James Benjamin McCullagh (1854–1921) was an

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

missionary in

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

; he worked under the supervision of the

Church Missionary Society The Church Mission Society (CMS), formerly known as the Church Missionary Society, is a British Anglican mission society working with Christians around the world. Founded in 1799, CMS has attracted over nine thousand men and women to serve as ...

, a Protestant body with an evangelical program and practices. McCullagh is notable for his linguistic work in translating portions of the

Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...

and the

Book of Common Prayer The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the title given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christianity, Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The Book of Common Prayer (1549), fi ...

into the

Nisga'a language Nisga’a (also Nisg̱a’a, Nass, Nisgha, Nishka, Niska, Nishga, Nisqa’a) is an indigenous language of northwestern British Columbia. It is a part of the language family generally called Tsimshianic, although some Nisga'a people resent the p ...

. He also created several periodicals aimed at Nisga'a audiences, with the assistance of Nisga'a writers and printers. One of these, "Hagaga", is often cited as the first Nisga'a newspaper and as a significant space for discussions about Nisga'a land claim politics. McCullagh was ordained to the diaconate and priesthood in 1890 by the Bishop of Caledonia. His missionary and educational work was centered on the mission village of Aiyansh,

Bibliography

* Th
nine surviving issues of Hagaga
a Nisga'a and English periodical
The Caledonia Interchange
an English-language periodical aimed at Nisga'a people and the settler population of the Nass valley.Pamela E. Klassen, “Protestant Potlatch: Confessional Production and the Ethics of Storytelling,” John Albert Hall Lectures, Centre for Studies in Religion and Society, University of Victoria, January 23, 2012. * ''A Nishg' a Version of Portions of the Book of Common Prayer'' (London, 1890) *
The Indian Potlatch: The Substance of a Paper read before C.M.S. Annual Conference at Metlakatla, B.C., 1899
' *
Ignis: A Parable of the Great Lava Plain in the valley of "Eternal Bloom"
Naas River, British Columbia'' (Aiyansh, c. 1918) * '' Red Indians I Have Known'' (London, c. 1919)
"Abba, Nigwaud" ... Gením gamzím gígíengwuk'l gan'l anluzabukím Gaud
(Aiyanish, c. 1898)
Niš'ga Primer
(Aiyanish, c. 1895)

References

External links

* ''McCullagh of Aiyansh'' 1923 biography by J. W. W. Moeran
BC Author Bank articleMcCullagh archives in British Columbia
1854 births 1921 deaths Anglican missionaries in Canada Canadian Anglican priests English Anglican missionaries Pre-Confederation British Columbia people Linguists from Canada Writers from British Columbia Missionary linguists {{Canada-clergy-stub