▁Geography ▁ ▁The ▁S loc an ▁Valley ▁is ▁about ▁ 1 0 5 ▁kilometres ▁long , ▁and ▁ 5 ▁to ▁ 1 0 ▁kilometres ▁wide . ▁It ▁is ▁one ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ 4 0 0   km - long ▁K oot en ay ▁Arc , ▁made ▁of ▁sed iment ary , ▁vol can ic ▁and ▁met am orph ic ▁rock . ▁The ▁S loc an ▁Valley ▁is ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁Sel k irk ▁Mountains ▁which ▁were ▁created ▁ 2 0 0 ▁million ▁years ▁ago , ▁during ▁the ▁Jur ass ic ▁period . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁valley ▁has ▁been ▁the ▁home ▁of ▁the ▁S ini xt ▁people ▁since ▁time ▁imm em orial . ▁When ▁silver ▁was ▁discovered ▁near ▁Sand on ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 0 s , ▁thousands ▁of ▁prospect ors ▁arrived ▁in ▁the ▁valley , ▁but ▁by ▁ 1 9 1 0 , ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁small ▁towns ▁had ▁become ▁desert ed . ▁Lar ger ▁silver - base ▁met als ▁mines ▁produced ▁through ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁e . g . ▁the ▁Ott awa ▁mine ▁and ▁the ▁Ar ling ton ▁mine ▁on ▁Springer ▁Creek ▁and ▁the ▁Enter prise ▁mine ▁on ▁the ▁names ake ▁cre ek . ▁Since ▁then , ▁a ▁legacy ▁of ▁settlement ▁from ▁people ▁dis aff ected ▁with ▁government ▁has ▁occurred ▁in ▁the ▁S loc an ▁Valley . ▁A ▁group ▁of ▁pac if ists , ▁the ▁Dou kh ob ors ▁( origin ally ▁a ▁Russian ▁mill enn ial ist ▁mill ian istic ▁sect ▁of ▁Christian ity