he took with him 800-some Metlakatla Tsimshians in an epic canoe journey to found the new community of "New" Metlakatla, Alaska. After Duncan's departure, the 100 or so remaining residents of "Old Metlakatla," as it was now sometimes known, were left in the hands of William Ridley, Duncan's nemesis and the Anglican bishop of the newly formed Diocese of Caledonia. In July 1901 a fire destroyed St. Paul's Church at Metlakatla, demolishing what was said to have been the largest church north of San Francisco and west of Chicago, built by Duncan in 1874. Some sources indicate that the fire was started by a band of Alaska Tsimshians under Duncan's orders, including Peter Simpson, later the prominent Alaska Native rights activist. This tragic fire led to Ridley's departure for England in 1905. A second St. Paul's Church was built in 1903 and was burned 11 years later. In 1972, Metlakatla Pass was designated a National Historic Site of Canada. Since those days, Metlakatla, B.C., has remained among the smallest of the Tsimshian communities. In 1983 its population was 117, and quite dependent on the nearby city of Prince Rupert. It is still predominantly Anglican. In November 2016, a study published in Nature Communications linked the genome of 25 Indigenous people who inhabited modern-day Prince Rupert, British Columbia 1000 to 6000 years ago with their descendants in the Metlakatla First Nation. The study validated the oral history of the Metlakatla, which had maintained their presence in the region for thousands of years. William Duncan's Rules at Metlakatla To give up their Ahlied or Indian devilry To cease calling in conjurers when sick To cease gambling To cease giving away their property for display (i.e. the potlatch) To cease painting their faces To cease drinking intoxicating liquor To rest on the Sabbath To attend religious instruction To send their children to school To be cleanly To be industrious To be peaceful To be liberal and honest in trade To build neat houses To pay the village tax Prominent Metlakatlans Benjamin A. Haldane, photographer Paul Legaic, hereditary chief Rev. Edward Marsden, missionary Odille Morison, linguist and artifact collector Peter Simpson, Native rights activist References Bibliography Arctander, John W. (1909) The Apostle of Alaska: The Story of William Duncan of Metlakahtla. New York: Fleming H. Revell Co. Bowman, Phyllis (1983) Metlakahtla -- The Holy City! Chilliwack, B.C.: Sunrise Printing. Inglis, Gordon B., et al.