’Alhk’ikh Ts’ëdilh (Walking Together): The Shared Histories Exhibition
The Bulkley Valley Museum is located on the traditional territory (yin tah) of the Witsuwit’en people. This permanent exhibition is based on the research gathered through the 2018 publication Shared Histories: Witsuwit’en-Settler Relations in Smithers, B.C., 1913-1973. It features video interviews with Witsuwit’en Elders who share stories about Indiantown, a small Indigenous community that existed in Smithers until the 1960s, as well as the history of Witsuwit’en-settler relations.
Shared Histories: Director’s Cut film
A one hour compilation of the video stories presented in full in the exhibition can be viewed on Vimeo. This one hour compilation was first screened for the public at a special event at the Della Herman Theatre in Smithers on December 15th 2022.
Development of the exhibition was supported by: the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Wetzin’kwa Community Forest Corporation, Bulkley Valley Arts Council, and the BC Arts Council through their 2021 and 2022 “Arts Resilience” funding.
Yinkadinï’ Hibikeyikh Winewewdizulnik – Walnut Park Totem Pole
On September 29th 2023 School District #54 (Bulkley Valley) raised a new totem pole in Smithers at the site of the new Walnut Park Elementary School. The school is located in the historic Indiantown community area. In recognition of this history, the school district initiated a project to erect a totem pole to commemorate Indiantown and the struggle of Witsuwit’en parents to access public school education for their children. The pole was carved by Gitxsan artist Dan Yunkws under the direction of Witsuwit’en Master Carver Dzïggot Ron Austin.
Broken Arrow: The Story of the Crashed B-36 Bomber
On the cold, dark night of February 13th 1950, an American B-36 bomber carrying a deadly weapon mysteriously disappears from the skies off the coast of British Columbia. Several years later, its wreckage is found on a remote mountain hillside in northwestern BC. Our exhibit on America’s first “Broken Arrow” incident delves into the unanswered questions of what happened on that ill-fated flight, and features original pieces of the B-36 plane salvaged from the crash site at Mount Kologet.
Driftwood Canyon Fossils
The Bulkley Valley Museum’s collection contains hundreds of fossils, including several specimen from the Driftwood Canyon site – considered one of the world’s most significant fossils beds, and the name site for the Eosalmo driftwoodensis, the Eocene epoch salmonid sometimes called the “dawn salmon”. See insect, plant, and E. driftwoodensis fossils from our collection on display in the museum, and on our Collections Online website.
For information on visiting the Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park, visit https://bcparks.ca/driftwood-canyon-park.
Self-Guided Historical Walking Tour
The BV Museum’s historical walking tour is your guide to local history in Smithers! Pick up a brochure in the Museum or download one here.