Lax̱g̱altsap (also Laxqaltsap, and formerly Lachkaltsap or Greenville) is a

Nisg̱a’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 r ...

village of approximately 474, in 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 of

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

, Canada. It is one of the four main

villages A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

in the Nisg̱a’a Lisims, the formal name for their territory, and is situated on the north side of the Nass River between

Gitwinksihlkw Gitwinksihlkw ( , ) formerly Canyon City, is a Nisga'a Village in the Nass River valley of northwestern British Columbia, Canada, near that river's confluence with the Tseax River. An older spelling is Kitwilluchsilt. It is one of four Nisga' ...

to the east and Ging̱olx to the west. It is approximately 24 km from where the Nass empties into the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...

at Nass Bay. Road access is via the Nisga'a Highway.

Name origin

In the

Nisg̱a’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 ...

, Lax̱g̱altsap translates to "village on village"—the current village was built on the site of a much older one.
The older village at this site, known as Gitxatin, was destroyed by fire. Lax̱g̱altsap got its English name of Greenville (pron. ) from

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related Christian denomination, denominations of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John W ...

Missionary Alfred Green, who was based here in the late 19th century. Until reconstituted as a Nisg̱a’a Village in 2000 by the terms of 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 that was signed on 27 May 1998 and came into effect on May 11, 2000 ...

, Lax̱g̱altsap was formerly Lachkaltsap Indian Reserve No. 9.

Nisg̱a’a Museum

The Nisg̱a’a Museum is the Nisg̱a’a people's primary place for display of Nisg̱a’a artifacts, sharing traditions and ideas, and a centre for research and learning.Nisgaa Museum
It was established in Lax̱g̱altsap and opened in the spring of 2011.

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 area of the Nisga'a people north of Terrace. This includes the communities of Gitlaxt'aamiks (or New ...

and hosts Alvin A. McKay Elementary School. The secondary school is in Gitlakdamix. Nassgreenville3

References

External links

School websiteNisgaa Lisims GovernmentNisgaa Museum website
* * {{authority control Designated places in British Columbia Nisga'a villages Nass Country