The Cariboo Regional District will be writing a letter in support of a proposal from the Tsilhqot’in National Government to change or adopt names for several key features either near or within the declared title area of the Tsilhqhot’in Nation including Tatlayoko Lake.
“We are going to suggest that they have both names-the traditional English one and the one in Tsilhqot’in language just so we have a little bit of lag time for tourists that travel out to the area or people that commute through there will get to know which one is the English version of the First Nations translation, but it won’t be a permanent thing,” CRD Chair Margo Wagner said.
“It will be just a transition is what we’re suggesting and it is entirely up them whether they take our suggestion or not because it is within a lot of their traditional title lands.”
Wagner adds that communication will be key for the transition.
“We’re hoping they will do some public communication to explain this and to give everybody a heads up that this is coming because it does get confusing if you’ve always known that this particular lake as this name and now it’s this name,” she said.
“It’s a remote area out there, there’s no cell service so we don’t want people getting lost out there.”
The TNG’s proposal according to a letter dated July 9, 2018 to the Cariboo Regional District from the BC Geographical Names Office is as follows:
- Change the name of Mount Tatlow to Ts’ il? os ( pronounced Tsyle- oss). The mountain is on the east side of Chilko Lake, south of Xeni in the Lillooet Land District. Ts’ il? os” has always been the Tsilhqot’ in name for the mountain
- Change the name of Chilko Lake to “T§ ilhgox Biny ( pronounced Tsyle- koh Bee). The lake is located on the east side of the Coast Mountains, between Taseko Lakes and Tatlayoko Lake ( Telhiqox Biny), west of Williams Lake in the Range 2 Coast Land District. Thilhqox Biny” has always been the Tsilhqot’ in name for the lake.
- Change the name of Tatlayoko Lake Lake to Telhiqox Biny (pronounced Tell- hee- koh Bee). The lake is located south of Tatla Lake and north of the Homathko Icefield in the Range 2 Coast Land District. Telhiqox Biny” has always been the Tsilhqot’ in name for the lake.
- Adopt the name ” Tachelach’ ed” ( pronounced Tah- chelach- ett) for the region located between Chilko River and Taseko River, north of Xeni in the Lillooet and Range 2 CoastLand Districts. Tachelach’ ed” has always been the Tsilhqot’ in name for the region.
The Geographical Names Office noted that the features are either within or near the declared title area of the Tsilhqot’ in Nation. and told the CRD at this time it is inviting comments on the proposed names.
“At this time we are inviting comments on four proposed names,” it said in the letter. “Adoption of these names would not prejudice legitimate claims to the land.”
The Supreme Court of Canada granted the Tsilhqot’in Nation a declaration of Aboriginal title to a defined area of land located in the South Chilcotin, Cariboo Region of British Columbia on June 26, 2014.
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