Gitlax̱t'aamiks (), formerly New Aiyansh (), is a

Nisga'a The Nisga’a (; ), formerly spelled Nishga or Niska, are an Indigenous people in British Columbia, Canada. They reside in the Nass River valley of northwestern British Columbia. The origin of the term ''Niska'' is uncertain. The spelling ' ...

village about north of

Terrace Terrace may refer to: Landforms and construction * Fluvial terrace, a natural, flat surface that borders and lies above the floodplain of a stream or river * Terrace, a street suffix * Terrace, the portion of a lot between the public sidewalk a ...

, 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 I ...

valley, Canada. It is one of four

Nisga'a villages The Nisga’a (; ), formerly spelled Nishga or Niska, are an Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, Indigenous people in British Columbia, Canada. They reside in the Nass River valley of northwestern British Columbia. The origin ...

. Though it is located 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 ...

, 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 Nisga'a Memorial Lava Bed Provincial Park (Nisga'a: ) is a provincial park in the Crater Creek, Tseax River and Nass River valleys of northwestern British Columbia, Canada, about 80 kilometres north of Terrace, and near the Nisga'a Villages of ...

. Gitlax̱t'aamiks is located overlooking a lava flow that erupted in the 18th century. The source for this lava flow was the

Tseax Cone Tseax Cone ( ) is a small volcano in the Nass Ranges of the Hazelton Mountains in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. It has an elevation of and lies within an east–west valley through which a tributary of the Tseax River flows. The ...

. In front of the

Nisga'a Elementary Secondary School Nisga'a Elementary Secondary School (NESS) is a public K-12 school in Gitlaxt'aamiks, British Columbia, Canada. NESS is operated by School District 92 Nisga'a. It is the elementary school for Gitlaxt'aamiks as well as the designated secondary ...

stands the Unity

Totem Pole Totem poles () 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 made from large t ...

which, raised in 1977, was the first totem pole raised in the

Nass Valley 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 Inl ...

since the late 19th century.

Name origin

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

. 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 The Nisga'a Final Agreement, also known as the Nisga'a Treaty, is a treaty that was settled between the Nisg̱a'a, the government of British Columbia, and the Government of Canada. It was signed on 27 May 1998 and came into effect on May 11, 2000. ...

as of May 11, 2000. The location of "old" Aiyansh was formerly ''Aiyansh Indian Reserve 1'', also extinguished by the terms of the

like all other Nisga'a-related Indian Reserves.

Education

The community is served by

School District 92 Nisga'a School District 92 Nisga'a is a school district in British Columbia, Canada. Situated in the Nass River valley it covers the First Nations in Canada, First Nations area of the Nisga'a people north of Terrace, British Columbia, Terrace. This inclu ...

and is home to

. This school provides elementary school education for this village and secondary school education to all four Nisga'a Villages in the

. 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