 Totem Poles, Queen Charlotte Islands, Russ Heinl photo For at least 10,000 years the vast region of Northern BC has been the traditional territory of the First Nations people. Among those who roamed distinct areas encompassing interior valleys, northern coastland and the stunning Queen Charlotte Islands were the Carrier Sekani, Wet'suwet'en, Gitxsan, Tsimshian and Haida. A profound connection to the natural environment and enduring traditions of art, culture and resource conservation are part of Northern BC's remarkable attraction.
European arrivalPrior to European contact, BC's First Nations populations may have numbered around 300,000. In the straits near Prince Rupert alone there were some 60 Tsimshian villages, perhaps the greatest concentration of people in North America, north of Mexico. Travelling from the northeast via the Peace and Fraser Rivers in 1793, Alexander Mackenzie became the first European north of Mexico to complete an overland journey across North America. With the arrival of Europeans, who were largely attracted by the north's abundant wildlife, Aboriginal populations were decimated by diseases, such as smallpox, carried by the Europeans. New settlers also seized control of traditional First Nations territory, supported by a government that extinguished many Aboriginal rights. Around 1800, following the lead of explorers such as Alexander Mackenzie and Simon Fraser, the North West Company (later to become part of the Hudson's Bay Company) established fur-trading posts in the region. Fort St. John, Fort Nelson and Hudson's Hope became the first European communities in mainland BC. Much later, Hudson's Hope would become famous as the "Land of Dinosaurs," so known because of the dinosaur fossils and dinosaur tracks unearthed in the area. In expanding the North West Company's trading empire, four new trading posts were carved out between 1805 and 1807: Fort McLeod, Fort George, Fort St. James and Fort Fraser. Stop by Fort St. James, a National Historic Site, to see the fascinating history of Canada's fur trade, including a re-created Hudson's Bay trading post.
Northern Expansion and Development The mid-1800s saw a flurry of activity in the region's far north. In the 1860s the Stikine Plateau was surveyed for a potential telegraph route. The project, dubbed the Collins Overland Telegraph Trail, would later be abandoned after cable was successfully laid across the Atlantic Ocean. During the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897 prospectors headed to Northern BC and followed routes such as the Telegraph Trail into the Yukon. The 20th century ushered in a period of massive development in BC's north, encouraging further settlement to the region. A huge engineering feat was undertaken in 1942 with the construction of the Alaska Highway, a 2400-km (1,500-mi) stretch of highway running between Dawson Creek and Fairbanks, Alaska. Don't miss the superb Fort Nelson Museum, showcasing the highway's construction. In 2000, the Nisga'a Treaty came into being. The Nisga'a Nation, who has lived in the Nass area since time immemorial, negotiated with the provincial and federal governments to achieve BC's first modern-day, constitutionally protected self-governance agreement. This marked a momentous achievement in the history of the relationship among British Columbia, Canada and First Nations.
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