Gitlax̱t'aamiks , formerly New Aiyansh , is a

Nisga'a The Nisga’a , often formerly spelled Nishga and spelled in the Nisga'a language as (pronounced ), are an Indigenous people of Canada in British Columbia. They reside in the Nass River valley of northwestern British Columbia. The name is a ...

village about north of Terrace, in the heart of the

Nass River The Nass River is a river in northern British Columbia, Canada. It flows from the Coast Mountains southwest to Nass Bay, a sidewater of Portland Inlet, which connects to the North Pacific Ocean via the Dixon Entrance. Nass Bay joins Portland In ...

valley, Canada. It is one of four Nisga'a villages. Though it is located in

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...

, it is also considered the "capital of the Nisga'a Nation." The Nisg̱a'a Lisims Government building (), which opened in 2000, is located here. The area is home to 806 people and the Nisga'a Memorial Lava Bed Provincial Park. Gitlax̱t'aamiks is located overlooking a lava flow that erupted in the 18th century. The source for this lava flow was the

Tseax Cone The Tseax Cone ( ), also called the Tseax River Cone or the Aiyansh Volcano, is a young and active cinder cone and adjacent lava flows associated with the Nass Ranges and the Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province. It is located east of Crater ...

. In front of the Nisga'a Elementary Secondary School stands the Unity

Totem Pole Totem poles ( hai, gyáaʼaang) are monumental carvings found in western Canada and the northwestern United States. They are a type of Northwest Coast art, consisting of poles, posts or pillars, carved with symbols or figures. They are usually ...

which, raised in 1977, was the first totem pole raised in the Nass Valley since the late 19th century.

Name origin

''Gitlax̱t'aamiks'' means "people of the ponds" in the

Nisga'a language Nisga’a (also Nass, Nisgha, Nisg̱a’a, Nishka, Niska, Nishga, Nisqa’a) is a Tsimshianic language of the Nisga'a people of northwestern British Columbia. Nisga'a people, however, dislike the term ''Tshimshianic'' as they feel that it gives ...

. The name New Aiyansh was established in 1974. Though the name Aiyansh was originally at a location 3 miles to the northeast, maps now show both Aiyansh and New Aiyansh at the modern location. The original Aiyansh was partly destroyed by flood in November 1917 and the community moved to Gitlax̱t'aamiks. A later flood in this community led to relocation to the higher site which became New Aiyansh in the late 1960s. New Aiyansh was formerly ''New Aiyansh Indian Reserve No. 1'', which was extinguished by the Nisga'a Treaty as of May 11, 2000. The location of "old" Aiyansh was formerly ''Aiyansh Indian Reserve 1'', also extinguished by the terms of the Nisga'a Treaty like all other Nisga'a-related Indian Reserves.

Education

Nisga'a Lisims Government Building - dedication 01

The community is served by School District 92 Nisga'a and is home to Nisga'a Elementary Secondary School. This school provides elementary school education for this village and secondary school education to all four Nisga'a Villages in the Nass Valley. The offices of the School District are located here.

Capital of the Nisga'a Nation

The legislative functions and administrative offices of the government of the Nisga'a Nation, the Wilp si'Ayuukhl Nisg̱a'a, are located in the Nisg̱a'a Lisims Government Building. This new facility was completed in 2000 and dedicated in September. This was around the time of the signing of the Nisga'a Final Agreement. It houses the Council Chamber, executive offices, meeting rooms, legal services, archives, and various public administrative services. The Council Chamber was designed to support the traditional consensus-style of governing. Members sit around an elliptical table, where each is equal.

References

External links

Village website

Nisga'a Lisims Government

School website

Nisga'a Knowledge Network

Totem poles among rooftops, Gitlakdamix, British Columbia, 1905, U Wash. Library Collection

Nisga's Lisims Government - Building Tour
{{authority control Nisga'a villages Nass Country