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‘Ulkatcho

Anahim Lake is known as ‘Ulkatcho today, and it is located 350 km. west of William’s Lake. ‘Ulkatcho reserve was established in 1901. In 1904 the reserve had 4,385 acres of land and later was cut down to 382 acres. All of the cut-off land was swapped for land in Anahim Lake.

‘Ulkatcho is a Carrier name meaning “People of the fat of the land”. “’Ulkatcho has a population of approximately 911 band members. Many years ago the people of ‘Ulkatcho all lived on the shore of Gatcho Lake. They all started to move to Anahim Lake in the 1950s, for three main reasons; one there was a church at ‘Ulkatcho. When the priest quit going from Kluskus to Gatcho Lake by horse back and started driving in, the people moved to Anahim Lake for church services. Second, there was a store run by Paul Krestenuk. When the price of fur industry went down, the store closed and the people went to Anahim Lake or Bella Coola as it was too far for the people to go for groceries; so everybody moved to the new community. Thirdly, ‘Ulkatcho had a school house but when everybody started moving it had to be closed down as children needed to go to school.

The community of Anahim Lake had a dormitory or an Industrial school operated by missionaries where all of the students boarded when their parents were still in ‘Ulkatcho. This community of Anahim Lake was Chilicotin territory at one time; there are two groups who now live in Anahim Lake now, Carriers and Chilicotin.

‘Ulkatcho has a huge band office and many employees, with a new elected Chief Lynda Pryce, and eight Councillors. ‘Ulkatcho has its own custom elections system. The community of ‘Ulkatcho is now a new subdivision with many houses and a band operated school. It also has a band operated store which employs band members. The band is in partnership with one of the major mills and they run a saw mill which employs many of the band members. Many of the band members operate their own businesses, and are very successful.