The area I live in is White Lake, BC, and is based in the traditional and unceded territory within Secwépemc’ulucw, the traditional and unceded territory of the Secwépemc. Before contact with Europeans, the Secwepemc people had an economy based on their relationship with nature. The region now known as White Lake was settled by Finnish miners in 1910 when a land agent in Kamloops directed them to move to this region[1]. The addition of the CP rail to the Shuswap valley attracted many more settlers to the region[2]. Several Japanese families took refuge in the Tappen Valley near White Lake during World War Two[3]. In the 1930s, tourism was in its infancy in the nearby Shuswap, and most visitors came to the Shuswap to fish and stayed in lakeside cabins[4]. You can find native plants and animals in the area such as deer, western red cedar, and wild strawberry[5]. Frequent non-native plant species to the area are willows and brown marmorated stink bugs[6]. The Shuswap Trail Alliance has created small bridges and abutments in nearby hiking trails that control sediment and erosion by hikers and horse traffic[7]. In the coming years, I hope to research and speak to Elders about how this region came to be today.

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[1]  Jim Cooperman, Shuswap Passion,  https://shuswappassion.ca/history/shuswaps-multitude-of-communities/ (accessed January 18^th, 2022).

[2]  Jim Cooperman, Shuswap Passion, https://shuswappassion.ca/history/how-the-shuswap-

was-settled-2/ (accessed on January 18^th, 2022).

[3] Michael Kluckner, Michael Kluckner, https://www.michaelkluckner.com/bciw6konishi.html

(accessed on January 18th, 2022).

[4] Jim Cooperman, Shuswap Passion, https://shuswappassion.ca/shuswap/an-80-year-old-

scrapbook-provides-an-insightful-look-at-shuswap-history/ (accessed on January 18^th, 2022).

[5] Cannings, Richard, Schmiddem, Suzanne, Holm, Margaret, Guppy, Crispin, & Campbell,

Suzanne. “The Stewardship Series: Nature Scape British Columbia, Caring for Wildlife Habitat at

Home.” HCTF Education. 1995. https://www.hctfeducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/

S.I.Native-Plant-Animal-2012.pdf

[6]  Invasive Species Council of BC, BC Invasives, https://bcinvasives.ca/take-action/identify/.

[7]  Jeremy Ayotte and John Coffey, “Blind Bay and White Lake Trails Environmental Screening

Report – 2010”, Shuswap Trails. September 16, 2010,

https://shuswaptrails.com/userfiles/file/Blind%20Bay%20White%20Lake%20Enviro%20Screening%20Report%20(28Sept10).pdf (accessed January 18^th, 2022).

References

Ayotte, Jeremy, & Coffey, J. “Blind Bay and White Lake Trails Environmental Screening Report-

2010.” Shuswap Trails. September 16^th, 2010. https://shuswaptrails.com/userfiles/file/

Blind%20Bay%20White%20Lake%20Enviro%20Screening%20Report%20(28Sept10).pdf

Cannings, Richard, Schmiddem, Suzanne, Holm, Margaret, Guppy, Crispin, & Campbell,

Suzanne. “The Stewardship Series: Nature Scape British Columbia, Caring for Wildlife Habitat at

Home.” HCTF Education. 1995. https://www.hctfeducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/

S.I.Native-Plant-Animal-2012.pdf

Cooperman, Jim. “An 80-year Old Scrapbook Provides An Insightful Look At Shuswap History.”

Shuswap Passion. https://shuswappassion.ca/shuswap/an-insightful-look-at-shuswap-history/

Cooperman, Jim. “How The Shuswap Was Settled.” Shuswap Passion.

How the Shuswap was settled

Cooperman, Jim. “Shuswaps Multitude Of Communities.” Shuswap Passion. https://shuswap

passion.ca/history/shuswaps-multitude-of-communities/

Invasive Species Council of BC. “Identify.” BC Invasives. https://bcinvasives.ca/take-

action/identify/

Kluckner, Michael. Michael Kluckner. November 10^th, 2021. https://www.michael

kluckner.com/bciw6konishi.html