The Chilcotin War was a conflict that took place in British Columbia, Canada in 1864. The war was sparked by the killing of several white settlers by a group of Chilcotin Indigenous people, who were angry over the theft of their land and the destruction of their traditional way of life by the settlers. The Chilcotin were led by a chief named Klattasine and the war was fought between a group of Chilcotin warriors and a detachment of British Columbia colonial forces.

During the time of the Chilcotin War, there were plans to build a road through the Chilcotin territory by the British Columbia colonial government. The road, known as the "Butler's Road," was proposed by a man named Alfred Waddington, who was a businessman and prospector interested in developing the region's resources. He proposed the construction of a road that would connect the colony's capital, Victoria, with the goldfields in the Interior of British Columbia.

Waddington's proposal was met with resistance from the Chilcotin people, who saw the construction of the road as a further encroachment on their land and a threat to their way of life. The Chilcotin War broke out shortly after the plans to build the road were announced. Although the road was never completed, the conflict was in part sparked by the proposed road, and the plan to build it added to the existing tensions and mistrust between the settlers and the Indigenous people.

The colonial forces that fought in the Chilcotin War were made up of a detachment of the British Columbia colonial government's volunteer militia, which was known as the British Columbia Volunteer Rifles. The unit was composed of white settlers, gold prospectors, and other civilians who had volunteered to fight against the Chilcotin people. The unit was led by a British officer named William Cox, who was appointed by the Governor of British Columbia to lead the expedition against the Chilcotin. Additionally, a group of hired local Indigenous people, known as the "friendly" or "allied" tribes, also served as scouts and guides for the colonial forces. The colonial forces were supported by the British Royal Navy and the Hudson's Bay Company, which provided supplies and logistics for the expedition.

The war ended with the capture and execution of Klattasine and several other Chilcotin leaders, and the forced relocation of the remaining Chilcotin people. The conflict was a result of the expansion of the British colony into the Chilcotin territory, which was met with resistance from the Indigenous peoples.