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1 11 , .laiKw^qmi 
 
 970-3 
 
 THE GEOGRAPHY 
 
 OF THE TSIMSHIAN INDIANS. 
 
 Reprinted from The A merican A ntiguarlaM, September and October 181)7 
 
Archlvts 
 
 of 
 
 fflrlMsJi Columbia! 
 
 COLLECTION 
 
THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE TSIMSHIAN INDIANS. 
 
 Bv G. A. D(M<SEV. 
 
 {Hiin-niltitiil J'i-i)iii Till' .\ nil liran Antiiininiitit, i htiilier, /\'<<.) 
 
 The Tsimshian Indians form one of the most important 
 stocks of the Northwest. They live in villages on the Nass 
 and Skeena rivers and adjacent islands, and have as neighbors 
 on the north the Tlingits, on the east the Denncs, and on the 
 south the Bella Coolas and Kwakiutls. Their origin and early 
 movements are still a niatter of speculation. Their language 
 separates them from the neighboring stocks, but in religion, 
 folk-lore and culture they have much in common with the 
 Tlingits, Haidas of the Queen Charlotte Islands, and the 
 Kwakiutls. Their physical relationship with these stocks has 
 not been determined, although some anthropometric data has 
 been collected by Dr. Franz Boaz and by myself. 
 
 Owing to three chief reasons the life of the Tsimshians, as 
 well as that of other Northwest Indians, has within the last 
 fifty years undergone marked change. These reasons are: 
 (i) The founding and rise of the city of Victoria, on Van- 
 couver Island; (2) the establishment of Hudson's l^ay Com- 
 pany's Posts and missionary stations, and (3) the establish- 
 ment of numerous salmon canneries on the inlets and rivers. 
 
 The changes brought about by these causes may also be 
 considered under three heads. First may be mentioned the 
 change of physical status due to mixture with the whites and 
 with other Indians; secondly, the change in culture due to 
 white contact and especially due to the influence of mission- 
 aries, and, finally, the change in habitation due to the estab- 
 lishment of Hudson's Bay Company's posts, missionary sta- 
 tions and canneries. It is only with the last change, that of 
 habitation, that we are here concerned. 
 
 While on the coast of British Columbia this summer, in the 
 interests of the F'ield Columbian Museum, I gathered such 
 information as I could relative to this point, and, while fully 
 realizing the imperfection of the data collected, it seems to 
 me to be of sufificient importance to be recorded. My infor- 
 mation was obtained from various missionaries and traders, and 
 from the reports of the department of Indian affairs. I am es- 
 pecially indebted, and take this opportunity of expressing my 
 obligation, to the Rev. Mr. Tomlinson of Meamskinisht, a 
 missionary who began his career of usefulness with Duncan at 
 Metlakahtla and who is acquainted with the I simshian dialects, 
 and hrfs resided in many of the T' .nshian villages on both the 
 .Nass and Skeena rivers. 
 
 ibia 
 
 23106.1 
 
THE UEOGRAPHY OF THE TSIMSHIAN INDIANS. 
 
 T 
 
 Boaz* has divided the Tsimshian stock into dialects, those 
 speaking the Nasqa and those speaking the Tsimshian proper, 
 Of those speaking Nasqa he enumerates two tribes; of the 
 Tsimshians proper he enumerates six tribes. He does not 
 specify, however, whether 'his enumeration refers to former 
 times or today; at any rate I am unable to reconcile his list of 
 tribes to present conditions. It is to be noted furthermore that 
 the tribes speaking Nasqa are not confined to the territory of 
 the Nass river, but are also found on the Skeena river. As to 
 the distinguishing characteristics of the two dialects I had no 
 time for investigation. But from various sources I learned that 
 those tribes which spoke the Tsimshian dialect proper could 
 not understand the Nasqa dialect, whereas the Nasqa tribes 
 could understand those who spoke Tsimshian proper. It ap- 
 pears yet further that there are two closely related groups of 
 the Nasqa dialect, the Nasqa and the Kitksa'n, the former 
 group being confined to the Nass river, the latter to the Skeena 
 river. 
 
 Instead of taking up the tribes or villages according to a 
 linguistic basis I have preferred rather to follow the natural di- 
 visions and to take up first the Skeena river villages, and then the 
 Nass river villages and finally the coast and island villages. It 
 will be seen from a reference to the map that the villages are 
 numbered fro.n i to i8 and from A to H. The numbers refer 
 to ancient or modern villages, which were founded without ref- 
 erence to white influence. The letters refer to villages founded 
 within recent years through recent white influence. The capi- 
 tal letters N, K and T on the map are for the purpose of dis- 
 tinguishing the Nasqa and Kiksan tribes from those speaking 
 Tsimshian proper. These numbers and letters are retained in 
 the text. In the spelling of the proper names I have followed 
 as a rule that given by the missionaries of the various towns or 
 by the traders; in some cases I have inserted in brackets the 
 .spelling given by Boaz (B) or that given in the report of the 
 Indian Commission (R). 
 
 One of the origin myths of the Tsimshians reports that after 
 the flood their ancestors drifted about for a long time in a canoe 
 and finally landed at Dum-lak am (what will be a good place). 
 Here they rested and this was their earthly primeval home. 
 From here they began to extend outward in various directions 
 and so was built up the Tsimshian people. Dum lak-am, so far 
 as can be determined, was the region about the modern town 
 of Hazelton, one hundred and sixty miles up the Skeena river, 
 and at this point we may properly begin our review of the 
 Tsimshian villages. 
 
 * Frauz Boaz: Fiftli Report on tbe Northwestern Tribes of the 
 Dominion of Canada, B. A. A. S. 189, Page 8. 
 
 1 
 
 i 
 I 
 
 I 
 
T 
 
 ! 
 
 THE CJEOORAPHV OF THE TSIMSHIAN INDIANS. .{ 
 
 SKEENA RIVER VlLLA(iES. 
 
 1. N. K. Kit-an-maiksh [Git-an-max R] place for putting 
 out net. Until 1879 *^'^ village was located on a flat just above 
 the junction of the Skeena and Bulkley rivers. Shortly before 
 that time the inhabitants Had begun to build a little further up 
 on a low bluff overlooking the Skeena where the present town 
 of Hazelton now stands. The old village was destroyed by fire 
 about 1876. The population of Hazelton, or "The Forks," as 
 the town is commonly called, in 1881 numbered about 200; at 
 present it numbers about 250. Many families have removed 
 thither from Kishpiyeoux and from villages down the river. The 
 town recently has become of considerable importance, as it is at 
 the head of steamboat navigation on the Skeena. It contains a 
 very important Hudson's Bay Post and is the distributing point 
 for miners' supplies for the interior, especially for the Omenica 
 country, which has for some time been the scene of much min- 
 ing activity. 
 
 2. N. K. Kish-pi yeoux [Kits-pioux, Kits-piouse, R.] place 
 of ancestor Pi-yeoux. This village, at the junction of the 
 Kishpiyeoux and Skeena rivers, was in 1873 the most populous 
 on the upper Skeena. At that time it numbered about 400 peo- 
 ple; now it contains 225. Between 1881 and 1895 the popu- 
 lation decreased about thirty-three per cent., much of this bemg 
 due to successive epidemics of measles. 
 
 3. N. K. Kish-ga-gass [Kits-ge-gaas, Kits-ge-goos, R.] 
 place of ancestor Ga gass — on the Bibine river, nine miles 
 from its mouth. This village twenty years ago had over 300 
 inhabitants, but many have removed to Hazelton and many 
 perished in the mines of Caribo and Omenica. Kish-ga gass 
 now numbers about 275, and is probably the most primitive of 
 all Tsirnshian villages. 
 
 4. N. K. Kaul-daw [Gal-doe, R.] dwellers beyond. This 
 village is doomed to utter extinction; numbering about 150 
 people in 1875, there are at the present time only about thirty 
 who claim Kaul-daw as their home, and even many of these re- 
 main there only one or two months of the year. Many of the 
 former inhabitants have removed to Kish pi yeoux. Within 
 five years the village will be complet'jly abandoned. 
 
 5. N. K. Kitze-gukla people of Zegukla mountain. This is 
 the first of the Skeena river villages as we go toward the 
 coast from Hazelton. In 1873 its population was about 250, 
 hut it is now about eighty. In 1875 many of the houses were 
 burned from a conflagration which started on the opposite side of 
 the river, caused by the carelessness of two miners. Much 
 trouble and ill feeling grew out of this, and the Indians at- 
 tempted to close the river to navigation. The difficulty was not 
 .settled until a man-of-war appeared at the mouth of the Skeena. 
 
 i 
 
4 THE (JEOORAPHV OF THK TSIMSHIAN INDIAXS. 
 
 6. N. K. Kit-win-gach [Kit-vvang-agh, R.] — people of place 
 of plenty rabbits. This village numbered about 250 in 1876, 
 200 in iSSi.andat present about 150. Many deserted their 
 homes during the gold craze on the Stickene river, and suf- 
 fered as the Indians usually do in contact with the whites 
 under such circumstances. Many men died, and the women 
 and girls were abandoned. Some of these women even took 
 their daughters with them for the purpose of selling them to 
 the whites. 
 
 7. N. K. Kit-win-skole [Kit-wan-cool, R] — people where 
 pass the narrows. This formerly extensive village, which num- 
 bered over 350 in 1875, '^as been nearly abandoned and now 
 contains less than eighty people. Most of them have gone up 
 to live at Ilazelton, but many others left for the mines, while 
 others still found ruin and death in Victoria. 
 
 8. T. Kit zilas [Gyitsal.'i ser, B.; Kit-sa-las, R.] — people of the 
 canon. Of this village, which numbered over 300 in 1S75, but 
 a single family remains. The head of this family is one of the 
 crew of the S. S. "Caledonia," which runs on the Skeena. He 
 lives in a neat modern cottage. All the other houses are in 
 ruins and overgrown with vegetation. 
 
 9. T. Kit zim-gay-lum [Kit-sum-kalem, R.; Gyitsuninilon. 
 B.] — people of Zim gay-lum river. Another almost deserted 
 village; its population of 150 in 1885 has been .scattered until at 
 present not more than sixty remain. Manv have gone to New 
 Metlakahtla, others have settled in Port Kssington, while still 
 others have joined the Kitksians. 
 
 NASs ki\i:k villaciks. 
 
 10. N. Kit ai.x — ? In 1870 Kit-aix, near the mouth of the 
 Nass river, was a populous village numbering over 350. At 
 present it numbers about seventy-five. Many have joined the 
 mi.ssion villages of Kincolith and a few have taken up their 
 residence in Lak-kul-zap. 
 
 11. N. Lak-ungida (Haida name?)— This was one of the 
 most populous villages in 1870 and numbered over 400 ; now 
 there are not more than fifty remaining. Many died in Vic- 
 toria, others have gone to the mission village Kincolith and a 
 few went to Lak-kul-sap. 
 
 12. N. Kit-Iak-aous — people on the .sandy point. The re- 
 maining inhabitants of this village, which numbered 150 in 
 1890, deserted the place entirely in 1895. Where they went I 
 was not able to learn. 
 
 13. N. Kis-themu-welgit — ? This was never a large village 
 and numbered but eighty in 1875, and now numbers alout fifty. 
 The chiefs removed to Victoria and a kw have settled in the 
 Nass river mission villages. 
 
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 THE GEOCJRAPHY OF THE TSIMSHIAN INDIANS. 5 
 
 I 
 
 14. N. Kit-win-shilk [Kit-win-tshilth, R.] — people of the 
 place of the lizards. This village now numbers less than one- 
 half of its 1870 population, which was 200. The deaths have 
 exceeded the births and many of the women, who were noted 
 f6r their fair complexion, fine form and beauty, were lost in Vic- 
 toria. 
 
 15. N. Kit-lak-damix [Kit-lach-damax, R.] — people on pool 
 or pond. This village numbered 350 in 1872, has at present 
 only about 150 inhabitants. It is hard to account for this de- 
 crease for there has been no special epidemic, nor have there 
 been any decided migrations to other villages. On the other 
 hand this village is known to have received acquisitions from 
 Kit-win-skole. 
 
 '■ 3. COAST OR ISLAND VILLAGES. 
 
 16. T. Kit-kahta [Kit-kaa-ta, R. Gyitga-ata, B.] — people of 
 the poles. This was formerly a large village, numbering be- 
 
 • tween 300 and 400 in 1870. Many have gone to Alaska, some 
 to join Duncan's colony at New Metlakahtla. and the popula- 
 tion has decreased considerably. It now numbers about eighty. 
 
 17. T. Kit-khatla [Kit-katla, R ; Gyit-qatla, B]— people of 
 the sea. This village ncv numbers about 200, and is the most 
 primitive and least often vi^jited of the coast villages, 
 
 18. T. Kit-tizoo [Gyid-esdzo, B.] — ? This village, at the north- 
 west of Milbank Sound, is the most southerly of all Tsimshian 
 villages. It is now almost deserted, part of its population hav- 
 ing gone to Alaska ; others have settled at Bella Bella. 
 
 i 
 
 MODKRN VILLAdES AND MISSIONARY STATIONS. 
 
 A. Meamskinisht — foot of porcupine grove. Founded in 
 1889 by Mr. Tomlinson as a mission village. At the outset it 
 numbered but five people, now its population is about fifty — 
 drawn from the Kitk'sans. 
 
 B. New Kitzilas. This is not a mission village, but was 
 settled by the people of Kitzilas in IVS93. Its population at 
 present is about forty. 
 
 C. Port Essington. This town is second in importance 
 only to Port Simpson. Although it was the seat of a Hudson's 
 Bay Post in 1835. it had its real beginning in 1872, when the 
 gold excitement began in the Omenica country and the whites 
 began to go into the interior by the Skeena river. In 1874 a 
 Church of England mission was started, and then the Indians be- 
 gan to settle there from varioiis places on the Skeena but chiefly 
 from the villages of Kitzilas and Kitze gukla. It now num- 
 bers about JOG inhabitants, has two churches, two salvation 
 armies, a cannery and a saw mill. It is also the starting point 
 for the Skeena river steamer, and is destined some day to be a 
 place of considerable importance 
 
6 
 
 THE GEOGRAPHY OP THE TSIMSHIAN INDIANS. 
 
 D. Matlakhatla. The story of this mission village is the 
 romance of the Northwest coast, and it has been told over and 
 over again. Its history is a chapter in the life of a man who 
 ranks among the first of America's missionaries and teachers. 
 Duncan went out to Port Simpson in 1857 and removed to 
 Matlakahtla m 1862. With him went a few of the Simpson 
 Tsimshians. Within six months the whole body moved over 
 with their chief, Kit-laan. Of the rise and fall of this new 
 world Utopia we are not here concerned. Duncan left and 
 founded a new and brighter Utopia on one of the islands of 
 southern Alaska, and Metlakahtla today is a ruinious monu- 
 ment to the folly of a Bishop of England. Its population in 
 1 896 was 1 50. 
 
 E. Port Simpson. The early history of Port Simpson or 
 Simpson as it is called on the coast, is the history of a Hud- 
 son's Bay Company's Port. This post was first established in 
 1831 on the Nass river at a point about two miles above the 
 present mission village of Kincolith. It only remained there 
 two years but during that time seven of the traders died or 
 met their death at the hands of the Indians. Tiien the Post 
 was removed to Port Simpson. At that time thers were no 
 Indians nearer than the peninsula of Metlakahtla. In that pas- 
 .sage at that time there were nine villages of Tsimshians who 
 still retained their summer homes on the Skeena river. Of 
 these nine villages I learned the names of six. The first was 
 Kishpokalants; its chief was Legaik and he was the head chief 
 of the entire Tsimshian nation. The other five villages were: 
 Kit-lam, Kinagingeeg, Kil-utsai, Kitadah, Kitzeesh. The 
 combined population of the nine villages was about 5,000. 
 They have long since disappeared; many removed to Simpson, 
 but the majority were scattered among other villages, slain in 
 iuter-racial wars, lost in the gold fields of the interior, or per- 
 ished in Victoria. Simpson at present is the metropolis of the 
 coast, dull and stupid in summer but awake and lively enough 
 in winter. It boasts of a hotel, fire department, hospital and 
 two rival churches and salvation armies. Its population is over 
 700. A half dozen totem poles mark the sites of the old 
 houses of the early days. 
 
 F. Kin-eolith — place of scalp. This mission village was 
 founded in 1867 by Mr. Tomlinson. Its inhabitants were drawn 
 from the Nass river villages, chiefly from Gwin-wah. It now 
 numbers about 200. 
 
 G. Lak-kul-zap [Kach-als-ap, R] Founded in 1872 by 
 Mr, Green, from Tsimshians drawn from the villages of Kit- 
 aix and Kitkahta; now numbers about eighty. 
 
 H. Aiyaush — -eternal bloom. Founded in 1871 by Mr. 
 Tomlinson. Its inhabitants were drawn chiefly from Kit-lak- 
 damix. It now numbers 100. 
 
 
 »* 
 
THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE TSIMSHIAN INDIANS. 
 
 Ot the ancient villages the following have Church of Eng- 
 land missions: Kit-an-maiksh, Kish-ge-gass, Kit-wan-gach, 
 and Kit-khatla. The following have -Methodist missions: 
 Kish-pi-yeoux, and Kitze-gukla. Of the Hiission villages the 
 following are Methodists: New Kitzelas and Lak-kul-zap, Met- 
 lakhatla, Kin-col-ith, and Aiyaush are Episcopalian; while Port 
 Essington and Port Simpson have both Episcopal and Method- 
 ist missions. The mission of Meamskinisht, in charge of Mr. 
 Tomlinson, is on an independent basis. 
 
 Although the Tsimshians today are but a remnant of the 
 stock as it existed in 1850, they now seem to be holding their 
 own in point of population, while some oj the other coast stocks 
 are diminishing very rapidly, the Haidas especially. Their es- 
 timated population in 1888 was 5.000, but this estimate is prob- 
 ably in excess by one or two thousand, as the report 
 of the Canadian Indian commissioner for 1895 gives for 
 twenty villages not quite 3;200 population. Today they are 
 nearly all Christianized, live in frame cottages, wear European 
 clothing and during the summer months wofk in the salmon 
 canneries. But while the Tsimshians may outlive the Haidas 
 as a separate stock, their ultimate absorption and final extinc- 
 tion are but matters of time. The new villages and especially 
 the canneries are bringing the different stocks of the coast into 
 more and more intimate relations and this results in a disap. 
 pearance of the pure types. The introduction of another ethnic 
 element, the Chinese, on the coast may further complicate mat- 
 ters for while as yet there is no commingling of the Indian with 
 the Chinese, it will probably come sooner or later as it has on 
 the west coast of South America. The fate of the Tsimshian.as 
 with his brother elsewhere on this continent, is to disappear — to 
 disappear as Tsimshian, as Indian.