Time Immemorial: Pre-colonization
Ancestors of the Dakelh Peoples, including the Lhoosk’uz Dené, have lived since time immemorial in what is now Central British Columbia – across pine-dominant sub-boreal forests, with mixed spruce, wetlands, river valleys, and upland terrain.
15,000-232 Years Ago: Pre-Colonizer
The Lhoosk’uz Dené followed seasonal rounds of hunting, fishing, and gathering, relying on species such as caribou, salmon, and whitefish. They maintained extensive trade networks, including the Grease Trail, exchanging goods like eulachon oil with coastal Nations.
1793: Colonization
Alexander Mackenzie’s 1793 expedition marks the first recorded European contact in the Cariboo region.
1800s
The Indian Act imposes reserves and strips rights from First Nations. Despite this, Kluskus traditions persist through traditional medicine. Residential schools suppress ceremonial practices, forcing some to continue underground.
1912
The Kluskus Reserve ‘Uskal Talbun Tl’at’ (‘blood flows into the bay of the lake’) is established, displacing the community from their ancestral lands.
1975-1976
The Lhoosk’uz Dené and Nazko First Nation issue a joint declaration and hold public protests in Quesnel, asserting their rights and opposing unsustainable logging and government mismanagement of their lands.
2007-Present day
Cultural revitalization begins, including Elders’ oral histories recorded by the Quesnel Museum, which can still be accessed today. The Nation hosts an annual powwow, community sweats, art workshops, and traditional events like medicine picking and ceremony.
2010-present day
The Nation launches initiatives to build financial sustainability and promote environmental stewardship — including community led forestry objectives and a major- mining project that initiated a tripartite partnership with the Nation.
2021-2023
Major infrastructure updates in the community include a new water treatment plant — the first clean drinking water in over two decades. A new triplex is built in Kluskus, along with a biomass energy project using renewable resources for heat and power.
2025-onward
The Lhoosk’uz Dené continue to strengthen cultural revitalization and community development, building a legacy for future generations. Ongoing projects include Forest Landscape Planning, Caribou Restoration, Indigenous Protected Park, a Custom Governance Code, a Community Trust Fund, archives, and other Nation-led initiatives.