Gitxsan

Gitxsan, also spelled Gitxan or Gitxsan, are an Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. Their name is commonly translated as “People of the Skeena River” or “People of the River of Mist.” The Gitxsan homeland lies along the Skeena River and its tributaries, with communities near Hazelton and across the Skeena basin.

They speak the Gitxsan language, a member of the Tsimshianic language family. Today many Gitxsan are bilingual in English and Gitxsan, and language revitalization programs operate in schools and communities.

Traditional governance centers on hereditary chiefs and house groups within the Gitxsan Nation. In contemporary times, the Nation maintains traditional leadership alongside an elected government under the Indian Act, and it participates in provincial and federal processes on land and resource management.

Historically, the Gitxsan are known for cedar longhouses, totem carvings, and rich oral traditions. They were central in the Canadian land-claims movement and gained national attention in the Delgamuukw v. British Columbia case (1997), which recognized Aboriginal title and shaped law governing oral histories.

In the present day, the Gitxsan engage in fishing, forestry, and cultural tourism, while pursuing language revival and land-rights initiatives. The community seeks self-determination within Canada and ongoing negotiations regarding land claims and resource governance.