Gitlaxt'aamiks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gitlax̱t'aamiks New Aiyansh
Village
Traditional Community Building in Gitlax̱t'aamiks
Gitlaxt'aamiks Location in British Columbia
Country	Canada
Province	British Columbia
Indigenous territories	Nisga'a
Established	1974
Population
• Total	806
Time zone	UTC−08:00 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−07:00 (PDT)
Postal code	V0J 1A0
Area code(s)	250

Gitlax̱t'aamiks is a village in British Columbia, Canada. It's located in the heart of the Nass River valley, about 100 kilometers north of Terrace. This village is one of four main communities for the Nisga'a people.

Even though it's in British Columbia, Gitlax̱t'aamiks is also known as the "capital" of the Nisga'a Nation. The main building for the Nisg̱a'a Lisims Government, called Wilp si'Ayuukhl Nisg̱a'a, opened here in 2000. About 806 people live in Gitlax̱t'aamiks. The village is also near the Nisga'a Memorial Lava Bed Provincial Park. Gitlax̱t'aamiks sits overlooking a lava flow that happened in the 1700s, which came from a volcano called Tseax Cone.

In front of the Nisga'a Elementary Secondary School, you can see the Unity Totem Pole. This special pole was put up in 1977. It was the first totem pole raised in the Nass Valley since the late 1800s.

What Does the Name Gitlax̱t'aamiks Mean?

The Nisg̱a'a Lisims Government Building in 2000, before it was fully finished.

The name Gitlax̱t'aamiks comes from the Nisga'a language. It means "people of the ponds."

The village was officially named New Aiyansh in 1974. The original Aiyansh village was about 3 miles northeast of the current spot. A flood in November 1917 partly destroyed the old village, so the community moved to where Gitlax̱t'aamiks is now. Later, another flood caused the community to move to higher ground in the late 1960s. This new, higher location became New Aiyansh.

New Aiyansh used to be called New Aiyansh Indian Reserve No. 1. This changed on May 11, 2000, when the Nisga'a Final Agreement (also known as the Nisga'a Treaty) came into effect. This agreement ended the Indian Reserve system for the Nisga'a people. The old Aiyansh village, which was Aiyansh Indian Reserve 1, also changed under this treaty.

Learning and Schools

The dedication ceremony for the new Nisg̱a'a Lisims Government Building in 2000.

The School District 92 Nisga'a serves the community of Gitlax̱t'aamiks. The village is home to the Nisga'a Elementary Secondary School. This school provides elementary education for children in Gitlax̱t'aamiks. It also offers secondary (high school) education for students from all four Nisga'a villages in the Nass Valley. The main offices for the School District are located here.

The Capital of the Nisga'a Nation

The Council Chamber, designed in an oval shape to help with consensus-style governing. The Speaker sits at the head, and there's a stand for the "talking stick."

Gitlax̱t'aamiks is home to the Nisg̱a'a Lisims Government Building. This building is where the Nisga'a Nation's government, called the Wilp si'Ayuukhl Nisg̱a'a, carries out its work. It holds legislative meetings and administrative offices.

The new facility was finished and officially opened in September 2000. This was around the same time the Nisga'a Final Agreement was signed. The building includes the Council Chamber, offices for leaders, meeting rooms, legal services, and public services. The Council Chamber has an oval shape. This design helps support the traditional Nisga'a way of making decisions, where everyone sits equally around the table to reach an agreement.