Description
The In-SHUCK-ch Nation, also known as Lower Lillooet people, are a small First Nations Tribal Council on the lower Lillooet River south of Pemberton-Mount Currie in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The communities of the In-SHUCK-ch are of the St'at'imcets-speaking St'at'imc people, but in recent years seceded from the Lillooet Tribal Council to form their own organization. The name In-SHUCK-ch is taken from Gunsight Peak (Ucwalmicwts: In-SHUCK-ch, meaning 'it is split'), a distinctive mountain near the south end of Lillooet Lake. The Lillooet were one of the four principal tribes in the interior plateau of British Columbia. They are sometimes referred to as the Lower Lillooet, including the Douglas and Pembroke Meadows bands.
Language
Lillooet, a Salishan language of the Interior branch spoken in southern British Columbia
Culture
Lillooet culture was typical of Northwest Coast groups: the potlatch, clan names, mythology, and totem poles in some areas. They had several types of dwellings—long plank houses, winter earthlodges, and summer bark- or mat-covered lodges. Salmon and other fish were the basis of the economy, and numerous animals (bear, sheep, caribou, deer, and small mammals) were hunted and trapped, and berries and fruit were gathered. The basic political unit of Interior Salish society, the village, was governed communally. Within each village there were several leaders or chiefs known for their proficiency in such skills as fishing, hunting, war or speaking. All adult males had the same rights and responsibilities and took part in decision-making.