The Happy Camper: History Channel’s New Series, Deadman’s Curse
History Channel has a new show out—Deadman’s Curse—and I was given the opportunity to do one of my Whisky Fireside Chats with two of the cast members (Adam Palmer and Don Froese).
The premise of Deadman’s Curse is based on four present-day treasure hunters searching for the legendary Slumach’s lost gold mine hidden somewhere in the rugged mountains of British Columbia.
Deadman’s CurseSlumach, an elderly Katzie First Nations man, had discovered a colossal “place deposit” of gold in 1891 noted to be worth billions of dollars. But soon after, he was hung for shooting a man (Louis Bee) while protecting his bounty. On his death bed, he put a curse on the gold mine by uttering the words, “Nika memloose, mine memloose,” or “When I die, the mine dies.”
Interestingly enough, for over 100 years, many have died trying to find the gold mine.
Now, four gold seekers have teamed up to discover Slumach’s lost mine. The crew is made up of prospector Kru Williams, a seasoned prospector, mountaineer Adam Palmer, a mountaineer and outdoor educator, Taylor Starr, a young Indigenous historian and the great-great-niece of Slumach, and Don Froese, Taylor’s father and proud member of Seabird Island First Nation.
They gather clues from secret letters, old treasure maps and oral history to help search for the gold. It’s a captivating story.
Adam and Don were the two members I interviewed. Adam has been looking for the gold for 20 years now, and I doubt he’ll quit until he finds it. Listening to him during the interview, I think he’s more obsessed about solving the mystery of Slumach’s lost gold mine than becoming rich from it. The same goes for Don. He comes across as more of a knowledge-keeper, a First Nations elder who is teaching proper respect and protocol for the places the expeditions take the team.
Check out Deadman’s Curse on Sundays at 7 p.m. Pacific on History. Make sure to check out the interview. The series has become one of my favourite to watch.
