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170:. The Moricetown Band is a separate body from the Office of the Wetsuwet'en that leads the majority of treaty negotiations. The culture of the Wetsuwet'en is in danger of being lost. School District #54 (Bulkley Valley), in partnership with Kyah Wiget Education Society and the Witsuwit'en Language Authority, has taken steps to help the Wetsuwet'en to preserve their culture by publishing their history in a textbook for grades 7–12 titled "Niwhts’ide’nï Hibi’it’ën: The Ways of Our Ancestors" (2011). Additionally, the Moricetown Elementary School teaches language and integrates members of the community in its program to keep the culture alive.
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Kyahwood Forest
Products JV is a 58,000 sq ft (5,400 m). wood and lumber plant. It is a joint venture including the Band as 51% shareholder, and Northwood Incorporated holding the remaining 49%. The plant employs 75 local residents and can produce up to 26 million bfm lumber when
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On May 5, 2018, the community officially reverted to its original name, Witset. The community’s name now means something akin to “first” or “the people of the first village.” The name change came about in part through the work of Wanda Nikal, a Wet'suwet'en woman who organized a petition over the
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The original name of the village was Witset. It was abandoned after a rockslide that prevented salmon from reaching the canyon. Witsuwit'en people then settled in Tsë Cakh (Hagwilget) and referred to the old village as Këyikh Wigit (often spelled Kyah Wiget).
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Kyah
Industries Ltd. is a spin-off business which has the first opportunity to accept harvest rights from the band’s timber award. Some 75,500 cubic metres is harvested annually. This logging company employs 12 people and owns
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department. The WUAJ Program has been in place since 1995, offering an
Alternative Justice Program for first-time, non-violent First Nations offenders. The WUAJ office is in the chief's office in Smithers, B.C.
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on
Coryatsaqua (Moricetown) Indian Reserve No. 2, and on Moricetown Indian Reserve No.1. The current village was built during the early 1900s. Evidence of inhabitants date back to around 5,500 years ago.
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The Witset
Multiplex is a grand design that includes the Band office, the community gym/feast hall, and school. There is an office available for the RCMP to use when they come into the community. The
224:(Widzin Kwah Canyon House Museum) offers tourists an interpretive look at the Witset Canyon and how the Wetsuwet'en people have used it and extracted the resources for thousands of years.
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A Witsuwit'en
Language Authority created by fluent speakers and creating innovative ways to engage with NON FLUENT speakers and starting Early learning in the schools and homes.
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The village celebrates the traditional feast system, made up of five clans: the Big Frog, Small Frog, Beaver, Wolf/Bear, and
Fireweed clans. However, fewer than 15% speak the
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Morin, Mélanie H. Niwhts’ide’nï Hibi’it’ën: The Ways of Our
Ancestors, School District #54 (Bulkley Valley)/Witsuwit’en Language Authority, Smithers, BC, 2011, p.85, 159.
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and less than 5% understand the language without speaking it. The Band is known as the
Moricetown Band, and it is currently participating in the
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Valley. The river plunges through a narrow gorge, tumbling down a series of rushing waterfalls, and salmon are plentiful.
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of coastal peoples; however, the Wet'suwet'en people do currently have the elected Band
Council system as well.
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Albright, Sylvia. "Archaeological Evidence of Gitksan and Wet'suwet'en History (report), Hazelton, 1987.
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Population: Approximately 815 on-reserve, Approximately, 800 off-reserve, throughout B.C. and Canada
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operates the Wet’suwet’en Unlocking Aboriginal Justice (WUAJ) program in conjunction with the
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Government: The traditional governing system is the feast system, related in concept to the
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issue. In September 2017, the Band Council voted in favour of the name change.
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Petition to change B.C. village of Moricetown to traditional name
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Wet'suwet'en fishing site on Bulkley River at Moricetown Canyon
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is a store dealing with gift sales, gas sales and food sales.
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BC Names entry "Coryatsaqua (Moricetown) 2 (Indian Reserve)"
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22:Witset lies near Widzin Kwah (the Bulkley River).
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602:Unincorporated settlements in British Columbia
294:BC Names entry "Moricetown 1 (Indian Reserve)"
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251:(formerly known as Broman Lake Band), and
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354:Moricetown moves to return name to Witset
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344:, Smithers Interior News, May. 12, 2018
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566:Lake Babine Nation (Nat'oot'en Nation)
272:BC Names entry "Moricetown (locality)"
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114:West of Witset in British Columbia is
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375:BC First Nations Moricetown Summary
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41:, Canada on the west side of the
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60:Father Adrien-Gabriel Morice
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462:Nadleh Whut'en First Nation
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93:Location: Halfway between
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380:Office of the Wet'suwet'en
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497:Wet'suwet'en First Nation
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134:(316). East of Witset is
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243:communities include the
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477:Stellat'en First Nation
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164:Wet'suwet'en language
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472:Saik'uz First Nation
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210:Seasonal craft store
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174:Community resources
37:village in Central
571:Nee-Tahi-Buhn Band
546:Nazko First Nation
515:Toosey Indian Band
403:55.033°N 127.333°W
370:Witset Band Office
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596:Categories
259:References
207:equipment.
150:(127) and
130:(230) and
110:Directions
31:Moricetown
29:(formerly
394:127°20′W
330:CBC News
197:Industry
184:Smithers
136:Smithers
120:Kitwanga
95:Smithers
88:potlatch
391:55°02′N
158:Culture
154:(401).
144:Houston
128:Kitimat
126:(172),
124:Terrace
33:) is a
239:Other
148:Topley
146:(97),
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140:Telkwa
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122:(81),
118:(33),
27:Witset
70:Facts
97:and
50:Name
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