Our trip begins and ends in the territory of the Ts’msyen and the Sm’algya̱x speaking peoples. The land is very important to the Ts’msyen and is ingrained in language and culture.
The land is a connection between ancestors, the present, and the future. It is everybody’s responsibility to learn about Ts’msyen culture and relationships. We will also visit the territories of the Nisg̱a’a and of the Wet’suwet’en.
Łoomsk (Respect)
- Łoodis Lp’nuun (Respect yourself)
- Łooda sila gyedn (Respect others)
- Łooda txa’nii goo (Respect all things)
The Ksiyeen (Skeena) River
- The Ksiyeen (river of mist, Skeena River) is 570 km long and flows through the territory of the Ts’msyen and the Gitxsan. Prince Rupert is within the territory of the Ts’msyen, whose language is Sm’algya̱x.
- The watershed of the Ksiyeen includes the territories of the Ts’msyen, Gitxsan, Wet’suwet’en, Haisla, and bordering First Nations. You will visit three cities within this watershed, including Prince Rupert, Terrace, and Smithers.
- The watershed of the Ksiyeen includes the territories of the Ts’msyen, Gitxsan, Wet’suwet’en, Haisla, and bordering First Nations. You will visit three cities within this watershed, including Prince Rupert, Terrace, and Smithers.
The K’alii-Aksim-Lisims (Nass) River
- This is the Sm’algyax word for the Nass River is Kluusms and in the Nisg̱a’a language, it is the K’alii-Aksim-Lisims.
- The K’alii-Aksim-Lisims flows through sacred mountains and dense forests on Canada’s Pacific Coast.
- The Nisg̱a’a people have lived in the Nass River Valley since before recorded time.
Prince Rupert and Metlakatla
Introduction to Prince Rupert
- Established as a municipality in 1910, Prince Rupert is located on Ts’msyen territory – an area rich with history. What’s now called Prince Rupert harbour was long an intersection of trade and commerce for First Nations people dating back to time immemorial. Our City is tucked in between impressive mountains and the 3rd deepest natural harbour in the world. The rain and weather patterns characteristic of this place give us both our title as the ‘City of Rainbows’, as well as the lush natural landscapes of the Great Bear Rainforest. It also makes for a resilient population – ready to weather both literal and figurative storms.
Introduction to Metlakatla
- Metlakatla village is a progressive community, located 5km north of Prince Rupert, on an ancient site – occupied for thousands of years by the Metlakatla people. Metlakatla means ‘saltwater pass’ in Sm’algya̱x, the language of the Coast Ts’msyen. Today, Metlakatla members continue to enjoy their inherent rights and freedom to harvest traditional food, and honour our history on the land.
