Nisga'a


The Nisga’a, often formerly spelled Nishga and spelled in the Nisga’a language as Nisg̱a’a, are an Indigenous people of Canada in British Columbia. They reside in the Nass River valley of northwestern British Columbia. The name is a reduced form of, which is a loan word from Tongass Tlingit, where it means "people of the Nass River".
The official languages of Nisg̱a’a are the Nisg̱a’a language and English.

Nisga’a culture

Society

Nisga’a society is organized into four tribes:
Each tribe is further sub-divided into house groups – extended families with same origins. Some houses are grouped together into clans – grouping of Houses with same ancestors. Example:
The Nisga’a traditionally harvest "beach food" all year round. This might include razor clams, mussels, oysters, limpets, scallops, abalone, fish, seaweed and other seafood that can be harvested from the shore. They also harvest salmon, cod, char, pike, trout and other fresh water fish from the streams, and hunt seals, fish and sea lion. Oolichan grease is sometimes traded with other tribes, though nowadays this is more usually in a ceremonial context. They hunt mountain goat, marmot, game birds and more in the forests. The family works together to cook and process the meat and fish, roasting or boiling the former. They eat fish and sea mammals in frozen, boiled, dried or roasted form. The heads of a type of cod, often gathered half eaten by sharks, are boiled into a soup that helped prevent colds. The Nisga′a also trade dried fish, seal oil, fish oil, blubber and cedar.

Traditional houses

The traditional houses of the Nisga’a are shaped as large rectangles, made of cedar planks with cedar shake roofs, and oriented with the doors facing the water. The doors are usually decorated with the family crest. Inside, the floor is dug down to hold the hearth and conserve temperature. Beds and boxes of possessions are placed around the walls. Prior to the mid twentieth century, around three to four extended families might live in one house: this is nowadays an uncommon practice. Masks and blankets might decorate the walls.

Traditional clothing

Prior to European colonisation, men wore nothing in the summer, normally the best time to hunt and fish. Women wore skirts made of softened cedar bark and went topless. During the colder season, men wore cedar bark skirts, a cape of cedar bark, and a basket hat outside in the rain, but wore nothing inside the house. Women wore a basket hat and cedar blankets indoors and outdoors. Both sexes made and wore shell and bone necklaces. They rubbed seal blubber into their hair, and men kept their hair long or in a top knot. During warfare, men wore red cedar armour, a cedar helmet, and cedar loincloths. They wielded spears, clubs, harpoons, bows and slings. Wicker shields were common.

Geography

Approximately 2,000 live in the Fudhu Valley. Another 5,000 Nisga’a live elsewhere in Canada, predominantly within the three urban societies noted in the section below.

Nisga’a villages

The Nisga’a people number about 7,000. In British Columbia, the Nisga’a Nation is represented by four villages:
Many Nisga’a people have moved to cities for their opportunities. Concentrations are found in three urban areas outside traditional Nisga’a territory:
The Nisga’a calendar revolves around harvesting of foods and goods used. The original year followed the various moons throughout the year.
On August 4, 1998, a land-claim was settled between the Nisga’a, the government of British Columbia, and the Government of Canada. As part of the settlement in the Nass River valley, nearly 2,000 square kilometres of land was officially recognized as Nisga’a, and a 300,000-cubic-decameter water reservation was also created. The Bear Glacier Provincial Park was also created as a result of this agreement. The land-claim's settlement was the first formal treaty signed by a First Nation in British Columbia since the Douglas Treaties in 1854 and Treaty 8 . The land that is owned collectively is currently exposed to internal pressures from the Nisga'a people to turn it over into a system of individual ownership. This would have an effect on the rest of Canada in regards to native land.

History

The Tseax Cone situated in a valley above and east of the Tseax River was the source for an eruption during the 18th century that killed approximately 2,000 Nisga’a people from poisonous volcanic gases.

Government

The government bodies of the Nisga'a include the Nisga'a Lisims government, the government of the Nisga'a Nation, and the Nisga'a village governments, one for each of the four Nisga'a villages. The Nisga'a Lisims government is embodied in the wilp Si'Ayuukhl Nisga'a and located in the Nisga's Lisims Government Building in Gitlax̱t'aamiks.
OfficeEnglish nameNisga’a nameTribe
PresidentEva ClaytonNoxs Ts'imuwa JiixwGanada
Secretary-TreasurerCorrine J. McKayBilaam 'NeeḵhlGanada
ChairpersonBrian TaitGadim Sbayt GanGanada
Chairperson, Council of EldersWillard MartinNi'isyuusGisk'aast
Chief CouncillorsGeorge Moore, Ging̱olxMaaksgum GaakGanada
Chief CouncillorsM. Henry Moore, Lax̱g̱alts’apG̱aḵ'etgum YeeLaxgibuu
Chief CouncillorsCharles Morven, GitwinksihlkwDaaxheetGanada
Chief CouncillorsKeith Tait, Gitlax̱t'aamiksNeexdaxGanada
Nisg̱a'a Urban Local RepresentativesSheldon Martin, Ts'amiks – VancouverGanim Ts'imawsGisk'aast
Nisg̱a'a Urban Local RepresentativesTravis Angus, Ts'amiks – VancouverNi'ismiouLaxgibuu
Nisg̱a'a Urban Local RepresentativesKeith Azak, Gitlax̱dax – TerraceLaxsgiik
Nisg̱a'a Urban Local RepresentativesMaryanne Stanley, Gitlax̱dax – TerraceGisk'aast
Nisg̱a'a Urban Local RepresentativesClifford Morgan, Gitmax̱maḵ'ay – Prince Rupert/Port EdwardNi'isḴ'anmalaaGanada
Nisg̱a'a Urban Local RepresentativesJuanita Parnell, Gitmax̱maḵ'ay – Prince Rupert/Port EdwardLaxsgiik

Museum

In 2011 the Nisga'a Museum, a project of the Nisga'a Lisims government, opened in Laxgalts'ap. It contains many historical artifacts of the Nisga'a people returned after many decades in major museums beyond the Nass Valley.

Prominent Nisga’a