The Cheslatta Trail (or ''Tsetl'adak ts'eti'' in

Carrier Carrier may refer to: Entertainment * ''Carrier'' (album), a 2013 album by The Dodos * ''Carrier'' (board game), a South Pacific World War II board game * ''Carrier'' (TV series), a ten-part documentary miniseries that aired on PBS in April 20 ...

)Nyan Whut'en Hubughunek (Cheslatta Carrier Dictionary). 2009. William J.Poser (compiler). Burns Lake, BC: Cheslatta Carrier Nation. is an ancient land route in

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, Canada, that stretched from the

Dakelh The Dakelh (pronounced ) or Carrier are the indigenous people of a large portion of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. The "Carrier" name was derived from an English translation of ''Aghele'', the name from the neighbouring Sekani ...

villages of Belhk'achek and Sdughachola on Cheslatta Lake to Nadleh Village on

Fraser Lake Fraser Lake is a village in northern British Columbia, Canada. It's located on the southwest side of Fraser Lake between Burns Lake and Vanderhoof alongside the Yellowhead Highway. The small community's population is primarily employed by eithe ...

. It was used by the Dakelh people for as a major trade, travel and communication line, until the construction of the

Alcan Alcan was a Canadian mining company and aluminum manufacturer. It was founded in 1902 as the Northern Aluminum Company, renamed Aluminum Company of Canada in 1925, and Alcan Aluminum in 1966. It took the name Alcan Incorporated in 2001. During t ...

Kenney Dam Kenney may refer to: * Kenney (name) Places United States communities * Kenney, Illinois * Kenney, Texas Geographical features * Hotel Kenney, Rideau Lakes, Ontario, Canada * Kenney Dam, a hydroelectric dam on the Nechako River, British Co ...

in 1952 caused flooding of the Cheslatta River and Cheslatta Lake, forcing the Cheslatta people from their lakeside villages. From Nadleh, the trail would have passed through the modern day

Beaumont Provincial Park Beaumont Provincial Park is a provincial park located at the southeast end of Fraser Lake, between Fort Fraser and the town of Fraser Lake, British Columbia, approximately 40 km west of Vanderhoof, British Columbia Vanderhoof is a dis ...

and across

Highway 16 Route 16, or Highway 16, can refer to: International * Asian Highway 16 * European route E16 * European route E016 Australia - Thompsons Road (Victoria) - South Australia Canada ;Parts of the Trans-Canada Highway: *Yellowhead Hi ...

, then south of

Dry William Lake Dry or dryness most often refers to: * Lack of rainfall, which may refer to **Arid regions **Drought * Dry or dry area, relating to legal prohibition of selling, serving, or imbibing alcoholic beverages * Dry humor, deadpan * Dryness (medical) * ...

. Today, it begins at km 7.5 on the Holy Cross Forest Road (6 km west of Beaumont Park on Highway 16). The trail then traverses 60 km of forest, passing Klez, Chowsunkut, Hallet, Bentzi, Targe, and Holy Cross Lakes along the way. It ends at the site of Belhk'achek village, near the mouth of Knapp Creek on Cheslatta Lake. The end of the Cheslatta Trail in Nadleh met with the beginning of the

Nyan Wheti Nyan Wheti is an ancient land route in northern British Columbia, Canada from the Dakelh villages on Fraser Lake (''Nadlehbunk'ut'') to villages on Stuart Lake (''Nak'albun''), about 50 km to the north. The name in Carrier means "The Way Across." ...

, another land route, from Fraser Lake to Stuart Lake.

References

Dakelh First Nations history in British Columbia Grease trails Hiking trails in British Columbia Nechako Country {{Canada-trail-stub