy Cross (Skatin)</span> Building in Canada

The Church of the Holy Cross is a National Historic Site of Canada, located on one of the Indian reserves of the Skatin First Nation, in southwestern British Columbia. It is located on the east side of the Lillooet River on BC's first inland Gold Rush trail, the Douglas Road. Skatin Nations is the St'at'imcets language rendition of the reserve-town's usual name in English, Skookumchuck Hot Springs.

Skatin is a community of under 100 persons in Skatin First Nations, aka the Skatin Nations, a Band government of the larger Band of the In-SHUCK-ch Nation, part of the St'at'imc people who are also referred to as Lower Stl'atl'imx. Skatin, the official new name, reverts to the traditional pre-colonial/pre-Columbian name. The alternate past name still commonly used by outsiders, Skookumchuck, is the St'at'imcets version of the Chinook Jargon Skookumchuck, meaning Strong Waters, i.e. rapids. The town site is 4 km south of T'sek Hot Spring, formerly named both Saint Agnes Well and Skookumchuck Hot Springs. The community is 28 km south of the outlet of Lillooet Lake on the east side of the Lillooet River. It is approximately 75 km south of the town of Pemberton and the large reserve of the Lil'wat branch of the St'at'imc at Mount Currie, British Columbia. See Skatin First Nations for details about the complicated Band(s) structure.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stlʼatlʼimx Tribal Police Service</span>

The Stlʼatlʼimx Tribal Police Service (STPS) is the police force for St'at'imc aboriginal peoples of British Columbia. The STPS is the only aboriginal police service in British Columbia. Their officers are appointed as designated provincial constables, and have full police powers on and off-duty throughout the province. They are based in Lillooet and Mount Currie.

References

  1. "First Nation Detail". Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada . Government of Canada. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
  2. "Home". skookumchuckhotsprings.com.
  3. "Road Conditions in the Sea to Sky District - Province of British Columbia".