A documentary series featuring Xeni Gwet’in (pronounced honey gwaa teen) cowboys and their efforts to protect the area’s wild horses is airing on History.
The First Nation’s efforts to save these wild horses was filmed in 2019 in the Nemiah Valley and at the Williams Lake Stampede. There are 10, one-hour episodes in the series.
Featured in the series are Xeni Gwet’in Chief Jimmy Lulua, Howard Lulua, Amanda Lulua, Roy Mulvahill, Emery Phillips, Mike “Hawk” Hawkridge and Michael Lares.
In an interview with the Williams Lake Tribune (wltribune.com), Chief Jimmy Lulua said the most exciting thing about the series is the exposure his community, the Tsilhqot’in Nation (pronounced like Si coat een) and Williams Lake.
“I think it is a great opportunity to show a bit of who we are,” he said. “Tsilhqot’in people were known as horse people before contact.”
Lulua said The Wild Ones will showcase the beauty of the 1,700 km2 the Tsilhqot’in Nation won in the 2014 Supreme Court rights and title decision.
As for the wild horses, he said there are about 300 in the Xeni Gwet’in area, and more than 3,000 throughout the Tsilhqot’in Nation.