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Explorers search for gold north of Pitt Lake in new TV series about Slumach legend

Deadman’s Curse tells the story of Slumach, and the legendary gold he is said to have discovered

A new television series based on the legend of a Katzie First Nations man and his quest to find treasure north of Pitt Lake is coming to the History Channel in September.

Deadman’s Curse is going to dive into the story of Slumach, a Katzie First Nations man who lived on the reserve at the southern end of Pitt Lake.

According to local historian Fred Braches, rumours of a “placer deposit” of valuable minerals in 1858 had lured prospectors to Pitt Lake in search of gold. However, the story goes that Slumach was the only person who knew the location of the treasure, but he was convicted of murder hanged in 1891 for killing a man named Louis Bee.

The television series follows four explorers intent on solving the mystery of the existence and location of the treasure – once and for all. Prospector Kru Williams, mountaineer Adam Palmer, Indigenous explorer Taylor Starr– the great-great niece of Slumach – and her father Don Froese, will be facing extreme weather, unforgiving terrain, and a 100-year-old curse, while chasing cryptic clues.

READ MORE: Slumach facts, fairy tales

ALSO: Braches joins the search for gold

According to a description, the premiere episode will introduce the audience to the legend and curse of Slumach’s lost gold mine, giving a glimpse into what it will take for the explorers to find treasure and solve the mystery. Williams and Palmer will follow a clue that leads them on a dangerous journey many have not come back from.

Starr and Froese separate fact from fiction while searching for the truth about the man behind the legend.

Deadman’s Curse will be premiering on the HISTORY Channel at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Sunday, September 11.


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Prospector Kru Williams in an episode of Deadman’s Curse on the History Channel. (Screen Grab)
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Local historian Fred Braches, and former columnist at The News , in an episode of Deadman’s Curse on the History Channel. (Screen Grab)
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An episode of Deadman’s Curse on the History Channel. (Screen Grab)
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Taylor Starr, the great-great niece of Slumach. (Screen Grab)


Colleen Flanagan

About the Author: Colleen Flanagan

I got my start with Black Press Media in 2003 as a photojournalist.
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