Nicola (Okanagan leader) facts for kids

Nicola (born around 1780–1785, died around 1865) was a very important First Nations leader. His name in the Spokan language was Hwistesmetxe'qen, which means Walking Grizzly Bear. He was also known as Nkwala or N'kwala.

Nicola played a big role during the fur trade times in the British Columbia Interior (early 1800s to 1858) and later during the colonial period (1858–1871). He was the grand chief of the Okanagan people. He also led the Nicola Valley peoples, who were a mix of Nlaka'pamux, Okanagans, and the remaining Nicola Athapaskans. On top of that, he was chief of the Kamloops Band of the Shuswap people.

What's in a Name?

The name Nicolas was given to him by French-Canadian traders. These traders worked for the Hudson's Bay and Northwest Companies. They had a temporary trading post at the top of Okanagan Lake.

Later, Scottish and English traders changed the name to Nicholas or Old Nicholas. First Nations people then adapted it to Nkwala’.

Nicola's Life Story

Family and Leadership

Nicola was one of four children. He was the main heir to his father, Pelka'mulox, whose name meant "Rolls-Over-The-Earth." Pelka'mulox was the third chief in his family line to have this name.

Nicola's father died in the early 1800s. He was killed by an arrow from a chief of the Lillooet people. This happened at the important fishing spots near Fountain and Pavilion. The argument started because Nicola's father had described seeing white people and their new way of life. The Lillooet chief didn't believe him and called his story a lie.

After his father's death, Nicola became the chief of the Okanagan people. His uncle, Kwali'la, became the joint chief of the Thompson and Shuswap people at Kamloops. Kwali'la had helped Nicola's father survive wars when he was young. He also helped the Okanagan people settle around Nicola Lake, which used to be Shuswap land.

Nicola's father asked Kwali'la to look after Nicola and raise him to avenge his death. Nicola then lived in the valley around the lake that now has his name, or at Kamloops. When Kwali'la died, Nicola also took over his title as chief of Kamloops.

Nicola was the main chief of his Okanagan group. He was also the grand chief of the entire Okanagan nation. However, after the border was drawn, a separate American chiefdom started, led by Tonasket.

Nicola had many children, about 50 who survived to adulthood. They came from various First Nations groups like Okanagan, Sanpoil, Colville, Spokane, Shuswap, Stu'wix, and Thompson. Because of this, many people in British Columbia and the United States today are related to Nicola. His leadership role, however, passed to his adopted son, Chilliheetza, who was his nephew.

Earning Trust and Fulfilling a Duty

Fur traders trusted Nicola a lot. They even left him in charge of their trading post for a winter. Nicola managed it well and collected many furs. When the traders returned, they were so grateful that they gave him 10 guns and ammunition.

Around this time, his uncle Kwali'la reminded him about avenging his father's death. Nicola then formed an alliance (a team) of nearby peoples to attack the Lillooet people. His many family connections across different First Nations helped him create this powerful alliance.

Nicola's War

Nicola's alliance included Okanagan, Shuswap, Stu'wix, and Upper Thompson peoples. They went through the Lillooet Country, all the way to the Lillooet River valley. In this conflict, many lives were lost, and many women and children were taken captive. The alliance occupied the region for some time, forcing the survivors to hide in the woods away from their salmon-rich rivers for a generation.

It is said that the Lower Lillooet people first heard a gun and saw a horse because of this war. However, the Upper Lillooet might have already known about horses and guns.

Great Elk Hunts

Nicola organized large hunts in the Nicola Valley for the huge elk herds that once lived there. They used special hunting methods, like driving the elk over cliffs or into fenced areas. These very effective hunting techniques are believed to have led to the elk disappearing from that area.

Journeys and Influence

Like his father, Nicola traveled widely and was well-known. He also visited the Prairies to hunt buffalo. He is remembered for being on the winning side in a battle against the Blackfoot people during one of these trips. He also came to Nicola Lake to bury the Thompson and Stu'wix people who were killed in a Shuswap raid at Guichon.

Working with Fur Traders

Nicola tried to take over Fort Kamloops from Chief Trader John Tod, but he was outsmarted. However, he generally lived peacefully with the fur traders and earned their great respect. Among his own people and neighboring groups, his word was law. He was known for his wisdom, honesty, carefulness, and fairness. He was more of a peacemaker than a fighter.

The Gold Rush and Peacekeeping

Before a big gold discovery near the Nicoamen River, the Kamloops people under Nicola were already trading gold from nearby creeks at Fort Kamloops. News of these gold finds led to more exploration and even bigger discoveries. Soon, the lower Fraser River was filled with up to 30,000 gold seekers.

Many of these gold seekers traveled overland through the Okanagan and Kamloops areas. Some early groups caused trouble, raiding native food supplies and villages. Nicola confronted one group when they arrived at Kamloops. He warned them how close they were to a full-scale war. He demanded that the troublemakers be punished, saying he followed British law and expected them to do the same. The guilty men were handed over, and Nicola then hosted the group as guests. He even rode with them to the goldfields.

In 1858, Nicola used his power to protect miners traveling to the Thompson and Fraser goldfields through the Okanagan Trail, even when the miners behaved badly. This helped prevent the Yakima War from spreading into British Columbia. Although he was urged to fight the miners, he refused. Instead, he even escorted one group from Kamloops to the Fraser River.

He also refused to join the Spokane War or the Fraser Canyon War. He felt sorry for the Spokanes whose land fell to the Americans. However, he stayed loyal to his alliance with the Queen (and originally with King George), which he had made before the border was created. It is believed he remained neutral during the Chilcotin War of 1864, the year before he died.

Nicola's Lasting Impact

Nicola was the most important and influential chief in the Interior of British Columbia during the fur trade and early gold rush periods. His actions in the Yakima, Spokane, and Fraser Canyon Wars, and his efforts to end violence on the Okanagan Trail, were crucial. Without him, the history of British Columbia might have been much more violent.

His son, Chilliheetza, continued Nicola's policy of loyalty to the Crown. Like his father, he helped prevent full-scale war against the white settlers during difficult times.

Because of the border treaty that divided Okanagan territory, Okanagans south of the line formed a new leadership under Tonasket. He became important because he campaigned against the miners on the Okanagan Trail. Most American Okanagan people now live in Omak, Washington, or on the Colville Indian Reservation.

Nicola's Legacy in Place Names

The area where Nicola was chief became known as Nicola's Country. The river running through it was named for him, and the largest lake and the valley it flows through were named for the river. Today, people still call it "the Nicola Country".

The alliance of Thompson and Okanagan peoples in the Nicola Valley today are sometimes called "the Nicolas." The Nlaka'pamux part of this group calls themselves the Scw'exmx. The Okanagan part is called the Spa7omin.

The name Nicola people is also used to talk about a group of Athapaskan people who used to live among the Scw'exmx and Spaxomin. They were also called the Stuwix or Stuwix'emux, meaning "the strangers" or "strange people," because they were new to the area and spoke a different language. They are also known as the Nicola Athapaskans.

These people got along with their neighbors, who had given them a home after they fled from enemies in the north. However, they disappeared by the late 1800s due to raids by Thompson and Shuswap, intermarriage with the Scw'exmx and Spaxomin, and other reasons. Only a few place names from their language remain in the area.

See Also

• Nicola people
• Nicola Tribal Association (Nicola Tribal Council)
• Mount Nkwala (This mountain is not named after Chief Nicola. It's named after a character in a novel by Edith L. Sharp.)