Citizendia
Your Ad Here

Tsimshian
Tsimshians near Fort Simpson, British Columbia, c. 1890
Tsimshians near Fort Simpson, British Columbia, c. British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C 1890
Total population

10,000
Regions with significant populations
Canada (British Columbia), United States (Alaska)
Languages
English, Tsimshian
Religions
Christianity, other
Related ethnic groups
other Penutian peoples

The Tsimshian, usually pronounced in English as /'sɪm. Year 1890 ( MDCCCXC) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The Tsimshianic languages are a family of languages spoken in northwestern British Columbia and in southern Alaska on Annette Island and Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Penutian is a proposed grouping of language families that includes many Native American languages of western North America, predominantly spoken at one ʃi. æn/[1] (from Sm'algyax ts’msyan, "inside the Skeena River"),[2] are Indigenous, or Native American and First Nation people who live around Terrace and Prince Rupert, on the north coast of British Columbia and the southernmost corner of Alaska on Annette Island. Coast Tsimshian known by its speakers as Sm'algyax, is a Tsimshianic language spoken by the Tsimshian nation in northwestern British Columbia The Skeena River is the second longest river entirely in British Columbia, Canada. The Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast are the Pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Pacific Northwest Coast, their descendants and many Ethnic groups Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States First Nations is a term of Ethnicity that refers to the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis people Terrace is a service community on the Skeena River in British Columbia, Canada. Prince Rupert is a port city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent Currently there are about 10,000 Tsimshians, of whom about 1,300 live in Alaska.

Canadian Tsimshian live along the Skeena and Nass rivers, as well as the many inlets and islands on the coast. The Skeena River is the second longest river entirely in British Columbia, Canada. An inlet is a narrow body of water between islands or leading inland from a larger body of water often leading to an enclosed body of water such as a sound, bay, An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant The Tsimshian obtained food through fishing (halibut and salmon) and hunting for seal, sea lion and sea otter. A halibut is a type of Flatfish Salmon is the common name for several species of Fish of the family Salmonidae. Pinnipeds ("fin-feet" lit "winged feet" or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semi-aquatic marine Mammals comprising For other uses of the term "sea lion" see Sea lion (disambiguation. The sea otter ( Enhydra lutris) is a Marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean.

The Tsimshian nation consists of fourteen bands: the Kitasoo (who live at Klemtu, B. The Kitasoo are one of the 14 tribes of the Tsimshian people in Canada and inhabit along with Xai'xais people of Heiltsuk ethnic affiliation Klemtu is a small village on Swindle Island in the coastal Fjords of British Columbia, Canada. C. ), the Gitga'ata (Hartley Bay, B. The Gitga'ata (sometimes also spelled Gitga'at or Gitk'a'ata are one of the 14 tribes of the Tsimshian First Nation in British Columbia, Canada and inhabit the village Hartley Bay is a small First Nations community on the coast of British Columbia. C. ), the Kitkatla (Kitkatla, B.C.), the Kitsumkalum (Kitsumkalum, B. The Kitkatla are one of the 14 tribes of the Tsimshian nation of the Canadian province of British Columbia, and inhabit a village also Kitkatla is a small Tsimshian village situated approximately 45km S Kitsumkalum is one of the 14 tribes of the Tsimshian nation of British Columbia, Canada and is also the name of their Indian Reserve just west of the city of C. ), the Kitselas or Gits'ilaasü (Kitselas, B. This page is for the people For the location see Kitselas British Columbia. C. ), and nine tribes resident at Lax Kw'alaams (a. Lax Kw'alaams, usually called Port Simpson, is an Indigenous village community in British Columbia, Canada, not far from the city of Prince k. a. Port Simpson), B. C. : Giluts'aaw, Ginadoiks, Ginaxangiik, Gispaxlo'ots, Gitando, Gitlaan, Gits'iis, Gitwilgyoots, and Gitzaxłaał. The Giluts'aaẅ (properly spelled with an umlaut over the w) are one of the 14 tribes of the Tsimshian nation in British Columbia, Canada The Ginadoiks (sometimes called Gitnadoiks are one of the 14 tribes of the Tsimshian nation in British Columbia, Canada and one of the nine of those tribes making The Ginaxangiik are one of the 14 tribes of the Tsimshian nation in British Columbia, Canada and one of the nine of those tribes making up the "Nine Tribes" The Gispaxlo'ots are one of the 14 tribes of the Tsimshian nation in British Columbia, Canada and one of the nine of those tribes making up the "Nine Tribes" The Gitando are one of the 14 tribes of the Tsimshian nation in British Columbia, Canada and one of the nine of those tribes making up the "Nine Tribes" The Gitlaan are one of the 14 tribes of the Tsimshian nation in British Columbia, Canada and one of the nine of those tribes making up the "Nine Tribes" The Gits'iis are one of the 14 tribes of the Tsimshian nation in British Columbia, Canada and one of the nine of those tribes making up the "Nine Tribes" The Gitwilgyoots are one of the 14 tribes of the Tsimshian nation in British Columbia, Canada and one of the nine of those tribes making up the "Nine Tribes" The Gitzaxłaał are one of the 14 tribes of the Tsimshian nation in British Columbia, Canada and one of the nine of those tribes making up the "Nine Tribes" An additional Tsimshian village community in Canada, Metlakatla, B.C. ("Old Metlakatla"), is not associated with any one particular tribe or group of tribes. Metlakatla British Columbia is a small community that is one of the seven Tsimshian village communities in British Columbia, Canada The one Tsimshian community in Alaska, "New" Metlakatla, is an offshoot of the original Metlakatla, B. Metlakatla (ˌmɛtləˈkætlə is a Census-designated place (CDP on Annette Island in Prince of Wales-Outer Ketchikan Census Area, Alaska, C. , population (see below).

Like all North Coast peoples, the Tsimshian were fearsome warriors with a deeply hierarchical society. @@@ main@@@ - title Hierarchy@@@ keywords structure; sociology; information@@@ review@@@ - Succession was matrilineal, and one's place in society was determined by one's clan or phratry (known as pteex). Matrilineality is a system in which lineage is traced through the mother and maternal ancestors A clan is a group of People united by Kinship and descent, which is defined by perceived descent from a common ancestor The Tsimshian clans are the Laxsgiik (Eagle Clan), Gispwudwada (Killerwhale Clan), Ganhada (Raven Clan) and Laxgibuu (Wolf Clan). A clan is a group of People united by Kinship and descent, which is defined by perceived descent from a common ancestor The Laxsgiik (variously spelled is the name for the Eagle "clan" (phratry in the language of the Tsimshian nation of British Columbia, Canada The Gispwudwada (variously spelled is the name for the Killerwhale (or "Blackfish" "clan" (phratry in the language of the Tsimshian nation of The Ganhada (variously spelled but often as G̱anhada) is the name for the Raven "clan" (phratry in the language of the Tsimshian nation of British The Laxgibuu (variously spelled is the name for the Wolf "clan" (phratry in the language of the Tsimshian nation of British Columbia, Canada Marriage in Tsimshian society must take place between members of different clans. The lord of a village was the head of the strongest clan, with the less powerful clan heads forming his council of the nobility. Nobility is a government-privileged title which may be either hereditary (see Hereditary titles) or for a lifetime

The Tlingit claim that their art of weaving Chilkat blankets is derived from Tsimshian sources, although this has not been historically corroborated. Not to be confused with the Turkic Telengit people The Tlingit (ˈklɪŋkɪt in English also /-gɪt/ or Tlinkit /ˈtlɪŋkɪt/ which The Tlingit also trace a number of other arts to Tsimshian sources. Intermarriage, name exchange, trade, and slaving were very common between the Tlingit, the Tsimshian, and the Haida. The Haida (19th C-early 20th C Indigenous nation of the west coast of North America.

Contents

Alaskan Tsimshian

The Tsimshian in Alaska were refugees from religious and racial persecution in Canada during the 1880s. According to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, a refugee is a person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Events and Trends Technology Development and commercial production of Electric lighting Development and commercial production of gasoline-powered Led by the Anglican lay missionary William Duncan, a group of Tsimshian requested settlement on Annette Island from the U.S. government. A missionary is a member of a Religion who works to convert those who do not share the missionary's faith someone who proselytizes. William Duncan ( April 3, 1832 &ndash August 30, 1918) was an English-born Anglican missionary who founded the Tsimshian The federal government of the United States is the central United States Governmental body established by the United States Constitution. There Duncan and 823 Tsimshian followers established the village of Metlakatla. Metlakatla (ˌmɛtləˈkætlə is a Census-designated place (CDP on Annette Island in Prince of Wales-Outer Ketchikan Census Area, Alaska, The island was founded as a reservation for the Tsimshian people and is the only Indian reservation in Alaska. An Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American Tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau

They maintained their reservation status and holdings exclusive of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and thus do not have an associated Native Corporation, although Tsimshian in Alaska may be shareholders of the Sealaska Corporation. The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, commonly abbreviated ANCSA, was signed into law by President Richard M The Annette Island reservation is the only location in Alaska allowed to maintain fish traps, which were otherwise banned when Alaska became a state in 1959. A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The traps are used to provide food for people living on the reservation.

Canadian Tsimshian

The Tsimshian in Canada are in negotiations with Canada and British Columbia for a treaty settlement. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page These negotiations were pursued through the Tsimshian Tribal Council until that organization dissolved in late 2005 amid legal and political turmoil. It is still unclear whether there will be a new treaty negotiating umbrella organization.

Some earlier anthropological and linguistic sources also group the Gitxsan and Nisga'a people together as "Tsimshian," because of linguistic affinities. Gitxsan (also spelled Gitksan) are an indigenous people whose home territory comprises most of the area known as the Skeena Country in English (Git means The Nisga'a (nisqaʔa often formerly spelled Nishga and spelled in the Nisga'a language as Nisg̱a'a, are an Indigenous nation or Under this terminology Tsimshians were referred to as the "Coast Tsimshian," even though the Kitsumkalum and Kitselas Tsimshians were not coastal. But all this usage is now outmoded and was never the Native usage. The Gitxsan, Nisga'a, and Tsimshian today are referred to as separate nations.

A people of North America's northwest coast, inhabiting the southern Alaskan panhandle and the north coast of British Columbia. British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C Like other coastal peoples, the Tsimshian fashioned most of their goods out of Western Redcedar, particularly from its bark, which could be fashioned into tools, clothing, roofing, armor, building materials and canoe skins. Western redcedar ( Thuja plicata) is a species of Thuja, an Evergreen coniferous Tree in the cypress family Bark, also known as periderm is the outermost layer of stems and Roots of Woody plants such as Trees It overlays the Wood and consists The Tsimshian had the misfortune of being the nearest and most favored victims of Haida depredations. The Haida (19th C-early 20th C Indigenous nation of the west coast of North America. The Tsimshian and Tlingit shared a common way of life, and while this allowed for a great deal of trade, it also led to the two peoples ferociously battling for the best lands, the best fishing grounds, for slaves and plunder, or revenge. Not to be confused with the Turkic Telengit people The Tlingit (ˈklɪŋkɪt in English also /-gɪt/ or Tlinkit /ˈtlɪŋkɪt/ which

The Tsimshian were a seafaring people, as were the Haida. The Haida (19th C-early 20th C Indigenous nation of the west coast of North America.

Tsimshian thrived on salmon, which were especially plentiful prior to modern large-scale commercial fishing. Salmon is the common name for several species of Fish of the family Salmonidae. This abundant food source enabled the Tsimshian to live in permanent towns. Tsimshian longhouses were very large, and usually housed an entire extended family. In Archaeology and Anthropology, a long house or longhouse is a type of long narrow single-room building built by peoples in various parts of the world Cultural taboos centered around women and men eating improper foods during and after childbirth. A taboo is a strong Social prohibition (or ban) against words objects actions or discussions that are considered undesirable or offensive by a group culture Marriage was an extremely formal affair, involving several prolonged and sequential ceremonies.

Tsimshian religion centered around the "Lord of Heaven", who aided people in times of need by sending supernatural servants to earth to aid them. The Tsimshian believed that charity and purification of the body (either by cleanliness or fasting) was the route to the afterlife. In Christian Theology charity, or love ( Agapē) means an unlimited loving-kindness toward all others Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all Food, Drink, or both for a period of time AfterLife is a film drama set in Scotland directed by Alison Peebles made in 2003 about an ambitious Scottish journalist forced to choose between

As with all north coastal peoples, the Tsimshian engage in the Potlatch, which they refer to as the yaawk or, in English, "feast. A potlatch is a festival ceremony practiced by Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast in North America along Pacific Northwest coast of the United " In Tsimshian culture today, the potlatch centers primarily around death, burial, and succession to name-titles.

The end of the Tsimshian as a force to be reckoned with in the north came in 1860, when smallpox annihilated 80% of the entire Tsimshian population in only three years. Smallpox is an Infectious disease unique to humans caused by either of two virus variants named Variola major and Variola minor. Further epidemics would ravage the coast for many years, and a century of poverty and hopelessness reduced these numbers even further. About 10,000 Tsimshian are alive today.

The Tsimshian live on in their art, their culture and their language, which is making a comeback. In a highly controversial agreement, the Nisga'a people recently gained autonomy from Canada by the government of British Columbia. The Nisga'a (nisqaʔa often formerly spelled Nishga and spelled in the Nisga'a language as Nisg̱a'a, are an Indigenous nation or An autonomous area is an area of a Country that has a degree of Autonomy, or freedom from an external authority Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C It appears the history of the Tsimshian is not over quite yet, and a new chapter is unfurling.

Treaty Process

The Tsimshian expressed an interest in preserving their villages and fishing sites on the Skeena and Nass rivers as early as 1879, but were not able to begin negotiating a treaty until July 1983. The Skeena River is the second longest river entirely in British Columbia, Canada. The Nass River is a river in northern British Columbia, Canada. [3] A decade later, fourteen bands united to negotiate under the collective name of the Tsimshian Tribal Council. A framework agreement was signed in 1997, and the Tsimshian nation continue to negotiate with the BC Treaty Commission to reach an Agreement-in-Principle. The British Columbia Treaty Process (BCTP is a Land claims negotiation process started in 1993 for outstanding issues with British Columbia 's First Nations [4]

Language

The Tsimshian speak a Tsimshianic language, referred to by linguists as "Coast Tsimshian" and by Tsimshians as Sm'algyax, which means "real or true language. The Tsimshianic languages are a family of languages spoken in northwestern British Columbia and in southern Alaska on Annette Island and Coast Tsimshian known by its speakers as Sm'algyax, is a Tsimshianic language spoken by the Tsimshian nation in northwestern British Columbia " It has a northern and southern variety, of which the southern variety, often called Southern Tsimshian by linguists and spoken only at Klemtu, is very close to extinct. Approximately 30 speakers reside in Alaska, with another 300 in Canada. Tsimshian is a Penutian language related to Gitxsan and Nisga'a. Penutian is a proposed grouping of language families that includes many Native American languages of western North America, predominantly spoken at one Gitxsan (also spelled Gitksan) are an indigenous people whose home territory comprises most of the area known as the Skeena Country in English (Git means The Nisga'a (nisqaʔa often formerly spelled Nishga and spelled in the Nisga'a language as Nisg̱a'a, are an Indigenous nation or

Prominent Tsimshians (and people of Tsimshian descent)

Anthropologists and other scholars who have worked with the Tsimshian

Missionaries who have worked among the Tsimshian

References

  1. ^ or approximately "SIM-shee-an"
  2. ^ Campbell, Lyle (1997). American Indian Languages: The Historical Linguistics of Native America. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pg. 396 n. 29
  3. ^ Kitsumkalum and the Tsimshian Treaty Process Kitsumkalum Treaty Office
  4. ^ Tsimshian First Nations - BC Treaty Commission

See also

External links

Bibliography

Dictionary

Tsimshian

-proper noun

  1. a Native American people who inhabited the coastal waters of western British Columbia and southeast Alaska.
  2. a member of this people.
  3. the Penutian language of this people.
© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic