McIntyre Bluff, officially called nʕaylintn since 7 August 2015, is a large ridge of rock, made of
gneiss
Gneiss ( ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. Gneiss forms at higher temperatures an ...
,
located south of
Vaseux Lake
Vaseux Lake is a shallow freshwater lake located along the course of the Okanagan River in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada.
Name origin
The name "'' vaseux''" is French, meaning muddy or murky, which is descriptive of the lake ...
between
Okanagan Falls
Okanagan Falls (also known as OK Falls) is a community located on the south end of Skaha Lake in British Columbia.
History
The community was founded in 1893 as Dogtown, which was derived from the name Dog Lake ("skaha" means "dog" in the Okanagan ...
and
Oliver 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
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. The bluff rises prominently over the surrounding valley and is one of the most well known landmarks in the
Okanagan
The Okanagan ( ), also known as the Okanagan Valley and sometimes as the Okanagan Country, is a region in the Canadian province of British Columbia defined by the basin of Okanagan Lake and the Canadian portion of the Okanagan River. It is part ...
.
History
nʕaylintn (pronounced ''nye-lin-tin'') is the traditional
nsyilxcen (Okanagan) language place name. First Nations in the area tell a story of a battle centuries ago on top of McIntyre Bluff. An enemy war party from the south (now
Washington state
Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...
) was lured to the top and driven over the cliffs.
McIntyre Bluff is named after Peter McIntyre, one of the Overlanders of 1862 who had also been a guard on the
Pony Express
The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders. It operated from April 3, 1860, to October 26, 1861, between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pik ...
in the American West.
He was known as an "Indian Fighter". In 1886 he received a land grant beside this great precipice.
The official name was ''McIntyre Bluff'' from 7 October 1954 until 7 August 2015 when it was changed to ''nʕaylintn'' per request from Osoyoos Indian Band as part of agreement with British Columbia Ministry of Environment.
Conservation
Most of the bluff is located within
White Lake Grasslands Protected Area, which protects the
Okanagan dry forests
Okanagan dry forests is a temperate coniferous forest ecoregion in the Pacific Northwest of North America, as defined by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) categorization system. It is closely associated with the Okanagan region of British Columbia an ...
ecosystem located on top of it.
See also
*
Skaha Bluffs
References
External links
*
Ridges of British Columbia
Ridges of Canada
Similkameen Division Yale Land District
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