Kitwanga is now a National Historic Site. The pretty little village of Kitwanga is located near where the Yellowhead Highway (Hwy 16) meets the Stewart-Cassiar Highway (Hwy 37), west of Hazelton. Kitwanga is located on the Stewart-Cassiar Highway 37, 4 km north of the junction with the Yellowhead Highway 16, between Kitwancool and the Gitwangak Indian reserves. The nearest communities are Hazelton (48 km/30 miles) and Terrace (80 km/50 miles).The grass-covered hill at Kitwanga was the scene of fierce First Nation tribal battles two centuries ago, which resulted in the destruction of the Gitwangak fort and cedar dwellings that once stood to protect the Gitksan people, their fishing sites and the active trade routes in the region.
This area has nurtured northwest coast native cultures for over 7,000 years, with the Gitksan and Wetsuwet’en peoples always living here, near where the Skeena River meets the Bulkley River. The Skeena River served as an ancient trade route, navigated by 60-foot cedar canoes travelling from the coast upriver to totem-filled villages with magical names like Temlaham, Gitanmax and Kispiox.
INDUSTRY:
Fisheries and forestryThere are no general practitioners yet in this community.
The nearest health services are in Hazelton.
