St’át’imc citizens use ancient artistic and spiritual traditions, and sensitive landuse practices to strengthen their culture and diversify their modern economy.
Walking in the Footsteps of the St'át'imc
St’át’imc Creation Story
The St’at’imc myth of the Great Flood says that all the people once lived around Green Lake (in today’s Whistler Resort Municipality). When great rains began, and the rivers and lakes began to rise, a man named Ntanenkin, who had built a great canoe, was begged by the people to take the children, which he did, floating on the waters with the children of the St’at’imc to the level of the peaks. They found themselves lodged in the high crack in the peak known as “Split” or “Neskato” Mountain. Afterwards the canoe drifted until it grounded on the flat terraces of Smimeic Mountain near Lil’wat. When the ground dried the people settled in the Pemberton Valley. Split Mountain is now called “In-SHUCK-ch” and in the 1800’s, in Douglas Trail times, it was known as Gunsight Peak. All the peoples of the Lower Lillooet are descended from Ntanenkin, his descendants and those of the rescued children, and they spread up and down the Lillooet River from Samahquam and Douglas to Pemberton Meadows, and up the Birkenhead River. Today, the lower St’at’imc people refer to themselves as In-SHUCK-ch after the mountain that factored so prominently in their creation.
History of Lil’wat
Native legend of the Lil’wat subgroup of the St’át’imc tells of a girl named Chinook-Wind, who married Glacier, and moved to his country, which was in the area of today’s Birkenhead River. She pined for her warm sea-home in the southwest, and sent a message to her people. They came to her in a vision in the form of snowflakes, and told her they were coming to get her. They came in great number and quarrelled with Glacier over her. The snowflakes overwhelmed Glacier, and Chinook-Wind went home to her warm country by the sea.
History of Chalath and N’Quat’qua
In ancient times the people of Seton and Anderson Lakes (the Lakes People) were mountain goats, sheep and deer that could take the shape of humans, and could leap from mountainside to mountainside across the valley, because the mountains were closer to each other in those days. Now, many people from Shalath and N’Quat’qua are descendents of the Crane clan.
History of St’át’imc Villages near Lillooet
The St’át’imc people near Lillooet are descended from an ancient Deer People who lived over the mountain to the north of Lillooet in the Bridge River valley in four large underground houses. It is estimated that 3-5 thousand St’át’imc lived here, in villages surrounded by magnificent palisades. Prominent historical clans in the area include the Crane, Frog and Bear.
