Nemaiah, the last Mustangs valley The last wild mustangs of Canada have come to symbolize one First Nation's battle over a territory in remote and pristine British Columbia's Chilcotin country.
Photos by Patrice Halley / LightMediation Text by Andrew Findlay
1725-08: The wild horses of the Nemiah Valley have come to symbolize the Xeni Gwet'in First Nation's battle over their territory in British Columbia's Chilcotin country. The Xeni Gwetin and a conservation group, FONV, have proposed the creation of a preserve to protect the last 200 or so wild-ranging horses in British Columbia from indiscriminating hunting and capture. The Xeni Gwet'in have recently won a long court battle over a claim of title and rights over their traditional lands.
Contact - Thierry Tinacci - Lightmediation Photo Agency +33 (0)6 61 80 57 21 email: thierry@lightmediation.com
1725-01: The Nemiah Valley and the sacred Mt Tsy'los
1725-02: Wild horses roam free in the Nemiah valley, blood samples revealed an uncommon variant of transferrin, indicative of Spanish colonial ancestry.
1725-03: Wild horses roam free in the Nemiah valley, blood samples revealed an uncommon variant of transferrin, indicative of Spanish colonial ancestry.
1725-04: Wild horses roam free in the Nemiah valley, blood samples revealed an uncommon variant of transferrin, indicative of Spanish colonial ancestry. In this captured horse blood a rare genetic marker
1725-05: The wild horses of the Nemiah Valley have come to symbolize the Xeni Gwet'in First Nation's battle over their territory in British Columbia's Chilcotin country. The Xeni Gwetin and a conservation
1725-06: The wild horses of the Nemiah Valley have come to symbolize the Xeni Gwet'in First Nation's battle over their territory in British Columbia's Chilcotin country. The Xeni Gwetin and a conservation
1725-07: The wild horses of the Nemiah Valley have come to symbolize the Xeni Gwet'in First Nation's battle over their territory in British Columbia's Chilcotin country. The Xeni Gwetin and a conservation
1725-08: The wild horses of the Nemiah Valley have come to symbolize the Xeni Gwet'in First Nation's battle over their territory in British Columbia's Chilcotin country. The Xeni Gwetin and a conservation
1725-23: In July the gathering is oriented around horseman ship and games on horseback. The Xeni Gwet'in are the only original horse culture people in Canada today. The 1/4 mile race, prelude to the Mounatin race August event and other activities helps keep the small community together.
1725-09: The wild horses of the Nemiah Valley have come to symbolize the Xeni Gwet'in First Nation's battle over their territory in British Columbia's Chilcotin country. The Xeni Gwetin and a conservation
1725-10: The wild horses of the Nemiah Valley have come to symbolize the Xeni Gwet'in First Nation's battle over their territory in British Columbia's Chilcotin country. The Xeni Gwetin and a conservation
1725-11: The wild horses of the Nemiah Valley have come to symbolize the Xeni Gwet'in First Nation's battle over their territory in British Columbia's Chilcotin country. The Xeni Gwetin and a conservation
1725-12: The wild horses of the Nemiah Valley have come to symbolize the Xeni Gwet'in First Nation's battle over their territory in British Columbia's Chilcotin country. The Xeni Gwetin and a conservation
1725-13: The wild horses of the Nemiah Valley have come to symbolize the Xeni Gwet'in First Nation's battle over their territory in British Columbia's Chilcotin country. The Xeni Gwetin and a conservation
1725-14: The wild horses of the Nemiah Valley have come to symbolize the Xeni Gwet'in First Nation's battle over their territory in British Columbia's Chilcotin country. The Xeni Gwetin and a conservation
1725-15: Lightning sparked a forest fire that scorched over 29,000 acres of land in the Brittany triangle, home of the wild horses. During such fire, large natural meadows that provide forage to wild horses are
1725-16: Lightning sparked a forest fire that scorched over 29,000 acres of land in the Brittany triangle, home of the wild horses. During such fire, large natural meadows that provide forage to wild horses are
1725-01: The Nemiah Valley and the sacred Mt Tsy'los
1725-17: Biologist Wayne McCrory and David Williams are trying to stop the meadow fires
1725-18: Biologist Wayne McCrory and David Williams are trying to stop the meadow fires
1725-19: Lightning sparked a forest fire that scorched over 29,000 acres of land in the Brittany triangle, home of the wild horses. During such fire, large natural meadows that provide forage to wild horses are
1725-20: Conservationist David Williams is installing remote cameras to document wild horses passage. Williams, a founding member of FONV, Friends of the Nemiah Valley. owns a remote cabin in Nunsti Park
1725-21: Wayne McCrory and David Williams are documenting the meadows frequently used by the horses. Biologist Wayne McCrory estimates that the 155 000 hectares of the Brittany triangle may host up
1725-22: David Williams was instrumental in helping the Xeni Gwet'in developping a wild horse preserve. He owns a remote cabin on the Brittany plateau.
1725-23: In July the gathering is oriented around horseman ship and games on horseback. The Xeni Gwet'in are the only original horse culture people in Canada today. The 1/4 mile race, prelude to the
1725-24: In July the gathering is oriented around horseman ship and games on horseback. The Xeni Gwet'in are the only original horse culture people in Canada today. The 1/4 mile race, prelude to the
1725-07: The wild horses of the Nemiah Valley have come to symbolize the Xeni Gwet'in First Nation's battle over their territory in British Columbia's Chilcotin country. The Xeni Gwetin and a conservation group, FONV, have proposed the creation of a preserve to protect the last 200 or so wild-ranging horses in British Columbia from indiscriminating hunting and capture. The Xeni Gwet'in have recently won a long court battle over a claim of title and rights over their traditional lands.
1725-25: In July the gathering is oriented around horseman ship and games on horseback. The Xeni Gwet'in are the only original horse culture people in Canada today. The 1/4 mile race, prelude to the
1725-26: In July the gathering is oriented around horseman ship and games on horseback. The Xeni Gwet'in are the only original horse culture people in Canada today. The 1/4 mile race, prelude to the
1725-27: In July the gathering is oriented around horseman ship and games on horseback. The Xeni Gwet'in are the only original horse culture people in Canada today. The 1/4 mile race, prelude to the
1725-28: Chief Roger William with his horse Morgan and white blue heeler "Snoopy."
1725-29: Chief Roger William and his horse Morgan
1725-30: Chief Roger William commuting from home to work at the band office.
1725-31: Searching for wild horses near Mt Ts'yl-os provincial park. Xeni Gwet'in still capture wild horses once in a while for their own use.
1725-32: Horses are still part of daily Xeni Gwet'in's life and have not been totally replaced by the automobile as seen in this photograph.
1725-42: The main attraction of the Nemiah Valley rodeo is the unfamous mountain race, the only race of this kind in Canada (here competitors are crossing the Nemiah creek.) Chief Roger William, an incredible horsemen (blue tee-shirt) wins most of the time.
1725-33: Douglas Myers, a Stone Indian horse whisperer is working on a wild horse captured in the valley. He will then deliver it to its owner.
1725-34: Douglas Myers, a Stone Indian horse whisperer is working on a wild horse captured in the valley. He will then deliver it to its owner.
1725-35: Horse wrangler, Ian McNeil and the wild horse he captured for research, "Spanish Bob which posses transferin, an iron-binding protein marker only found Spanish colonial horses. McNeil plans to
1725-36: Each year in August, in the wilds of Chilcotin country, the Nemiah Valley rodeo attracts olf fashion cowboys. Horse races, bronco and bull riding and other horse related games make this rodeo as
1725-37: Bull riding is possibly the most dangerous event at the Nemiah Valley rodeo. The cowboy culture in now fully integrated in the Xeni Gwet'in's own culture. As a spectator said : "These Indians are real
1725-38: Bull riding is possibly the most dangerous event at the Nemiah Valley rodeo. The cowboy culture in now fully integrated in the Xeni Gwet'in's own culture. As a spectator said : "These Indians are real
1725-39: This young Xeni Gwet'in woman came to see her boyfriend compete in the bull riding event. Often a rite of passage among young native men, this is a very dangerous activity where many are
1725-40: Each year in August, in the wilds of Chilcotin country, the Nemiah Valley rodeo attracts olf fashion cowboys. Horse races, bronco and bull riding and other horse related games make this rodeo as
1725-40: Each year in August, in the wilds of Chilcotin country, the Nemiah Valley rodeo attracts olf fashion cowboys. Horse races, bronco and bull riding and other horse related games make this rodeo as down to earth as a rodeo gets.
1725-41: The main attraction of the Nemiah Valley rodeo is the unfamous mountain race, the only race of this kind in Canada (here competitors are crossing the Nemiah creek.) Chief Roger William, an incredible
1725-42: The main attraction of the Nemiah Valley rodeo is the unfamous mountain race, the only race of this kind in Canada (here competitors are crossing the Nemiah creek.) Chief Roger William, an incredible
1725-43: Xeni Gwet'in ranger Harry Setah is patrolling the local territory to search for hose poachers on the 155 000 hectares territory of the wild horses reserve.
1725-44: Xeni Gwet'in ranger Harry Setah is patrolling the local territory to search for hose poachers on the 155 000 hectares territory of the wild horses reserve.
1725-45: Searching for wild horses near Mt Ts'yl-os provincial park. Xeni Gwet'in still capture wild horses once in a while for their own use.
1725-46: Mt Ts'yl-os a central figure of a Xeni Gwet'in legend keeps a silent vigil over the valley.
1725-47: Mt Ts'yl-os a central figure of a Xeni Gwet'in legend keeps a silent vigil over the valley.
1725-48: A bird's eye view of Konni lake in the center of the Nemiah Valley, with the Coast mountains range in the background gives an idea of the wilderness in the area.
1725-03: Wild horses roam free in the Nemiah valley, blood samples revealed an uncommon variant of transferrin, indicative of Spanish colonial ancestry.
1725-49: The Estern Coast mountain range reflects in a lake in central Nemiah valley.
1725-50: Chief Roger William racing Terry Lulua and June Cahoose during the mountain race event.
1725-51: The Nemiah Valley is surrounded by mountains, this makes it a territory difficult to travel too and explains why the Xeni Gwet'in have reamained isolated for so long and thus protect their culture very well.
1725-52: The wild horses of the Nemiah Valley have come to symbolize the Xeni Gwet'in First Nation's battle over their territory in British Columbia's Chilcotin country. The Xeni Gwetin and a conservation
1725-53: The wild horses of the Nemiah Valley have come to symbolize the Xeni Gwet'in First Nation's battle over their territory in British Columbia's Chilcotin country. The Xeni Gwetin and a conservation
1725-54: 1731-1: The wild horses of the Nemiah Valley have come to symbolize the Xeni Gwet'in First Nation's battle over their territory in British Columbia's Chilcotin country. The Xeni Gwetin and a
1725-35: Horse wrangler, Ian McNeil and the wild horse he captured for research, "Spanish Bob which posses transferin, an iron-binding protein marker only found Spanish colonial horses. McNeil plans to release Spanish Bob in the wilderness when research is finished.
1725-14: The wild horses of the Nemiah Valley have come to symbolize the Xeni Gwet'in First Nation's battle over their territory in British Columbia's Chilcotin country. The Xeni Gwetin and a conservation group, FONV, have proposed the creation of a preserve to protect the last 200 or so wild-ranging horses in British Columbia from indiscriminating hunting and capture. The Xeni Gwet'in have recently won a long court battle over a claim of title and rights over their traditional lands.
Nemaiah, the last Mustangs valley. The horse stirs and tosses its head anxiously, its muscular body chestnut brown save for a white stripe running down the length of its snout like a couloir of snow. Chief Roger William adjusts the saddle cinch in silence, slips a cowboy boot into the stirrup then hoists into the saddle. A gust of dry air blows down the valley rattling the aspen trees and causing the pine grass to shimmer in golden waves. Overhead two ravens soar effortlessly on a thermal wind, riding up the crumbling sedimentary flanks of Mt. Nemaiah before resolving into miniscule black dots against the blue sky. Far below, recorded country music croons while an excited crowd of cowboys, tourists and natives waits in anticipation for the start of the mountain race, the marquee attraction at the Nemaiah Valley rodeo hosted every August by the Xeni Gwet'in First Nation in the heart of British Columbia's Chilcotin country. Southeast across the valley Mt. Ts'yl-os, a silvery tongue of ice tumbling down its north face, keeps a silent vigil over the proceedings. If William is nervous about the mountain race, it doesn't show; or at least he keeps his emotions well concealed behind mirror sunglasses. The 39 year old Xeni Gwet'in chief has ridden his quarter horse Morgan to victory in the legendary "mountain race" nine times. The only other competitors this year are veteran mountain racer Terry Lulua, a steely-nerved young woman named June Cahoose from Anaheim Lake
and a brash tobacco chewing Carrier from Quesnel, whose constant chatter betrays his fear. Two weeks ago a band of 10 wild horses grazed lazily in this pasture. Among them were three mares black as obsidian, two of them each with a clumsy brilliant white foal, and a third one expectant, its pregnant belly swollen. Two frisky young colts pranced nervously about keeping a respectful distance from the stallion, a powerful light brown stud with a long majestic blonde mane. Today the valley rings with the bustle of the rodeo and the wild ones are nowhere to be seen, perhaps chased by the mid summer heat into the shaded woodlands higher up on the Chilcotin plateau. In a thunder of hooves, the mountain racers are off galloping down the incline at a ludicrous pace, a cloud of dust billowing behind and all but obscuring the riders. A fall here could be fatal for horse and rider. In 45 seconds the competitors are splashing through Nemaiah Creek, and by the time they break onto the grassy flats of the rodeo grounds Chief William has a comfortable lead. Lulua, soaking wet and splattered with mud, has dropped from 2nd to 3rd place after being unceremoniously dumped in the water by his stumbling horse. Spurring Morgan to the finish line, black cowboy hat still clinging improbably to his head, William and his horse are a study in grace and speed. After one lightning minute and a half, the mountain race is over and William casually notches up another victory, displaying the horsemanship that is a source of pride among the Xeni Gwet'in, one of six Chilcotin bands. Horses and the Chilcotin - they're almost
synonymous. For at least 200 years wild horses have been part of the frontier mystique and character of Chilcotin country. Recently these animals have emerged as a symbol of strength and pride among the Xeni Gwet'in; and also as a source of controversy. Wild horses have pitted conservationists, who believe the wild Chilcotin horse has noble ancestry and may be among the last mustangs in Canada, against the provincial government and some local ranchers, who view them as feral over-grazers, a nuisance to be managed. At the same time, the Xeni Gwet'in are embroiled in a landmark aboriginal land title court case that could change the way First Nations pursue their aims in British Columbia and Canada, and wild horses have become emblematic of their culture and political struggle. Fact or fancy - it depends who you ask? For the Xeni Gwet'in, wild horses are simply a way of life. They talk about them like you and I might swap details about a late model sport utility vehicle. The Nemaiah Valley, scoured by the advance and retreat of the continental icecap into a broad U-shaped paradise of forest and meadows, is home to some 200 Xeni Gwet'in natives. Flanked by 3000meter plus peaks, the valley stretches from the Chilcotin plateau 25 kilometers due west to where it unfolds into emerald green Chilko Lake on the Coast Range's eastern slope. To the north is the Brittany Triangle, a mysterious sounding' lofty plateau of conifers and meadows bounded by the Chilko and Taseko Rivers. Between the Nemaiah and Brittany scores of wild horses range. Known as Cayuse by the natives, these horses have and continue to be a source of stock for saddle or draught horses, prestige and income in times of need, forming the nucleus of a unique centuries old tribal horse culture
that survives today in this remote enclave of British Columbia. Judging by Roger William's impressive track record in the iconic mountain race, nobody understands horses around here like the chief does. Bespectacled, soft-spoken and slight in stature, William seems an unlikely cowboy let alone leader of people. However he has been chief of the Xeni Gwet'in since 1991, when he was first elected at 25, is fluent in his native Tsilhqot'in and has proven to be a spirited role model. Equally at ease strategizing with lawyers in a Victoria office tower as he is riding the range with friends in search of wild horses. And when William says he was born on the back of a horse, he means it. Up until the early 1970s when a gravel road was first constructed, the only link to the outside world was by team horse and buggy along wagon trails for 100 kilometers out to Lee's Corner on Hwy. 20. "I used to ride around on the back of my mom's horse chasing cattle all over the valley," William says recalling his early years on the family ranch at the east end of Konni Lake. "I think it's something we've always understood. We can't afford to buy expensive horses and we can catch wild horses as we need them. If you have a tough winter with no hay you can cut them loose and they'll feed themselves." But where did these so-called wild horses come from? Ask a Xeni Gwet'in and you'll get a response like, "They've been here as long as I can remember." Compelling historical evidence, most notably from the diaries of explorer Simon Fraser, suggests that Chilcotin natives were accomplished horseman well before the first Europeans traveled here. For example on June 16, 1808, Fraser
recounted meeting natives on the banks of his namesake river who "were exceedingly well dressed in leather and were on horseback," just one of several references to horses made during the historic voyage. Research indicates that the ancestor of today's horse, eohippus, actually evolved in North American up to 55 million years ago during the Eocene epoch and migrated over the Bering land bridge to Asia before going extinct here. With the arrival of the Spanish conquistador 500 years ago the modern horse was reintroduced to the new world. An increasing number of people believe these remnant bands of wild Chilcotin horses are the descendants of the Spanish mustangs that once roamed throughout North America by the tens of thousands, and might have arrived here from the southern great plains through trade or natural migration.
Up until a few years ago the Chilcotin wild horse survived in obscurity, fodder for campfire tales and the writings of cowboy scribes like Paul St. Pierre. That's when a renowned bear scientist, with a knack for orchestrating successful environmental campaigns, and an idealistic conservationist started bringing them to the attention of the media. In the spring of 2001, David Williams (no relation to Roger William) a founding member of the Friends of the Nemaiah Valley invited biologist Wayne McCrory to conduct a wildlife inventory of the Brittany Triangle. McCrory took on the assignment, reluctant at first, but it was a decision that would send his life on an unexpected tangent. McCrory packed his camera, notebook, field
glasses and two week's worth of grub then joined Williams for the trip into the log cabin built by FONV at an idyllic spot called Far Meadow, on a 160-acre lot smack in the centre of 21,898 hectare Nuntsi Provincial Park. It was like a journey back into B.C.'s frontier past. The only way in or out was to follow a tortuous old wagon trail from Elkin Lake to a ghostly homestead called Captain George Town, after which the road climbed onto the Brittany plateau to a fur trapper's cabin at Upper Place. Eventually the road arrived at the Far Meadow cabin, situated on a lakeside promontory next to an abandoned farmstead built in the 1960s by the late, respected Xeni Gwet'in elder, Eagle Lake Henry. When McCrory began his research he found a vibrant ecosystem with a full guild of predator and prey. Using remote cameras and field observations he recorded grizzly and black bear, moose, white-tailed deer, coyote, wolf, lynx and cougar. And of course there were horses. After all, this is the Chilcotin and horses are simply part of the picture, like Cariboo fences and log cabins. That's why at first neither Williams nor McCrory thought much about it. However, one evening while sitting on the front porch at Far Meadow and watching the sun set over the snow-capped Coast Range, McCrory had an epiphany. Here in this unassuming landscape of undulating pine forests and meadows the biologist had stumbled across something he had never witnessed before; bands of wild horses living in balance with other wildlife in an environment that was, save for a few frontier relics, little altered by humankind. They are truly wild animals, highly sensitive to humans, ears like radar antennae that can discern the snap of a twig underfoot from two football fields
away. At the slightest scent carried on a shifting wind, they bolt and disappear into the trees, vanishing so quickly that they might seem like a fleeting apparition. McCrory was enraptured, spending hours at a time concealed in thickets of lodgepole pine at the edge of meadows observing the horses. Slowly a fascinating picture of this ecosystem emerged. McCrory chose Nuntsi Park as his study area. Two distinct bands - the Chestnut and Black Stallion band totaling 25-27 animals- were routinely observed. There were roans, grays, chestnuts and buckskins and several of them exhibited the shaggy mane and long tail characteristic of Spanish mustangs. They would travel a network of forest trails linking dozens of meadows, natural pastures where they foraged on northern reed grass, Altai fescue and other sedges. During the long cold winter they repaired more often to the shelter of the forest canopy to feed on pine grass. Their social behavior was consistent with that observed in wild horses elsewhere. Each band was led by a stallion that would fiercely guard its harem of 6-10 mares and dependent foals, marking its territory with curious stacks of horse dung, known as "Stallion piles." The presence of colts was tolerated only until they reached the age of around two years at which time the stallion would force the libidinous young males out of the band. "It took a while for the horse aspect to kick in. The iconic side of it really happened when we saw the Black Stallion band. The science side of it took a little longer," McCrory says. Even Williams, who had spent years in the Chilcotin, first with his father on hunting trips and now as a landowner and conservationist hadn't really given the horses that much thought. As he says: "They were always just part of the
background." In a report released in March, 2002 McCrory estimated that in the broader Brittany Triangle, roughly 155,000 hectares, there could be as many as 14 wild horse bands and anywhere from 140 to 200 individuals, in addition to the 50 or 60 that range in the Nemaiah Valley. In McCrory's view the case for Spanish colonial heritage was supported by the fact the Chilcotin horses exist at the far northeast extremity of North American native grasslands (the theoretical natural range of wild mustangs that dispersed across North America after the Spanish introduced them.) More importantly they had survived in relative isolation along with a rich complement of predators in a natural forest and pasture ecosystem McCrory believed to be uniquely suitable to wild horses. He called this ecosystem a "mosaic of meadows." UBC archeologist R.G. Matson adds a cautionary voice to the question of Chilcotin horse origins. "There's no evidence that they have had horses forever as some people like to think. It's only human nature to think that way," he says. "But the Xeni Gwet'in are great cowboys." However Matson believes the argument that horses arrived in the Chilcotin before Europeans did is plausible. "There's a lot of evidence that the Chilcotin traveled and traded widely and they could have acquired horses through trade." Convinced that the Brittany Triangle represents something ecologically, if not historically, unique and worth saving, McCrory and Williams approached the Xeni Gwet'in First Nation government with a proposal: to cooperate in an effort to create a wild horse preserve in the Brittany Triangle. It would be Canada's
Horse Preserve, is prohibited unless authorized or consented to by the Xeni Gwet'in First Nations Government." second official wild horse refuge, the other one being on Nova Scotia's Sable Island. Canada and the United States have divergent policies regarding wild horses. In 1971, after widespread public outcry over the wholesale slaughter of wild horses, the U.S. Congress passed the Wild Free-Ranging Horse and Burro Act making it illegal to kill horses on public land. Canada lacks similar legislation protecting free-ranging horses and in some jurisdictions the capture and slaughter of wild horses is still condoned, and even encouraged. As recent as the early 1980s, the Ministry of Forests authorized a cull of horses in the Brittany for range management purposes. Lester Pierce, who has lived for 35 years at Elkin Lake on the edge of the Brittany, remembers a bounty when hunters were paid a paltry $35 for a set of ears. He even took part in the hunt but says it left a sour taste in his mouth. "If the horse can survive, hell let them survive. They don't hurt anybody," Pierce says. On June 6, 2002 the Xeni Gwet'in exceeded the expectations of McCrory and Williams by declaring the entire Brittany Triangle the Elegesi Qiyus Wild Horse Preserve. Translated from the Tsilhqot'in language, it's a mouthful that means "Eagle Lake Henry Cayuse Wild Horse Preserve." The declaration stated: "Wild horses are sensitive to disruption of the natural environment and their preservation and security requires protection of their habitat; therefore, disruption of the environment, including flora and fauna, in the ?Elegesi Qiyus Wild
As part of the package FONV agreed to contribute $18,000 per year to help pay for a Xeni Gwet'in wild horse ranger. In early 2003 more evidence surfaced about possible noble ancestry in the Chilcotin horse bloodline. With the help of a veterinarian, McCrory and Williams obtained tissue samples from several horses, including one aptly named "Spanish Bob" that was captured by a cowboy named Ian Bridge the previous winter. In total blood samples from three wild horses have been sent to Dr. Gus Cothran, a University of Kentucky geneticist, for analysis and the results are intriguing. Dr. Cothran has tested DNA from 100 different wild horse herds in the United States. One gene of interest when searching for Spanish colonial ancestry is transferrin, an iron-binding protein found in blood serum. All three horses have turned up this blood marker - an extremely rare occurrence according to Dr. Cothran."The fact that this marker is so rare and we've only seen it four or five times in 100 or so herds is pretty interesting. The fact that these horses have been isolated for so long definitely warrants further investigation," Dr. Cothran says, adding that he requires 20 to 25 samples to draw any conclusions about ancestry. Clues locked in the DNA of horses were adding to the case for conservation, while the idea of a wild horse preserve gained momentum and support from high profile philanthropists like Robert and Brigit Bateman. McCrory and Williams were well aware of the horse's romantic appeal and its ability to tug at the heartstrings of the public. Then in July of 2003, nature dealt a
serious blow. Lightning struck the tinder dry forest east of Henry's Crossing, sparking a fire that by September had ripped across 29,200 hectares of forest, scorching close to 20 percent of the Brittany Triangle. When the fire was finally extinguished that fall, the Brittany had been dramatically transformed. However ecosystems tend to rebound from the natural rejuvenating cycle of fire. Already last spring fresh grasses pushed stubbornly through the blackened soil and it appeared the wild horses had faired well during the first post-fire winter. Concern quickly shifted to the careless actions of people. When the snows had melted, hordes of mushroom pickers descended on the Brittany to cash in on a bumper crop of morels, leaving behind quad and four-wheel-drive trails and campsites littered with trash. In the eyes of David Williams and McCrory the Brittany's isolated wilderness appeal - the very thing that makes it ideal wild horse habitat had been seriously compromised. "If we don't get a lid on the access you may as well forget about it as wilderness habitat," McCrory says. The mushroom boom also seemed to catch the Xeni Gwet'in First Nation government by surprise. In the opinion of Chief Roger William, mushroom pickers, many of them Chilcotin natives, were showing a profound disrespect for the land they had fought so hard to protect. When the band council started charging fees for harvesting morels, a nominal amount of $75 per month, it caused friction between the Xeni Gwet'in and other bands, but Chief William believes they were left with little choice. History shows that Xeni Gwet'in leaders have never shied from confrontation when their interests are at stake. The mushroom harvest was like a
baptism into the contentious world of resource management. In many ways the tiny Xeni Gwet'in First Nation is at a crossroads. Other bands around British Columbia are closely watching their aboriginal land title case. If successful, how will the Xeni Gwet'in manage their lands? Isolated for so long from mainstream society, a gravel road now brings a steady trickle of tourists in the Nemaiah Valley to hunt moose, fish for Dolly Varden in Chilko Lake or hike through the alpine meadows surrounding Mt. Ts'yl-os. The band is weighing the merits of various power systems, from wind to solar to a combination of hydro and alternative energy, which could power the widely dispersed community currently reliant on home-based gas or diesel generators. Among many band members, there's been a reluctance to connect to the BC Hydro grid for fear that it will erode their ability to control development in the Nemaiah. The Xeni Gwet'in are also still recovering from the effluent of social ills, broken homes, alcoholism and drug abuse, that flowed from the residential school system when youngsters were removed from their homes and taken to St. Josephs Mission in Williams Lake and forbidden from speaking the Tsilhqot'in language. Today steps are being taken to reconnect the youth with their cultural roots. Xeni Gwet'in children learn Tsilhqot'in at a small day care, old folks come together every July for the Elders Gathering, and at the annual "gymkana," young Xeni Gwet'in are schooled in the fundamentals of horsemanship. But if Xeni Gwet'in culture is going to survive young people need reasons to stay in the Nemaiah; more than just
romantic notions of galloping wild horses. Just ask Harry Setah, a man with one foot planted in old-time horse culture and the other striding towards an uncertain future. A bracing wind buffets the Brittany Triangle as Setah bounces across a meadow astride his Honda quad. Setah, 55, has the enviable job title of wild horse ranger, charged with the task of patrolling the triangle, monitoring for signs of horses and keeping a check on human activity. He stops his quad at the edge of the meadow that fades into the skeletal remains of a charred lodgepole pine forest, seemingly desolate and lifeless. He dismounts then points to a collection of sun-bleached bones, light brown hair and skin still clinging to what looks like a tibia as well as a tail, lying detached and oddly well preserved. "Looks like a young colt, probably starved to death," he says, kicking over one of the bones. During his patrols this spring, Setah has counted four different horse carcasses. Winter can be hard on wild horses. Deep snow and a diminished supply of grass feed can weaken younger horses and render them vulnerable to predators, a natural mechanism of population control.. Like most Xeni Gwet'in of his generation, Setah is a former rodeo cowboy, his bow-legged aging body now feeling the effects of broken bones acquired from his days on the circuit. Among the Xeni Gwet'in, wild horses are legendary for agility and endurance on tough mountain trials. On the one hand Setah speaks about them in almost mythological, reverent terms. On the other, he refers to them as you would any other resource
that needs to be conserved, like deer or salmon. "They're not the best looking horses but they're very sure-footed, can't be beat in the mountains. And they're smart too. They know how to de-worm themselves by eating alkali," he says. Those that aren't coveted as saddle horses are sometimes sold as rodeo stock, or to the horror of equine lovers, others meet their end at the abattoir where they're slaughtered and turned into dog feed. It's not pretty, Setah admits, but if the Xeni Gwet'in don't control horses the government will. Most of the time, he says, they're simply left alone. Since the completion of the Nemaiah Valley road in the early 70s, modern conveniences have begun to jeopardize the Xeni gwet'in's traditional horse culture. Young people are leaving the Nemaiah Valley to find work and pick-ups and quads are rapidly replacing horses. Even Setah spends more time on what he jokingly refers to as his "Japanese quarter horse" than he does riding his steed. And like others from his community, Setah has had to look elsewhere for employment, a search that has taken him to the oil patch of northeastern B.C. every winter for the past few years. "I don't want to leave [the Nemaiah Valley] but there's no work around here," Setah says, before hitting the ignition switch on his quad and twisting the throttle. Hondas and Chevy's may be the preferred mode of travel these days, but wild horses still have the power to stir the soul of an old Nemaiah Valley cowboy. Afternoon sun gilds the summit of Ts'yl-os as Frances Sonny Williams gazes out on the glassy smooth waters of Konni Lake
from his front porch, leathery hands folded in his lap. An old fiddle leans against the wall next to his chair. Wild horses conjure haunting memories for Williams; memories of something that occurred when he was a much younger, agile cowboy of 38. That day he had spotted a prize black stud grazing on the grassy lower slopes of Konni Mt. not far from where he sits today. So like any self-respecting cowboy, Williams saddled his horse and went in pursuit. As he ascended the hillside circling down wind, the breeze shifted and the wily horse caught the scent, sensed danger and bolted for the high country. For an entire day Williams tracked the elusive beast, a patient game of cat and mouse, but with nightfall approaching the horse was reduced to an amorphous shadow in the trees. When Williams came across a well-trodden animal trail he decided to set a rope snare, a final attempt before returning to Konni Lake for the night. He would never see that stud alive again. "When I went back in the morning he was on the end of the rope. I remember that horse so much because he died on me," Williams says, shaking his head slowly. A breeze ruffles the surface of the lake and Williams shifts in his chair. This is the kind of story that would mist the eyes of any horse lover, but for some people it's little more than a sentimental fairy tale. Many in the ranching community consider wild horses to be an invasive species that competes with cattle for feed. To them the terms "mustang" or "wild horse" are used erroneously to describe feral horses, those that were once domestic but were turned out to pasture for one reason or another.
A few kilometers up a dusty road from
Henry's Crossing, Cliff Schuk grazes 150 head of cattle on crown land in the fabled Brittany Triangle. He lives with his wife and daughters on a homestead around which old engine parts and farm machinery are scattered like museum pieces. His father bought this quarter section in 1963 and the younger Schuk has spent most of his life here. When he hears the words "wild horse" Schuk shakes his head then folds thick arms that hang from his torso like tree limbs. "There's no such thing as a wild horse. They're not like a deer or a moose," he says, emphatically. He doesn't necessarily advocate culling the horses, but believes calls for conservation are overblown. The provincial government's environment branch agrees. "Our Ministry does not have a policy on wild horses because our jurisdiction is under the Wildlife Act which does not recognize these horses as wildlife. Because they were once domesticated, they are not considered wild the same way as bears, wolves, deer and cougars are," says Max Cleeveley, communications director for the Ministry of Water Land and Air Protection. However by the ministry's own definition, a wild species is one that is wild by nature and is either native to Canada or has extended its range into Canada without human intervention and has been present in Canada for at least 50 years. Given this, the ministry says it welcomes any new scientific or genetic information concerning the origins of the Brittany Triangle horses. The BC Ministry of Forests, the government agency that manages crown grazing leases, has an even less sympathetic attitude towards feral horses
and regards them as a voracious grazers that sometimes need to be controlled. Over several days in February and March of 2004 the forest service conducted aerial surveys and counted 794 feral horses in the Chilcotin Forest District. One hundred and eleven were counted in the Brittany Triangle alone, very close to the estimate given by McCrory in his 2002 report. Chris Easthope is an agrologist with the forest service in Williams Lake and has been dealing with the feral horse issue since joining the ministry in 1977. He believes the controversy surrounding them is guided more by "emotion than fact." In the early 1980s Easthope oversaw the capture and cull of dozens of wild horses in and around the Nemaiah Valley and the Brittany Triangle. Some were shot, others were captured and sold. According to Easthope accurate records were never kept. "I don't use the term wild horses. I don't believe it's an appropriate term. All the horses that are running on crown range are feral horses," Easthope says, pointing to the fact that many "wild" horses in the Chilcotin have visible brands. Horses have often been disparagingly referred to as "hay-burners" because of a digestive system that demands copious amounts of forage. Thanks to the shape of their mouth and incisor teeth, horses are anatomically well adapted to graze much lower to the ground than cattle. However charges of overgrazing by horses in the Chilcotin seem to be based more on anecdote and rumour than science and research. Easthope concedes there has never been an in-depth study of their
impact on Chilcotin grasslands, but argues that his own field observations suggest feral horses can have a considerable negative effect. For example once horses have grazed an area heavily, unpalatable flora such as antinarium and pasture sage tend to fill in afterwards, he says. These days, given the high profile of the Chilcotin "wild" horse, killing them as a control measure might be a public relations nightmare, but Easthope doesn't rule it out as a last resort. Life rolls along in Chilcotin country in that lazy timeless way that it always has. Debates about over-grazing, Spanish ancestry, wild or feral, don't excite many Xeni Gwet'in. They are respectful of but never overly sentimental about wild horses - for the most part that's the job of urban equestrians. Still it's unlikely that the controversy surrounding the mysterious and alluring horses of the Brittany Triangle and Nemaiah Valley will die down any time soon. Back in the Nemaiah, the rodeo grounds are all but deserted. Visiting cowboys have departed with their horse trailers along with the tourists in rented campers. Chief Roger William rides solo along the banks of Nemaiah Creek, bound for his home at the south end of the valley a few kilometers from where Chilko Lake's icy waters lick the shoreline. This is the kind of leisurely commute William gets to savour too rarely these days, between the court case, his band council duties and dealing with the mushroom pickers in the Brittany Triangle. After arriving home, he tethers Morgan to a tree then holds out a tasty palm-full of oats. The horse gives an appreciative snort and William sits on a round of fir, tilting his Stetson to shield eyes from the sun. In the softening light of
a summer evening, the jagged sky line of the Coast Range is imbued with crimson and saffron, a smoky sunset from the forest fire that's been burning much of the summer in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park. When asked about wild horses, about the flood of attention that has come to this remote valley because of them, he shrugs. William knows that in the long run publicizing these noble creatures can only benefit the Xeni Gwet'in. "It sure doesn't hurt our political cause. If it helps, then why not?" he says, before offering more oats to Morgan. However he admits that the survival of Xeni Gwet'in culture and the spirit of its people may be intrinsically tied to the survival of the Cayuse, the wild horses that have been moving through the pines and trembling aspens of the Chilcotin for centuries.
SIDEBAR: Though a shared interest in wild horses has helped to build a bridge between the Xeni Gwet'in and conservationists, native-white relations in Chilcotin country have not always been so conciliatory. From early clashes with white settlers to today's court action, the Chilcotin people have always fiercely defended their territory. In 1863 B.C. was still a crown colony. Alfred E. Waddington, a school inspector from Vancouver Island, was leading an effort to build a wagon road from the head of Bute Inlet, up the Homathko River to the Chilcotin Plateau. It was a fanciful scheme for a direct link between a deep-sea port and the gold fields of the Cariboo. On May 1, 1864, motivated partly by fear of small pox and threats to their territory, a band of Chilcotin led by the
warrior Klatsassin traveled down the Homathko River and ambushed Waddington's work crew in early morning. Thirteen men were killed in their tents, while several others managed to escape. Later that year five more white settlers further inland died in clashes with Chilcotins and the history books now refer to these events as the "Chilcotin War." Calling it a war may be an overstatement but clearly the British government feared a possible native uprising against the crown and wasted no time sending a small militia to quash the resistance. Later that year under a vague promise of amnesty, the warrior chief Klatsassin and four other Chilcotin surrendered in Quesnel and were brought before Judge Matthew Baillie Begbie. They were promptly tried and convicted of murder and all five met their end on the scaffold. Nearly 130 years after the Chilcotin War, Xeni Gwet'in elders, youth and leaders gathered at Henry's Crossing on the Chilko River to defend their territory again. Instead of guns, this time they blockaded a road. For two weeks in May, 1992, the Xeni Gwet'in prevented Carrier Lumber from building a logging road into the Brittany Triangle. This act of civil disobedience forced the company to put its plans on hold - an occasion that is honoured every June 1 when Xeni Gwet'in meet at Henry's Crossing for "The Gathering." Following the blockade the band entered into negotiations with the Ministry of Forests for joint management of the Brittany but it ended with an impasse in the late 1990s. In 1990 the Xeni Gwet'in had already launched court action to protect trap lines around Taseko and Eagle lakes. Then in 1998 the band embarked on a landmark court case, arguing for aboriginal land title to a region that includes the Brittany Triangle,
"People talk about cowboys and Indians. Well these Indians are cowboys," he says, summing up his take on Xeni Gwet'in horse culture. Nemaiah Valley and the trap lines roughly 420,000 hectares of crown land. Opening arguments in the case, Chief Roger William, on behalf of Xeni Gwet'in and Tsilhqot'in, vs Her Majesty The Queen, were heard in March, 2003. It was a significant milestone, the first aboriginal land title case to go to court in B.C. since 1997 when the Supreme Court of Canada handed down its historic decision in Delgamuukw vs. British Columbia. Delgamuukw stated not only that aboriginal title exists but that testimony based on oral history can be used to prove title. The case hinges on whether or not the Xeni Gwetin' had settled the land in question prior to 1846, the year the Oregon Boundary Treaty was signed and British sovereignty was applied to most of present-day British Columbia. At least on expert believes the Xeni Gwetin' have a solid case. The University of British Columbia's R.G. Matson excavated a prehistoric lodge site at Bear Lake near Henry's Crossing that dates back to between 1645 and 1660. Hence the Xeni Gwet'in trial, which relies heavily on oral history as told by elders, is expected to last well into 2006 and is being observed very closely. Against this legal backdrop, wild horses have been parlayed into a powerful and evocative symbol of Xeni Gwet'in sovereignty, and the very mention of the words has taken on a political connotation. Jack Woodward, of Woodward and Company, has been handling Xeni Gwet'in legal matters for more than a decade; so long that he even has his own Tsilhqot'in nickname - "Dlig," which means squirrel.
Writer Andrew Findlayy lives in Courtnay, B.C. Photographer Patrice Halley lives in Wycliffe, B.C. He has been documenting wild horses for the last six years and travelled seven times to the Brittany plateau.
Captions. 1725-01: The Nemiah Valley and the sacred Mt Tsy'los 1725-02-03: Wild horses roam free in the Nemiah valley, blood samples revealed an uncommon variant of transferrin, indicative of Spanish colonial ancestry 1725-04: Wild horses roam free in the Nemiah valley, blood samples revealed an uncommon variant of transferrin, indicative of Spanish colonial ancestry. In this captured horse blood a rare genetic marker found in less than 5% of North American wild hoses herds. This warrants further investigation into their origin and strengthens the case for conservation of the horses and their habitat. 1725-05-06-07-08-09-10-11-12-13-14: The wild horses of the Nemiah Valley have come to symbolize the Xeni Gwet'in First Nation's battle over their territory in British Columbia's Chilcotin country. The Xeni Gwetin and a conservation group, FONV, have proposed the creation of a preserve to protect the last 200 or so wild-ranging horses in British Columbia from indiscriminating hunting and capture. The Xeni Gwet'in have recently won a long court battle over a claim of title and rights over their traditional lands. 1725-15-16: Lightning sparked a forest fire that scorched over 29,000 acres of land in the Brittany triangle, home of the wild horses. During such fire, large natural meadows that provide forage to wild horses are destroyed. Then, mushrooms flourish, followed by mushroom pickers who compromise the sensitive isolation of the horse's habitat. here a lone coyote is
returning after the fire. 1725-17-18: Biologist Wayne McCrory and David Williams are trying to stop the meadow fires 1725-19: Lightning sparked a forest fire that scorched over 29,000 acres of land in the Brittany triangle, home of the wild horses. During such fire, large natural meadows that provide forage to wild horses are destroyed. Then, mushrooms flourish, followed by mushroom pickers who compromise the sensitive isolation of the horse's habitat. 1725-20: Conservationist David Williams is installing remote cameras to document wild horses passage. Williams, a founding member of FONV, Friends of the Nemiah Valley. owns a remote cabin in Nunsti Park where the wild horses roam. 1725-21: Wayne McCrory and David Williams are documenting the meadows frequently used by the horses. Biologist Wayne McCrory estimates that the 155 000 hectares of the Brittany triangle may host up to 14 wild horses bands, totalling 140 to 200 horses. There are another 50 to 60 roaming in the Nemiah Valley. McCrory believes the horses are of Spanish descent and they have survived in the wild because of the unique "mosaic of meadows" that are part of the Chilcotin landscape. 1725-22: David Williams was instrumental in helping the Xeni Gwet'in developping a wild horse preserve. He owns a remote cabin on the Brittany plateau. 1725-23-24-25-26-27: In July the gathering is oriented around horseman ship and games on horseback. The Xeni Gwet'in are the only original horse culture
people in Canada today. The 1/4 mile race, prelude to the Mounatin race August event and other activities helps keep the small community together. 1725-28: Chief Roger William with his horse Morgan and white blue heeler "Snoopy." 1725-29: Chief Roger William and his horse Morgan 1725-30: Chief Roger William commuting from home to work at the band office. 1725-31: Searching for wild horses near Mt Ts'yl-os provincial park. Xeni Gwet'in still capture wild horses once in a while for their own use. 1725-32: Horses are still part of daily Xeni Gwet'in's life and have not been totally replaced by the automobile as seen in this photograph. 1725-33: Douglas Myers, a Stone Indian horse whisperer is working on a wild horse captured in the valley. He will then deliver it to its owner. 1725-34: Douglas Myers, a Stone Indian horse whisperer is working on a wild horse captured in the valley. He will then deliver it to its owner 1725-35: Horse wrangler, Ian McNeil and the wild horse he captured for research, "Spanish Bob which posses transferin, an iron-binding protein marker only found Spanish colonial horses. McNeil plans to release Spanish Bob in the wilderness when research is finished. 1725-36: Each year in August, in the wilds of Chilcotin country, the Nemiah Valley rodeo attracts olf fashion cowboys. Horse
races, bronco and bull riding and other horse related games make this rodeo as down to earth as a rodeo gets. 1725-37-38: Bull riding is possibly the most dangerous event at the Nemiah Valley rodeo. The cowboy culture in now fully integrated in the Xeni Gwet'in's own culture. As a spectator said : "These Indians are real cowboys!" 1725-39: This young Xeni Gwet'in woman came to see her boyfriend compete in the bull riding event. Often a rite of passage among young native men, this is a very dangerous activity where many are injuried . 1725-40: Each year in August, in the wilds of Chilcotin country, the Nemiah Valley rodeo attracts olf fashion cowboys. Horse races, bronco and bull riding and other horse related games make this rodeo as down to earth as a rodeo gets. 1725-41-42: The main attraction of the Nemiah Valley rodeo is the unfamous mountain race, the only race of this kind in Canada (here competitors are crossing the Nemiah creek.) Chief Roger William, an incredible horsemen wins most of the time. 1725-43: Xeni Gwet'in ranger Harry Setah is patrolling the local territory to search for hose poachers on the 155 000 hectares territory of the wild horses reserve. 1725-44: Xeni Gwet'in ranger Harry Setah is patrolling the local territory to search for hose poachers on the 155 000 hectares territory of the wild horses reserve. 1725-45: Searching for wild horses near Mt Ts'yl-os provincial park. Xeni Gwet'in still capture wild horses once in a while for
of title and rights over their traditional lands.
their own use. 1725-46-47: Mt Ts'yl-os a central figure of a Xeni Gwet'in legend keeps a silent vigil over the valley. 1725-48: A bird's eye view of Konni lake in the center of the Nemiah Valley, with the Coast mountains range in the background gives an idea of the wilderness in the area. 1725-49: The Estern Coast mountain range reflects in a lake in central Nemiah valley. 1725-50: Chief Roger William racing Terry Lulua and June Cahoose during the mountain race event. 1725-51: The Nemiah Valley is surrounded by mountains, this makes it a territory difficult to travel too and explains why the Xeni Gwet'in have reamained isolated for so long and thus protect their culture very well. 1725-52: The wild horses of the Nemiah Valley have come to symbolize the Xeni Gwet'in First Nation's battle over their territory in British Columbia's Chilcotin country. The Xeni Gwetin and a conservation group, FONV, have proposed the creation of a preserve to protect the last 200 or so wild-ranging horses in British Columbia from indiscriminating hunting and capture. The Xeni Gwet'in have recently won a long court battle over a claim of title and rights over their traditional lands. 1725-53-54: The wild horses of the Nemiah Valley have come to symbolize the Xeni Gwet'in First Nation's battle over their territory in British Columbia's Chilcotin country. The Xeni Gwetin and a conservation group, FONV, have proposed the creation of a preserve to protect the last 200 or so wild-ranging horses in British Columbia from indiscriminating hunting and capture. The Xeni Gwet'in have recently won a long court battle over a claim