xatsull heritage village

Thanks for visiting, 502ericg. Glad to hear you enjoyed the pit house and the beautiful view of the Fraser River. Hope to see you again soon.

My stay at Xatsull Heritage Village this summer has been incredible. I've been fortunate to get to know the staff and other community members who lead workshops, and they genuinely love what they do. The site is small, and if you drop by on any given day you most likely will have the place to yourself. Take advantage of this and request your own private tour, or chat with the elder who works there--he has so much to offer! You will learn not only about traditional Secwepemc ways of life, but also about modern-day life on the Soda Creek reserve, as well as the sobering history of colonization.If you have the time, make a weekend out of your visit--I loved camping there. On my last night I made a campfire and watched the full moon rise over the river. It was really special. The site is absolutely gorgeous, and you can set up your tent or stay in one of the teepees or the pit house. You aren't roughing it too much--the washrooms are really nice, with good hot showers, and there is large covered picnic area for meals and shelter from the sun.Please be aware, though, that because the site is small and there are only a few staff members, if you want to participate in any special activities (craft workshops, ethnobotany hikes, pit cooking demonstrations, etc.) it's a good idea to call ahead and find out if there are any prescheduled activities, or to schedule your own. The staff are flexible and will work with you to do pretty much whatever you'd like. I highly recommend checking it out!

I've visited most of British Columbia's Aboriginal tourism sites and the range is very broad from multi-million dollar glitz to more humble local offerings. What I've learned from this experience is that the real benefit is in the people you meet. It doesn't take fancy interpretive signage, slick interactive displays or polished videos to impart knowledge and greater understanding. One young person, like our guide today, Brandi, can do it all on her own - especially if you dig a little deeper and listen to more than the scripted presentation.I was interested in what Brandi had to say about the dietary and medicinal use of various plants, but what meant even more, was the little tid bits she added about what her grandmother has taught her, such as specifically what to do and not to do with rose hips.It was very cool to stand on the fishing spot on the rocky bank of the Fraser River (terrifying when you see what the river can do to round and smooth solid boulders), but again, the experience was far more meaningful because Brandi showed us the spot where she, as a kid, was allowed to swim while her mom fished - and that she was never allowed to go beyond "that rock." When we went into one of the pit houses, she told us the traditional uses and how extended families shared the space, then we sat on a bench and talked more about extended families - then and now - and how they impact on people's lives.Details like this made the tour so much more personal, more real, and made a greater connection between past and present, culture and culture - for me, at least.One thing I found a little jarring, was the teepees; I guess those are for the European visitors.On first sight, you won't think this is the most impressive Aboriginal tourism site around, but dig deeper and be prepared to learn more. I'm very glad I took the time to visit and am only disappointed that I was unable to attend a pit cooking demonstration. I'm sure that would have been excellent.As for housekeeping details, the washrooms were clean and I was astonished to find one of the pit houses wheelchair accessible. Be prepared for a surprisingly steep drive down from the highway, about four kilometres on a decent gravel road (a little washboardy in places and dusty). Take time to stop at the lookout for a fine view up and down the Fraser and an overview of the camp.

This past weekend a crew of us had booked ahead a time a tour and pit cooking demo. I enjoyed the Pit Cooking. Honestly I taught my children grade 4 S.S this year where we covered the year learning about Canadian Natives Long Ago and really enjoyed the unit. So I was very much looking forward to getting a taste of the culture of this native group. Our group was told they lost their culture because of the government and therefore we didn't learn how they lived - except for how certain plants were used medicinally, shown some pictographs and shown a popular fishing location. I personally was hoping to bring some cultural information back to my children like info about what they used to live in, what food did they eat - hunting, roles of men/women ect. - because I want them to learn to be respectful of people who come from different cultures and to expand on their learning of First Nations People this year. I had nothing to bring back to them except I documented the Pit Cooking demo with photographs. So needless to say it was disappointing and I was hoping to bring my school -aged children there but there was nothing for them to learn about. I hope this feedback can be noted in a positive way and some changes could be made to make this a more positive cultural experience for adults and children - Thank You.

Unfortunately, the visit we had to this village was nothing like the website and brochure showed it would be. There were no activities going on and the people were not well informed of their own culture. They were unable to answer many of our questions. The pit cooking demo was neat to see and the food was delicious. The guided tour was very poorly done and barely covered anything the website said it would. If you go, do not have high expectations of learning much about the culture. The river look out is gorgeous and highly recommended.

I go to Xatsull Heritage about once a year. This last summer I visited in June and was pleasantly surprised by new structural aditions on the grounds.

This is one of the most beautiful, peaceful places in the Cariboo. The sound of the river, singing of the birds and the fresh air is so relaxing. Rarely has the weather been inclement. Usually sunny with blue skies. The welcome from the young folk is refreshing. Watching the elders skillfully fillet the salmon or demonstrate how the pit oven operates was a wonderful experience.

I took part in one of the village's cultural events this past saturday, and it was an over-all great experience. All the natives where more than happy to tell us about their culture, their struggles and their past. The heritage village is made in a wonderful way, with lots of exciting stuff to check out! The guides and all people attending were lovely!We got a little special treatment, as we could spend the night on our own in one of the teepees! A crackling fire beside us, and a fluffy bearskin underneath - and the low temperatures at night were forgotten! Definitely a place I wanna see again, and can recommend to anybody!

If you can try the pit cooking while you are there it's a taste of delicious that you will not soon forget! I loved talking with the elders and hearing the stories about the fishing spots and the cultural identity! Such an amazing learning experience for both non first nations and first nations like myself!!! I will be visiting again soon :)