Metlakatla, British Columbia, a small Indian village, was founded in 1862 by Anglican missionary William Duncan on an ancient Tsimshian site. A sawmill and a trading post were set up, and the people became self-supporting. The church Duncan built in 1874 seated 1,200 people, at the time the largest church west of Chicago and north of San Francisco. In later years, Duncan clashed with church authorities who wanted to impose the elaborate Episcopalian ritual on the Indians. When Duncan demurred, the Episcopal bishop had the local officials seize the land on which the mission sat in an attempt to force Duncan to obey. Instead, he traveled to Washington, DC where he received permission for the Tsimshian to homestead in Alaska. In 1887, Duncan led 823 Indians to Annette Island where they founded a new Metlakatla.
Metlakatla, Alaska: Twelve miles southwest of Ketchikan on the western shore of Annette Island is the planned community of Metlakatla (population 1,500). Metlakatla (meaning "Saltwater Channel"in Tsimshian) is Alaska's only Indian reservation, a status that was reaffirmed in 1971 when its residents refused to join other Native groups under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. It is the only predominantly Tsimshian settlement in Alaska and the only place in the U.S. where fish traps are still legal.
The quiet, conservative town has a strong religious heritage and the air of a pioneer village. Large frame houses occupy big corner lots, while vacant lots yield abundant berry crops. There seems to be a church on every corner - eight in all, none Catholic. Children are abundant - nearly a third of the population is in grade school. Like much of the Southeast, Metlakatla boasts a flourishing packing company (see pictures!), cold storage facility, fish hatchery and sawmill.
Castleman D & Pitcher D. Alaska - Yukon Handbook. 6th Edition. Chico, CA: Moon Publications, Inc, 1997