Description
Gitxsan (Gitksan), meaning “People of the River Mist,” live along the Skeena River of northwestern British Columbia in the communities of Hazelton, Kispiox and Glen Vowell (the Eastern Gitxsan bands) and Kitwanga, Kitwankool and Kitsegukla (the Western Gitxsan). In the 2021 census, 4,950 people claimed Gitxsan ancestry. Traditional doctors were called halayt, a word that refers to their ability to move between the spirit realm and the physical world. A shaman entered a trance-like state to call on spirit helpers for assistance in healing the sick and easing hardship among the people. Their neighbours to the west are the Tsimshian (a.k.a. the Coast Tsimshian) while to the east the Wet?suwet?en, an Athapaskan people, with whom they have a long and deep relationship and shared political and cultural community.
Language
The Gitxsan language or Gitxsanimaax, is an endangered Tsimshianic language of northwestern British Columbia, closely related to the neighboring Nisga’a language.
Culture
Gitxsan are a matrilineal society that consists of Frog, Eagle, Wolf, and Fireweed Clans. Each clan consists of a series of independent Houses (Wilp), each with their own High Chief, and traditional territories and fishing sites. Marriage within a clan is forbidden. There are approximately 5,000 people British Columbia wide with many living in traditional Gitxsan territory. Many also live elsewhere in British Columbia, in places such as Terrace, Smithers, and in Vancouver, as well as around the world. The trading of salmon and other natural resources was essential to the traditional Gitxsan economy. The Gitxsan traded with neighbouring First Nations along “grease trails” — trade routes named for the processed oil of the oolichan, a smelt-like fish common in parts of British Columbia, and a principal trading item of various First Nations, including the Gitxsan.