Pre-contact, the Tsilhqot'in were struggling to cope with an internal warring faction who were skirmishing with their Secwepemc neighbours to the east. Eventually, they evicted this faction of Tsilhqot'in. One portion moved far northward to live with the Dene. A second portion disappeared way to the south below what is now the 49th parallel. And the third faction attacked the Nlakapamax in the Spences Bridge area during Fraser River fishing season and continued on fighting up the Nicola Valley to the Merritt area. For a time, they settled on the upland plateau between Merritt and Princeton. They became known as the "Nicola". The Nicola began to socialize with the Nlakapamax and were ultimately absorbed.