The Gitxsan are people of the Skeena River or River of Mist. They identify a place just downriver from Hazelton as the place where they originated. It’s called Tam Lax Aamid and holds the same place of importance that the Garden of Eden has in the Bible. For 10,000 years the Gitxsan have dwelled in their traditional territory and today approximately 13,000 members live in communities known as Gitwangak, Gitanyow, Gitsegukla, Hagwilget, Gitanmaax, Glen Vowell and Kispiox. Many other village sites are no longer occupied.

Gitanmaax is the largest Gitxsan village, located near Hazelton at the place where the Bulkley River (Wa Dzun Kwuh) flows into the Skeena. In Hazelton, at the site of the original Gianmaax village is ‘Ksan, a model village operated by a non-profit society combining Gitxsan and other members. It opened in 1970 and has been a showcase for Gitxsan traditions and culture since then. It features a series of long houses facing the river. The Frog House (Wilp Lax See'l) is the house of the distant past, representing Gitxsan culture before European contact. The Wolf House (Wilp Lax Gibuu) is the feast house, presenting the Gitxsan governing system commonly referred to as the potlatch or "yukw" (meaning feast). The Fireweed House (Wilp Gisk'aast) is the treasure house, displaying the regalia used by 'Ksan’s Performing Arts Group and ceremonial clothing used in Gitxsan feasts.

Gitwangak Battle Hill (formerly Kitwanga) National Historic Site marks the site of a ta’awdzep, or hilltop fortress which presents the epic story of Nekt, a warrior who defended Gitxsan territory against the encroachment of other First Nations. It was a village occupied during the late 1700s and early 1800s by the Gitwangak First Nation. Strategically located on a small hill above the riverbank, the site afforded excellent vantages up and down the Kitwanga River valley and the adjacent Kitwankul Grease Trail.

At Gitanyow (formerly Kitwancool) is a famous stand of totem poles which were depicted by Emily Carr when she came to the area in 1928. A carving shed near the poles is a place where the craft of carving is still very much alive.

This new Stop of Interest was erected as part of a BC150 project by the Ministry of Transportation and Integrated Land Management Bureau.

Resources:

'Ksan Village website:
http://www.ksan.org/index.htm

Gitwangak Battle Hill : National Historic Site of Canada
http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/bc/kitwanga/index_E.asp

Gitxsan-Wet’suwet’en website:
http://arcbc.tripod.com/index.htm