Chilcotin (region)

The Chilcotin /tʃɪlˈkoʊtɪn/ region of British Columbia is usually known simply as "the Chilcotin", and also in speech commonly as "the Chilcotin Country" or simply Chilcotin. It is a plateau and mountain region in British Columbia on the inland lea of the Coast Mountains on the west side of the Fraser River. Chilcotin is also the name of the river draining that region. In the language of the Chilcotin people their name and the name of the river means "people of the red ochre river" (its tributary the Chilko River means "red ochre river")

The Chilcotin district is often viewed as an extension of the Cariboo region, east of that river, although it has a distinct identity from the Cariboo District. It is, nonetheless, part of the Cariboo Regional District which is a municipal-level body governing some aspects of infrastructure and land-used planning. The vast majority of the population are First Nations people, members of the Tsilhqot'in and Dakelh peoples, while others are non-native settlers and ranchers.

The Chilcotin district is mostly a wide, high plateau, stretching from the mountains to the Fraser River, but also includes several fjord-like lakes which verge from the plateau into the base of the mountains. The largest of the lakes in the region is Chilko Lake, which feeds the Chilko River, the main tributary of the Chilcotin River. Other major lakes are Tatlayoko Lake (/ˈtætləkoʊ/ TAT-lə-koh) and Taseko Lake (/təˈsiːkoʊ/ tə-SEE-koh); the area of the lakes, in the southern part of the district, is now the Ts'il?os Provincial Park, also known as the Xeni Gwet'in Wilderness after the Xeni Gwet'in, the local subdivision of the Tsilhqot'in people) and are also known as the Stony Chilcotin, who were also instrumental in the campaign for that area's preservation.

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