Nisga’a << NIS gah >> are a First Nations people of what is now the northwestern part of the province of British Columbia, in western Canada. First Nations is a designation used in Canada for indigenous (native) peoples. Nisga’a is also spelled Niska or Nishga. The Nisga’a live in the Nass Valley along the Pacific coast. Their name means people of the Nass in their native language. They are closely related to the nearby Tsimshian people (see Tsimshian ).
The Nisga’a live in a region with abundant natural resources. They traditionally fished for cod and halibut aboard large oceangoing canoes made from cedar logs. They also caught salmon in great numbers from local rivers. Like many other nearby tribes, the Nisga’a carved family and clan emblems on totem poles. To mark a notable occasion, the Nisga’a hold an elaborate feast called a potlatch . Potlatches are also used to establish social rank and gain prestige. Hosts achieve these goals by displaying possessions, giving them away, or occasionally destroying them.
European explorers first met the Nisga’a in the late 1700’s. During the Klondike Gold Rush of the late 1800’s, many prospectors overran Nisga’a lands (see Klondike ). In 1912, the Nisga’a became the first indigenous group to file a land claim against the government of Canada. They argued that the Nisga’a had never given away the title (legal ownership) of their traditional homelands to the Canadian government. In 2000, the Canadian government ratified the Nisga’a Treaty. The treaty granted the Nisga’a control over about 775 square miles (2,000 square kilometers) of land in northern British Columbia. It also provided for a form of self-government for the Nisga’a called Nisga’a Lisims Government. It is based on their traditional values and culture.
