User:OldManRivers/‘Namgis

The ‘Namgis are a indigenous nation of the Kwakwaka'wakw (Kwak'wala-speaking-people). They are located in central British Columbia, on northern Vancouver Island. Historically, their communities were centered around the Nimpkish River and Nimpkish Valley. Their main village now is Alert Bay, or in their language Yalis on Cormorant Island. The Indian Act First Nations is the Namgis First Nation.

Name

The name for these people comes from their language called Kwak'wala. Long ago, they were known to other Kwakwaka'wakw as Dła’ugwa’adaxw, meaning “Supernatural Power Tribe”. Later, they took the name ‘Namgis meaning both “Those Who Came From the Sea Monster ‘Namxiyalegayu” and “Those That Are One When They Come Together”. The anglicized misnomer became Nimpkish.

History

Colonization

First contact between European's and ‘Namgis was in 1792 off the mouth of what became known by Europeans as the Nimpkish River with Captain George Vancouver.

Society

Governance

The four clans, or ‘namima ("Clans/Families") which means “of one kind”, as they are called in kwak'wala, are the following:

T`sit`sałwalagame’ “The Famous Ones”
T`łat`łalamin “Those Descending from T`łalamin”
Giga’lgam “The First Ones”
Sisant`łe’ “Those Descending from Sant`łe’”
‘Ni’nalk`inuxw “The Up-River People”

Every family of the people can trace their lineage back to these first ancestors who survived the Great Flood. These clans make up the basic governing structure of the whole nation, with different lower ‘namima owing their ancestral lineage to the head chiefs of the ‘namima.

See also

• Kwakwaka'wakw
• Kwak'wala
• 'Namgis First Nation

External links

• ‘Namgis First Nation
• U'mista - Masks Story
• U'mista Cultural Centre