Members of the Beaver Lake Keyoh Holders Ilhunahodulh (Gathering) gathered at the Keyoh territory of Layalh, at Adik’unla, on the south shore of Great Beaver Lake on October 17. Members gathered at Larry Sagalon’s cabin.

Elders and Keyoh holders from around Stuart Lake were invited.

The Aboriginal People Television Network was also there as they were making a television program called “Closer to Home”. The program is a look at the system of Keyohs and the role of Keyoh holders. It also looked at family ownership of the Keyohs around Beaver Lake.

APTN is making a television program called “Closer to Home” APTN will look at the system of our Keyohs, the role of the Keyoh holders and the family’s ownership of the Keyohs around Beaver Lake.

There was a big dinner provided for everyone who gathered.

“We got together and shared information about where our Keyohs are,” Larry Sagalon said. “There were people from Yekooche, Tl’azt’en, some visitors from Kamloops.”

There are many questions about Keyohs.

Keyohs are traditional family territories of the Carrier (Dakelh) people. The land around Stuart Lake is divided into Keyohs. Keyohs are in many different sizes, and according to the Keyoh Huwunliné website, Keyohs predate European arrival to the area.

The heads of extended families have title to the Keyohs. It is passed down from one family head to his or her successor over many generations.

The Keyoh laws predate the creation of Indian Bands and Reserves. Reserves are set up parts of Keyohs. The government assigned the members of dozens of Keyohs to membership in Bands. The Bands were not given title or authority over keyohs when the bands were created. In the approximate 100 years since the creation of the Reservation system, Bands have not obtained the title or authority of the historic Keyoh system.

Keyoh family holders are members of Indian Bands, but the bands are not authorized to act on their behalf.

Bands are run much like municipalities. Chief and Council are elected by Band members to administer government programs, much like the District government.

The family head is the Keyoh Holder, and they often receive a name that is passed down from generation to generation. The responsibilities, rights, property and the name are passed down from a family head to their successor at a gathering. Neighboring Keyoh holders are invited to a feast as witnesses.

Larry Sagalon was one of the Keyoh holders who participated in the meeting.

There were about 60 people who attended the gathering.

“About 20 of them were Keyoh holders from Nation, Tl’azt’en, and some from Great Beaver,” Sagalon said.

The Dakelh people are relearning their role in the Keyoh system.

“A lot of Keyoh holders don’t realize what they can do with (their Keyoh),” he said. “They think they can just use it for trapping but you can use it for hunting, and you can bring your kids up in summer and get berries. When the Hudson Bay Company came they tried to break the Keyohs down into smaller trap lines so they could get more people trapping. At that time the Keyoh holders got together and kept it the way it is.”

Keyoh holders don’t see themselves as owners of the land.

“We see ourselves as caretakers,” Sagalon said. “When you think about it, we are all in the same boat. We all breath the same air and we drink the same water. If it is gone it is gone forever.”

Sagalon said that his Keyoh is located in a swampy area.

The pine beetle infestation has devastated the forest, but Sagalon said that the trees still offer shelter.

“If you go there and look at it, it still offers shelter for animals and stuff,” he said. “There is new growth there.”

Sagalon said that APTN was in our community for three days.

“They said that they don’t know if it is going to be an hour (program), two parts or three part,” he said. “They will see how all their material looks I guess.

“We wanted to have this in August but APTN was busy in Nunavut or somewhere. They interviewed some of the Keyoh holders in town, and some of the Elders who couldn’t make it out.”

The turnout was great even though there were only posters advertising the gathering were posted for four days.

One of the issues that traditional Keyoh holders have is that their rights are not recognized.

“The provincial government doesn’t recognize us as Keyoh holders,” he said. “They recognize us as trapline holders.”

Sagalon said there used to be three villages around Beaver Lake, and there is a grave site on the north end of the Great Beaver Lake.

“We have all our names for all the bays, creeks and rivers,” he said. “We still have the names for them. We are trying to keep the tradition alive.”

An example is the Aday nu koh which is a major creek that goes into the Great Beaver Lake.

Beaver Creek is connected to the Salmon River.

“It flows both ways,” Sagalon said. “In spring it flows into the Beaver and

Tsa ta koh used to be a major meeting place when people got together.

“They would separate and when they finished trapping they would meet back there to make sure everyone makes it back out,” he said.