Shuswap Lake is the 7th largest lake in B.C. and is the major contributor to the Fraser River Watershed. The water in the Shuswap is precious for a myriad of purposes; a habitat for a variety of wildlife and plant species, cultural, drinking water, recreation and agriculture. The Shuswap Lake system has been the traditional territory of the Secwepemc people for over 8000 years.
"Water has always been sacred to the Secwepemc people since time immemorial, as the appreciation of water's life sustaining values have long been part of Secwepemc culture. As our Stsptekwe (our oral history) teach us, one of the few gifts we received from Old One, our Chief on High, was the Sqilye (sweat lodge) - our place of prayer and meditation and cleansing and healing. Our Tqeltk Kuppi instructed the Fir Bought Spirit and the Water Spirit to assist the Spirit of Sqilye in answering the prayers of the Secwepemc"
The Sacred Healing Powers of Water for the Secwepemc, by Ronald E. Ignace, PHD
The Secwepemc people were still actively fishing and living on the Shuswap when the Fleur-de-Lys and Miege families moved here in the 1938. I was told that the Secwepemc families would stop in for a visit with the new farm family on their way further up the lake. At that time the lake was pristine and the fish stocks abundant.
The Shuswap has been victim to it's own beauty and has seen extensive development over the years. The Shuswap Watershed Project released in June 2009 estimated that "42.8% of the shoreline has a high level of impact which accounts for 174 km of shoreline. Areas of moderate and low impact account for 17.4% or 70.7 km and 31.53% or 128.2 km of the shoreline respectively. There is only an estimated 33.3 km or 8.2% of the shoreline that is believed to have little or no impact". There has been a corresponding decline in fish stocks due to the degradation of habitat from pollution and disturbances along the waterfront. Of the Shuswap lake population, 70% require shoreline habitat for their survival. Fish that call the Shuswap home include the rainbow trout, bull trout, lake char, kokanee, whitefish, and 4 of 5 species of Pacific salmon (coho, chinook, sockeye and pink salmon). The Shuswap Lake produces 19% of the Sockeye population of the entire Fraser River system and is home to the world famous Adams River Sockeye.
Eddy recalls in the "early days" of the Adams River run that the river would be thick with Salmon, giving the impression that the fish had replaced the water. Fishing would take very little time, assuring that if you set out to have fish for supper that you would indeed have several. That is certainly not the case today for despite the technology of fish sensors and fancy tackle one always needs a backup plan for dinner.
Madame Naef (Gus's mother) with Renee inspecting the bounty from the lake.
I can smell the fish in the water,
their shimmering skin moving through
that deep coolness.
Those moments when I catch them suspended in air
before they drift back down,
are always breathtaking.
I watch the circle of ripples drift to the shore,
and think of them far below in the green darkness.
In a few weeks I will be walking in the lake,
their babies swimming among my feet.
I would like to dive down and visit with the parents,
but the heaviness of the water scares me.
We are separated by our elements, and I find that strangely sad.
When the storms threaten our home, and the waters are hurled to the sky,
I know they must dive down deep where the water is still, a calmness.
I am happy they they are safe, that all is well in their world.
May that be true for everyone.
Caroline Miege
"Water has always been sacred to the Secwepemc people since time immemorial, as the appreciation of water's life sustaining values have long been part of Secwepemc culture. As our Stsptekwe (our oral history) teach us, one of the few gifts we received from Old One, our Chief on High, was the Sqilye (sweat lodge) - our place of prayer and meditation and cleansing and healing. Our Tqeltk Kuppi instructed the Fir Bought Spirit and the Water Spirit to assist the Spirit of Sqilye in answering the prayers of the Secwepemc"
The Sacred Healing Powers of Water for the Secwepemc, by Ronald E. Ignace, PHD
The Secwepemc people were still actively fishing and living on the Shuswap when the Fleur-de-Lys and Miege families moved here in the 1938. I was told that the Secwepemc families would stop in for a visit with the new farm family on their way further up the lake. At that time the lake was pristine and the fish stocks abundant.
The Shuswap has been victim to it's own beauty and has seen extensive development over the years. The Shuswap Watershed Project released in June 2009 estimated that "42.8% of the shoreline has a high level of impact which accounts for 174 km of shoreline. Areas of moderate and low impact account for 17.4% or 70.7 km and 31.53% or 128.2 km of the shoreline respectively. There is only an estimated 33.3 km or 8.2% of the shoreline that is believed to have little or no impact". There has been a corresponding decline in fish stocks due to the degradation of habitat from pollution and disturbances along the waterfront. Of the Shuswap lake population, 70% require shoreline habitat for their survival. Fish that call the Shuswap home include the rainbow trout, bull trout, lake char, kokanee, whitefish, and 4 of 5 species of Pacific salmon (coho, chinook, sockeye and pink salmon). The Shuswap Lake produces 19% of the Sockeye population of the entire Fraser River system and is home to the world famous Adams River Sockeye.
Eddy recalls in the "early days" of the Adams River run that the river would be thick with Salmon, giving the impression that the fish had replaced the water. Fishing would take very little time, assuring that if you set out to have fish for supper that you would indeed have several. That is certainly not the case today for despite the technology of fish sensors and fancy tackle one always needs a backup plan for dinner.
I can smell the fish in the water,
their shimmering skin moving through
that deep coolness.
Those moments when I catch them suspended in air
before they drift back down,
are always breathtaking.
I watch the circle of ripples drift to the shore,
and think of them far below in the green darkness.
In a few weeks I will be walking in the lake,
their babies swimming among my feet.
I would like to dive down and visit with the parents,
but the heaviness of the water scares me.
We are separated by our elements, and I find that strangely sad.
When the storms threaten our home, and the waters are hurled to the sky,
I know they must dive down deep where the water is still, a calmness.
I am happy they they are safe, that all is well in their world.
May that be true for everyone.
Caroline Miege
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