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Walk to symbolize unity among area’s peoples

Sept. 8 walk to coincide with book release
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A committee met at Town Hall Aug. 8 to discuss plans for the Witset Walk. (Cassidy Muir photo)

On September 8, community members from the Bulkley Valley area will be walking 34 kilometres from Smithers to the village of Witset (Moricetown) to symbolize unity between the Witsuwit’en people and the settler community.

Video of the walk courtesy of Grant Harris:

The walk coincides with the launch of Shared Histories, a new book that documents the relationships between settlers and the Witsuwit’en in the Town of Smithers between 1913 and 1973. The book vividly showcases the remarkable resilience and strength Witsuwit’en residents of Smithers showed as they sought to establish a place for themselves in town – persisting in spite of often-discriminatory local, provincial, and federal policies.

“This book is important because it documents the difficult times our ancestors went through. As a child, I saw what they were going through, dealing with the changes happening in the community,” said Wilat (Sue Alfred), a hereditary chief with the Tsayu Clan and a representative of the Office of the Witsuwit’en. “I hope the book will bring us to the place where we are truly walking together – alhk’ikh ts’ëdilh – in a way we didn’t in the past. It’s especially important for the younger generation to read the history and understand what their ancestors went through. This sets the path for them.”

“To be part of the steering committee for the Shared Histories Project and the book has been both a rewarding and very emotional experience. It has allowed me to relive the experiences of my parents Frank and Lucy Bazil who lived in Smithers during the establishment of the town,” said Witsuwit’en hereditary chief and Shared Histories Steering Committee member K’ilisët (Violet Gellenbeck). “As a young Witsuwit’en growing up in this new changing world it was very difficult for me to understand the changes taking place for my people. This book gives us a voice so that we as a people can continue to move forward into the future.”

The idea for the research behind the book arose as part of community-to-community meetings in 2015-2016 between Smithers Town Council and the Office of the Wet’suwet’en, made possible with funding from the Union of BC Municipalities.

“Without acknowledging the past, it is difficult to build a shared future,” said Smithers Mayor Taylor Bachrach. “Our hope is that this book leads to increased understanding among Smithers residents and provides a foundation for our future relationship with the Witsuwit’en people.”

Over a three-year period, a research team led by Dr. Tyler McCreary, pored over archival material and conducted more than 50 in-person interviews with Witsuwit’en elders and non-Indigenous settlers. Smithers-based Creekstone Press published the 264-page book, which includes historic photographs and maps.

“The intent of Shared Histories is to not only add to the academic literature but also make a significant contribution to expanding the community dialogue about local history,” said McCreary. “This book is part of a process to acknowledge the historic contributions of Witsuwit’en people to building the town and the forms of discrimination that they endured.”

The community walk will begin at 6 a.m. Sept. 8 at the Bulkley Valley Museum in Smithers. Residents who would like to participate but cannot walk the entire distance can join the walk at a number of checkpoints along the way. The walk will conclude with a welcoming ceremony at the Witset Multiplex at approximately 4 p.m.

Following the walk, Dinï Ze’ Ut’akhgit (Henry Alfred) of the Likhsilyu Clan invites all community members to a feast and book launch at the Witset Multiplex, beginning at 5 p.m. The author, publisher and members of the project steering committee will be on hand for interviews and book signings.

For more details on the event, please visit the event page on Facebook, or phone Wilat (Sue Alfred) at 250-847-4141, K’ilisët (Violet Gellenbeck) at 250-847-5122, Tyler McCreary at 850-273-1530, or Taylor Bachrach at 778-210-0877.

~Submitted Story

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A committee met at Town hall Aug. 8 to discuss plans for the Witset Walk (Pictured: Violet Gellenbeck and Taylor Bachrach). (Cassidy Muir photo)
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