Puntzi Lake
Encyclopedia
Puntzi Lake is a lake
in the Chilcotin District
of the Central Interior of British Columbia
. It is located on the western side of the upper Chilcotin River
to the northeast of Tatla Lake
, and is connected to the Chilcotin River via Puntzi Creek, of which it is an expansion. The area around the lake has been the setting for many important events in the history of the region.
people and was the site of a large village. This village was devastated by the Great Smallpox Epidemic
of 1862, in which native populations were reduced by 50-90% of their former totals. In the wake of the epidemic, Reverend Turner, one of early British Columbia's "saddlebag parsons", came through the village, finding only a few children and elders huddled in some of the underground houses
, but in other houses there were only the dead; others had been thrown in the lake, which had frozen. The survivors told Turner about a huge beast of some kind which came down off the icecaps and dug up the bodies out of the other houses and out of the frozen lake. The village was never fully repopulated, although there is an Indian Reserve
of today's Alexis Creek First Nation
on its shore, Puntzi Lake Indian Reserve No. 2, as well as several others nearby.
By 1864 a white settler had taken up a pre-emption around the lake. This settler was one of the first casualties of the Chilcotin War
. During that conflict, the lake became the setting for the encampment of the assembled forces of the Colonies, which consisted of troops from Victoria
, accompanying Governor Frederick Seymour
and his officials, and a posse
of mostly Americans raised from the Cariboo
goldfields but also including Donald McLean
, former Chief Trader at the HBC
's Fort Kamloops who came out of retirement to join in the hunt for the leaders of the Tsilhqot'in revolt and who would in the course of events die near the lake. It was at a meadow in this area where the Tsilhqot'in war-leader Klatassine surrendered
During World War II
, nearby Puntzi Mountain became the site of a radar station of the Mid Canada Line, with a large airport
built in the area, then the second-longest airstrip in British Columbia. 100 US troops and some Canadians were stationed there, with the base also employing some of the local Tsilhqot'in.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in the Chilcotin District
Chilcotin District
The Chilcotin District of British Columbia is usually known simply as "the Chilcotin", and also in speech commonly as "the Chilcotin Country" or simply Chilcotin. It is a plateau and mountain region in British Columbia on the inland lea of the Coast Mountains on the west side of the Fraser River....
of the Central Interior of British Columbia
British Columbia Interior
The British Columbia Interior or BC Interior or Interior of British Columbia, usually referred to only as the Interior, is one of the three main regions of the Canadian province of British Columbia, the other two being the Lower Mainland, which comprises the overlapping areas of Greater Vancouver...
. It is located on the western side of the upper Chilcotin River
Chilcotin River
The Chilcotin River is a long tributary of the Fraser River in southern British Columbia, Canada. It drains the Chilcotin Plateau, which lies between the Fraser River and the Coast Mountains...
to the northeast of Tatla Lake
Tatla Lake
Tatla Lake is a freshwater lake in the West Chilcotin area of British Columbia, Canada, situated just east of the community of Tatla Lake, British Columbia. This long, narrow lake, known for good Kokanee fishing, is part of the Fraser River drainage basin....
, and is connected to the Chilcotin River via Puntzi Creek, of which it is an expansion. The area around the lake has been the setting for many important events in the history of the region.
History
One of the larger lakes in the central Chilcotin, the lake is in the heart of the traditional territory of the Tsilhqot'inTsilhqot'in
The Tsilhqot'in are a Northern Athabaskan First Nations people that live in British Columbia, Canada...
people and was the site of a large village. This village was devastated by the Great Smallpox Epidemic
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
of 1862, in which native populations were reduced by 50-90% of their former totals. In the wake of the epidemic, Reverend Turner, one of early British Columbia's "saddlebag parsons", came through the village, finding only a few children and elders huddled in some of the underground houses
Quiggly hole
A quiggly hole, also known simply as a quiggly or kekuli, is the remains of an underground house built by the First Nations people of the Interior of British Columbia and the Columbia Plateau in the U.S....
, but in other houses there were only the dead; others had been thrown in the lake, which had frozen. The survivors told Turner about a huge beast of some kind which came down off the icecaps and dug up the bodies out of the other houses and out of the frozen lake. The village was never fully repopulated, although there is an Indian Reserve
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...
of today's Alexis Creek First Nation
Alexis Creek First Nation
The Alexis Creek First Nation is the band government of the Tsi Del Del subgroup of the Tsilhqot'in people, located in the Chilcotin District in the western Central Interior region of the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is a member of the Tsilhqot'in Tribal Council.The Alexis Creek First...
on its shore, Puntzi Lake Indian Reserve No. 2, as well as several others nearby.
By 1864 a white settler had taken up a pre-emption around the lake. This settler was one of the first casualties of the Chilcotin War
Chilcotin War
The Chilcotin War, Chilcotin Uprising or Bute Inlet Massacre was a confrontation in 1864 between members of the Tsilhqot'in people in British Columbia and white road construction workers...
. During that conflict, the lake became the setting for the encampment of the assembled forces of the Colonies, which consisted of troops from Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, accompanying Governor Frederick Seymour
Frederick Seymour
Frederick Seymour was a colonial administrator. He served as the second Governor of the Colony of British Columbia from 1864 to 1866, and the first governor of the union of the two colonies, also named the Colony of British Columbia from 1866 to 1869.Seymour was the son of Henry Augustus Seymour,...
and his officials, and a posse
Posse
Posse may refer to:* Posse comitatus , a group of men assembled to assist in law enforcement* Posse , starring Kirk Douglas* Posse , starring Mario van Peebles...
of mostly Americans raised from the Cariboo
Cariboo
The Cariboo is an intermontane region of British Columbia along a plateau stretching from the Fraser Canyon to the Cariboo Mountains. The name is a reference to the woodland caribou that were once abundant in the region...
goldfields but also including Donald McLean
Donald McLean (fur trader)
Donald McLean was a Scottish fur trader and explorer for the Hudson's Bay Company and who later became a cattle rancher near Cache Creek in British Columbia's Thompson Country . McLean was the last casualty of the Chilcotin War of 1864...
, former Chief Trader at the HBC
HBC
- Medical terminology :*Hepatitis B virus#Genome, the Hepatitis B core protein*Hemoglobin C*Hormonal contraception , hormonal methods for preventing pregnancy- Companies and organizations :...
's Fort Kamloops who came out of retirement to join in the hunt for the leaders of the Tsilhqot'in revolt and who would in the course of events die near the lake. It was at a meadow in this area where the Tsilhqot'in war-leader Klatassine surrendered
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, nearby Puntzi Mountain became the site of a radar station of the Mid Canada Line, with a large airport
Puntzi Mountain Airport
Puntzi Mountain Airport, , is located west of Puntzi Mountain, British Columbia, Canada.-History:The airport was established in 1951 to provide access to a base of the Pine Tree Line, part of the DEW system. It was the second-longest airstrip in British Columbia at the time and thirteen D8...
built in the area, then the second-longest airstrip in British Columbia. 100 US troops and some Canadians were stationed there, with the base also employing some of the local Tsilhqot'in.