Canyon Creek William's Resistance to Displacement

This area, now the outskirts of Smithers, was once a Wet'suwet'en neighborhood known colloquially as 'Indiantown'. Smithers is a mountain town in northwestern British Columbia, located about halfway between Prince George and Prince Rupert. It’s built on swampland that is part of the traditional Wet'suwet'en "yintah," or territory.

Indiantown didn't just disappear on its own; it was the result of multiple attempts by town officials to remove the community. The town of Smithers itself was created in 1913 because a railway station was needed here.

The Wet'suwet'en people, though systematically marginalized, still took part in some parts of the settler community, particularly in sports and the yearly agricultural fair. One figure, Jack Joseph, served as a government-appointed chief for the Moricetown Band. He was known as a peacemaker between the Wet'suwet'en and settlers, and there's a photo of him holding his son Frank in 1917.

The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway tracks were being laid near Telkwa, a village about 15 kilometers south of Smithers, in 1913. This railway development is tied to the town's origins.

The text describes Wet'suwet'en as being deemed "squatters" on their own territory, which really highlights the situation. The community of Indiantown, despite its presence, ultimately vanished. So, what you see now is very different from what was here before.