The First Nations
Welcome to Lytton, one of the oldest continuously settled communities in all of North America. Some estimates have put the length of occupation at 10,000 years.
Prior to the arrival of the European settlers this was one of the most densely populated areas anywhere in the Fraser and Thompson River systems. A village of just over 1000 people was recorded at the present site of Lytton when Simon Fraser first visited in 1808 and several smaller communities were established up and down the rivers.
Everywhere was the smoke of campfires but nowhere was there more activity than at the joining of these two great rivers, Camchin (Kumsheen), which in Thompson means “the meeting place.”
The First Nations people prospered here because of the salmon, particularly the sockeye salmon. Its abundance is hard to imagine in today’s world of commercial fisheries and depleted stocks, but at that time millions of fish choked the rivers for weeks on end.
The salmon provided, through drying and smoking, the means by which thousands of people could live year round without fear of hunger. It was also a valuable trading commodity to exchange with other tribes for their materials and artwork, as evidenced by many archaeological sites throughout the area.
Traditional fishing methods are still practiced by some fishermen.
Photo courtesy Jim Steer, Lytton, BC
A re-creation of the traditional winter pit house, secure shelter against the winter weather.