October 2016

 

A small team will walk from Bute inlet to Chilko Lake, 130km through the wilderness.

 

TRIP SUMMARY

The Homathko Journey is an epic self propelled bush crash adventure from the Pacific Ocean (Bute inlet), through canyons and chasms of the Coast Mountains 130km inland to the Chilcotin plateau. The team will venture beyond roads and trails on a journey that retraces an ancient “Grease Trail” and trade route from the coastal tribes into the interior before Canada and British Columbia existed. They pass archeological sites and remnants of “Waddington’s Road”, a failed attempt to bring miners inland to the Cariboo gold fields in 1864. We penetrate the mountains and explore the names they bare and stories they tell. If the mountains could speak, they would tell us of the “Chilcotin War” which fatally stopped the miners in their tracks and changed the fate of this country. The journey will take 2 weeks departing Bute inlet April 21st, 2016 arriving May 4th in Nemaiah Valley.

 

 

DETAILED TRIP DESCRIPTION

    The adventure will be self propelled from it’s start at the head of Bute Inlet to Chilko Lake, but will involve a boat ride to the entry point and a vehicle pick up at the exit. The team will have to go lightweight but will bring professional camera and audio equipment including; 3 Gopro Hero cameras, stabilizer, a DSLR, lenses, tripod, lavalere microphone, and solar charger. We will conduct interviews to help tell the history of the area, including Tsilhqot’in first nations and direct descendants of Klattasine. Our team has many connections to all the right people, the equipment and the training to achieve its goals.

 

THE FILM

This story has many layers. On one layer, we follow explorers as they endure the many challenges of the wilderness: devil’s club, mosquitos, fjording rivers, etc. On another layer we uncover some of Canada’s unknown history, examine how indigenous communities were seen as barriers between miners and gold, and return to the present time to consider how things have changed, or if they have.

 

This epic journey will be introspective, human-powered and human-paced.  In the heart of the coastal wilderness, we will follow Waddington’s failed road on foot, from its beginning at the head of Bute Inlet to it's end and continue on to the Chilcotin plateau, on an ancient route, visiting fateful locations that changed the course of the country.

 

Examining our own ambitions in the face of nature. We will question how deadly arrogance can be.

Viewers of this film will be moved by stunning imagery and an unforgettable story. They will ponder the doctrine of discovery, our place in nature and our relationship with this land's original inhabitants. We will certainly need to have a sense of humour about bush-wacking all this way with a bunch of camera gear, giving a personal touch to this amazing historical story!

 

BACKGROUND

BC’s tallest mountain bears the name of Sir Alfred Waddington, a colonist in Victoria who endeavoured to build a road from Bute inlet to Fort Alexandria in the Chilcotin. Waddington assumed ownership of the lands at the mouth of Bute inlet and built a town (named Port Waddington). His ambition was to open a wagon road to the Cariboo Gold fields and tax the thousands of American miners bound for the gold mines in the interior.

 

Waddington’s road was stopped by Klattassine, legendary war leader of the Tsilhqot’in people who revolted and killed the road crew at ‘Murderer’s bar’ on the Homathko River and so this wilderness remains unbroken.  This, along with ensuing events are known to history as Western Canada’s only official “Indian War” - The Chilcotin War of 1864. Ghosts of war remain in the shadow of these mountains, seen by few in modern times. There is incredible natural beauty worth sharing here, and an exceptional story, steeped in legend.

 

 

 

THE TEAM

Jeremy Williams

Stuart Kohut

Peyal Lacesse

Erik Blaney

 

Jeremy Williams has 20 years experience bush crashing and climbing in the Coast Mountains, mostly off trail. He began climbing mountains as a child and spent years in the BC Mountaineering club, the Alpine Club of Canada, built trails with the Wilderness Committee and became a wilderness educator under the wing of legendary mountaineer John Clarke. In 1999 he started his career as a filmmaker and specializes in remote wilderness productions.

He has training in: wilderness survival, navigation, wilderness first aid, mountaineering, filmmaking.  Jeremy is an award winning filmmaker and photographer. 

 

Peyal Laceese is 18 years old and has been powwow dancing at 6 years old. He is from the community of Tl’esqox (Toosey) of the Tsilhqot’in Nation. He is a spiritual and cultural leader for his nation already and is the official Tsilhqot'in Youth Ambassador at Tsilhqot'in National Government. He is committed to keeping the language and way of life alive. Peyal bears the name of Klattasine’s son, a survivor of the Chilcton war of 1864.

 

Stuart Kohut grew up in the rural and remote country of the Cariboo-Chilcotin, as part of the communities of Northern Secwepemc and Tsilhqot'in First Nations people. Time spent out on the land with traditional people cultivated a deep respect and relationship with the earth which led to a way of life and finding purpose in sharing this with others, working with holistic, spiritual medicine in the personal development field, and supporting grassroots, First Nations and environmental initiatives.  He has spent a lifetime outdoors and has co-owned, operated and facilitated wilderness retreats through a personal development company.  He has also worked as project manager with Yunesit'in Government (Chilcotin Nation) for backcountry and cultural tourism initiatives - working on the fly with multiple moving parts, funders, expectations and pressure in a challenging environment.  He has training in advanced wilderness and industrial first aid, navigation and survival.  He is a jack-of-all-trades, a poet, and a changeling.

 

 

WHY WE ARE DOING THIS TRIP

We are captivated by the truly wild, untamed nature of these mountains and have dreamt of this journey for years. The allure of this mythical history deep in the heart of the Coast Range has captured the imaginations of many, but almost no one has seen it in person, or documented it. We are confident, based on a strong, personal lifelong relationship as well as an established, professional, working relationship with the Tsilhilqot’in people, that we will have the blessing to make this trip and help tell this story.  We will pursue possibilities for further funding and involvement to add to the richness of this film. We have confidence in our ability and a great feeling in undertaking filming this incredible journey into the mountains.

 

 

ITINERARY:

 

- We begin our journey with the Homalco First Nation and learn about their territory including Bute inlet, as well as learn about their legends and stories of the area

 

- We make our way on foot, up logging roads and off trail to explore for signs of villages and the original road built in 1864, document (the film will be interspersed with historical footage and present day interviews)

 

- Find our way towards “Murderers Bar” and confluence of Mosely and Homathko Rivers

 

- Fjord creeks and rivers, searching for sign of ancient trail from Chilcotin Plateau to the Coast

 

- Follow ancient route up Homathco River to Tatlayoko Lake, meet friend and descendants of original Chilcotin war party.

 

 

BUDGET

This budget covers the basic expenses of the journey and the costs of video edit.

Other funds raised will be used to expand on the film with interviews and research.

 

TRANSPORTATION $3,500

Water Taxi to Bute inlet, pick up on east side of Coast mountains, return to Vancouver

 

SAFETY / FIRST AID $500

Sat ph/spot/insurance/supplies

 

INCIDENTALS $500

Stove fuel, batteries, gear, tools

 

FOOD $1,000

 

EQUIPMENT $500

Solar charger, SD cards, batteries

 

FILM PRODUCTION $4,000

Music rights, editing, distribution, website

 

TOTAL $10,000