Gitlax̱t'aamiks (), formerly New Aiyansh (), is a
Nisga'a 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 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. Gitlax̱t'aamiks is located overlooking a lava flow that erupted in the 18th century. The source for this lava flow was the
Tseax Cone.
In front of the
Nisga'a Elementary Secondary School stands the Unity
Totem Pole 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.
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
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
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 websiteNisga'a Lisims GovernmentSchool websiteNisga'a Knowledge NetworkTotem poles among rooftops, Gitlakdamix, British Columbia, 1905, U Wash. Library CollectionNisga's Lisims Government - Building Tour
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Nisga'a villages
Nass Country