Prejudice is an excuse to hide the truth
Robert with former BC Premier Bill Bennet
We are all God’s children. Prejudice is alive and well in the history of the Bulkley Valley BC. In the old days when contact first happened the Non-native came to this beautiful valley and many started homesteads, The Native people accepted them as friends, we knew from our prophets that there was lots coming and we should get along with them. Many of us natives changed and began homesteads also we worked along with the first pioneers, we were neighbors. A lot of the white homesteaders learnt to speak Wet’suwet’en. Many of the sawmill owners spoke the language.
Then a change came from Ottawa (the law) said we were not allowed to own land and that we had to go to a reservation. If we didn’t go to a reservation we would be arrested. Many resisted, some were sent to Okalla prison in Vancouver.
One man would not go to the reservation and he held out at his homestead. A couple of police and civilians tried to talk him off his property, some how they just disappeared. Even the police were scared to serve John Baptise notice he was to leave. He was ready to die. He held out and Ottawa heard about him rather then start a native uprising they granted him his land as a Reserve. The John Baptise reserve. Others were not so fortunate they were simply burnt out and they’re land was given to soldiers returning from the Boar War in Africa. The change in the Bulkley Valley was now here! Signs went up in restaurants and bars in Smithers and Telkwa, “Whites Only” the 180 degree turn, in attitude happened, but not all accepted it. The Mayor of Smithers Jim Davidson remembers those days, but most of his friends were Native, no one changed that. He stayed away from the restaurant that carried that sign. Others kept their Sawmills going with their Native friends.
But soon new people came to the valley out numbering the Natives they carried the prejudice banner proudly and boycotted native owned businesses, which soon went under. Natives could not vote, own land, join the general public.
Then the war came WW2 and everyone enlisted even the natives who were not welcome to be Canadian but could fight for Canada? When the War ended in Europe some of our warriors stayed in Europe and began families, they were accepted over there. Others came home to fight prejudice looming big time.
At one dance in Telkwa Cyrle Shelford who was a MLA in the valley, was partying with his natives friends who he went over seas with him. They decided to go to a dance, the locals would not let his Indian friends in so Cyrle took his group and partied outside, he said if my friends can’t come in we’ll stay outside. The hero’s were outside everyone joined them. The organizers of the dance soon changed and they let the Indians into the dance, they never changed this because Cyrle still lives here with us. In 1965 the signs came down, “whites only”. But a small select few still hold their banner, it is tattered and ragged and is slowly falling. My God! lets get with the real world we are all Gods Children. Love one another history is just a lesson, lets move forward together. This is the Canada I love! We are one! RES.
We are all God’s children. Prejudice is alive and well in the history of the Bulkley Valley BC. In the old days when contact first happened the Non-native came to this beautiful valley and many started homesteads, The Native people accepted them as friends, we knew from our prophets that there was lots coming and we should get along with them. Many of us natives changed and began homesteads also we worked along with the first pioneers, we were neighbors. A lot of the white homesteaders learnt to speak Wet’suwet’en. Many of the sawmill owners spoke the language.
Then a change came from Ottawa (the law) said we were not allowed to own land and that we had to go to a reservation. If we didn’t go to a reservation we would be arrested. Many resisted, some were sent to Okalla prison in Vancouver.
One man would not go to the reservation and he held out at his homestead. A couple of police and civilians tried to talk him off his property, some how they just disappeared. Even the police were scared to serve John Baptise notice he was to leave. He was ready to die. He held out and Ottawa heard about him rather then start a native uprising they granted him his land as a Reserve. The John Baptise reserve. Others were not so fortunate they were simply burnt out and they’re land was given to soldiers returning from the Boar War in Africa. The change in the Bulkley Valley was now here! Signs went up in restaurants and bars in Smithers and Telkwa, “Whites Only” the 180 degree turn, in attitude happened, but not all accepted it. The Mayor of Smithers Jim Davidson remembers those days, but most of his friends were Native, no one changed that. He stayed away from the restaurant that carried that sign. Others kept their Sawmills going with their Native friends.
But soon new people came to the valley out numbering the Natives they carried the prejudice banner proudly and boycotted native owned businesses, which soon went under. Natives could not vote, own land, join the general public.
Then the war came WW2 and everyone enlisted even the natives who were not welcome to be Canadian but could fight for Canada? When the War ended in Europe some of our warriors stayed in Europe and began families, they were accepted over there. Others came home to fight prejudice looming big time.
At one dance in Telkwa Cyrle Shelford who was a MLA in the valley, was partying with his natives friends who he went over seas with him. They decided to go to a dance, the locals would not let his Indian friends in so Cyrle took his group and partied outside, he said if my friends can’t come in we’ll stay outside. The hero’s were outside everyone joined them. The organizers of the dance soon changed and they let the Indians into the dance, they never changed this because Cyrle still lives here with us. In 1965 the signs came down, “whites only”. But a small select few still hold their banner, it is tattered and ragged and is slowly falling. My God! lets get with the real world we are all Gods Children. Love one another history is just a lesson, lets move forward together. This is the Canada I love! We are one! RES.
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