Lower Post facts for kids

Lower Post is a small Indigenous community in northern British Columbia, Canada. It's located on Highway 97, which is also known as the Alaska Highway. You can find it about 23 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Watson Lake, Yukon. It sits near where the Dease River and Liard River meet.

A Look Back: Lower Post's History

Lower Post got its name from early fur traders. They used the name to tell it apart from other trading posts along the Liard River. The community was first set up in 1872 by an American named Rufus Sylvester. It was originally called Fort Liard.

Just four years later, the Hudson's Bay Company took over the post. A couple of years after that, two of their leaders helped make peace. They brought together the local Kaska Dena people and a large group of Taku people.

Before it became a permanent community, Lower Post was a popular spot. People came here to fish, cross the river, and meet up. Many different Indigenous groups stopped here for trading. This is why the community still has a mix of different cultures today. In the early 1940s, it was also a stop for airplanes. These planes flew passengers between Whitehorse and Edmonton.

One of the Indigenous languages spoken in Lower Post is Kaska. Sadly, there are only a few people who can speak it fluently now.

Life in Lower Post Today

Lower Post does not have its own services like stores or hospitals. Residents usually go to nearby Watson Lake, Yukon for their needs.

The local school is called Denetia School. It's an elementary school for students from kindergarten to grade 7. This school is the most northern one in British Columbia. It is part of the School District 87 Stikine. Denetia School usually has between 9 and 12 students. It operates as a one-room school. The school focuses on outdoor learning. This special program is called P.A.C.E.S.

In 2016, about 81 people lived in Lower Post. This number was a bit lower than in 2011, when 105 people lived there.

Images for kids

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  Two men with fiddle and bow, 1945

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  Young woman with hat, 1945

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  Girl in jacket, 1945

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  Lower Post Young boy with horse, 1971