Wet'suwet'en First Nation People
Moricetown, British Columbia, Canada
(First Nation People of North BC)

Wet'suwet'en First Nation community is located north of the Village of Smithers is called Moricetown, BC. The Wet'suwet'en people (kyah wiget) is one of five native communities living near or on Hwy 16. The valley around Moricetown Canyon was once a traditional fishing ground visited by five clans of the area.

The Laksilyu small-frog clan, Gilseyhu big-frog clan, Gitdumden bear & wolf clan, Tsayu beaver clan and the Laksamashu fireweed clan occupied the region. The five clans were scattered among 13 houses.

Fishing the Bulkley River was a big part of the Wet'suwet'en First Nation way of living. The clans would first meet in Telkwa in the spring, mainly to visit and celebrate their heritage. Then later the 13 houses would pack up the village and proceed to Moricetown for their summer fishing season.

Using gaff poles (spruce tree pole with a steel hook and bound by rope) the First Nation fisherman would wait patiently perched high above the river standing on exposed river boulders waiting to strike and hook the fish as they swim by underneath. Today, the First Nation still fish the river but use deep nets mostly.

In Moricetown, during the summer, the Wet'suwet'en First Nation people would erect smokehouses, drying racks and fish traps. The men would set out to catch fish while the women would hike up the mountain to collect herbs and medicines. After returning the women would start to preserve the catch. In the fall, after catching fish the focus of the hunt would shift to mountain goats, ptarmigan and caribou.

Once sufficient preparation was completed, the Wet'suwet'en people would hold various feasts celebrating the harvest. The general meeting of all the people was an opportunity for the chiefs to deal with clan business and for trading goods among houses.

The feasts would last for days and would be celebrated by many houses. Many feasts later the clans would start to return to their villages in preparation for winter - each clan's departure date depending on the length of the journey back to their village.

Once home the clan would work on their longhouses, stacking firewood, and finishing repairs so to securely store their food on stilts inside. During the winter the elders and their wives would prepare for next seasons hunt and children would learn about hunting while maintaining the longhouses.

How to get to Moricetown: Moricetown is located 30 km west of Smithers and 31 km east of Hazelton, BC on the main highway of the region known as Highway 16. Follow the signs. Cannot miss the community.