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ABOUT KITSAULT »

It is believed that the ancestors of the Nisga'a first settled in Northern BC 12,000 years ago.  From that period to today this elaborate and complex society has flourished with its own cultural traditions, languages, territorial boundaries and systems of government.  For almost all this time the Nisga'a had their traditional coastal land to themselves until 1793 when a British sea captain named George Vancouver, seeking a northwest passage to the Orient, sailed into Ts'im Gits'oohl (Observatory Inlet).

He was met by Nisga'a chiefs, greetings were exchanged and within years a thriving trade in sea-otter pelts prospered along the coast.  Despite the arrival of Europeans and the introduction of their traditions, the Nisga'a remain a distinct people with inherent rights of self-determination.

Their traditions are based on the foundations of living with the land and animals without disrupting the cycle of life.  This respect for the land and its creatures remains a core value of Nisga'a life today.

Click here to learn more about the Nisga'a culture.