The Balhats are Prohibited, 1884
In 1884 the Indian Act was amended to prevent First Nations people from practicing many elements for their culture. The focus was on the potlatch, or balhats, in BC and on the sun dance ceremonies on the plains. The government was trying to force First Nations people to assimilate, to become more like Europeans, and they knew that these practices were part of what made First Nations cultures strong. The main effect in the Babine Lake area was that the balhats were practiced in secret for many years, but the system remained strong an alive through all of that persecution.
