After the 1862 Pacific Northwest smallpox epidemic, almost all the Canyon Shuswap people died, and survivors joined with today's Alkali Lake band (Esketemc).
While the Tŝilhqot'in recovered from population decimation, the lands were used less than previous countless generations of indigenous people.
This changed in the mid 20th Century when First Nations leaders established at Fish Lake (AKA "Chilcotin Forest") an interdisciplinary cultural centre and field school, where youth and others were taught traditional hunting and gathering practices, net making, hide tanning, etc.
The Chilcotin Plateau was the ideal location for the Designated Special Wireless Station #4, its role with the Royal Canadian Corp Of Signals was that of Signals Electronic Intelligence using High Frequency radio receivers directed towards Pacific Ocean, Japan, Korea and Russia.
Riske Creek is located approximately midway between Kamloops and Prince George BC.