The Esketemc have lived in central British Columbia for thousands of years. We are one of seventeen bands in the Secwepemc (or Shuswap) Nation. Before first contact with European settlers in the late eighteenth century, we were called Slemxulucemc, People of the River. We were located in the Cariboo area of British Columbia, along the banks of the Fraser River. The traditional cultural activities on the land base were trapping, hunting, fishing and producing natural foods & medicine.

After contact with European settlers, the Esketemc people were moved onto reserve lands located inland from the river. The reserve was called Alkali Lake after the white deposits found in the area and the band was known as the Alkali Lake Band for a period of time. Recently, we have have reverted back to using our traditional name, Esketemc, for the band and Esk'et for the village. The name Esk'et means "white ground" in the traditional language of Secwepemc. This reflects the white deposits left on the ground when the lake dries up.

The village of Esk'et is located approximately seventy kilometers south of the town of Williams Lake, the nearest community. While driving on some unpaved roads is necessary, a four-wheel drive vehicle is not necessary in the summer months for the approximately one hour drive from Williams Lake to Esk'et.

We have approximately six hundred Esketemc members in nineteen reserves spread out within the Esketemc lands, covering almost four thousand hectares of land. The majority, about four hundred, live on Alkali Indian Reserve #1, the village Esk'et. The rest live in the remaining reserve settlements or 'off-reserve' in the town of Williams Lake.