Gitando
Encyclopedia
The Gitando are the youngest (or last to form) of the 14 tribes of the Tsimshian
nation in British Columbia
, Canada, and one of the nine of those tribes making up the "Nine Tribes" of the lower Skeena River
resident at Lax Kw'alaams
(a.k.a. Port Simpson), B.C. The name Gitando means the people of weirs. Their traditional territory includes the watershed of the Exstew River, a tributary of the Skeena River. Since 1834, they have been based at Lax Kw'alaams, when a Hudson's Bay Company
fort was established there. They are closely related to the Gispaxlo'ots
, another of the Nine Tribes, who have an adjacent territory.
The chieftainship of the Gitando resides with the hereditary name-title Sgagweet, the holder of which is chief of the House of Sgagweet, a Laxsgiik
(Eagle clan) house-group (extended matrilineal family) of the Gitando. The anthropologist Viola Garfield
reported in 1938 that the name was held by Paul Sgagweet, who died in 1887 and was commemorated by a 15-foot totem pole
marble headstone representing one of his most prominent crests the "Standing Feeding Beaver", which is still standing in the village of Lax Kw'alaams today. Paul Sgagweet bequeathed the name to his first cousin or sister's son; Alfred Dudoward
, who was instrumental in establishing a Methodist
mission at Lax Kw'alaams. Dudoward had no (matrilineal) heirs and so adopted his own son and a niece into the house. The son inherited the name Sgagweet after Dudoward's death in 1914 or 1915 and was holding it when Garfield was writing in 1938. He had designated the niece's son as his successor, however, this son named Clarence Watson, moved to Southern BC and enfranchised, thus surrendering his Native Status. The chieftainship was held in trust by the sons of Alfred Dudoward, until the youngest of: Charles Dudoward (Chief Wiishakes), gave the responsibility to his first cousins son, Libby Kelly. From Libby the names were passed on to his nephews Mitch and Fred Dudoward. However the name as never been appointed upon anyone since Alfred Dudoward. There is still contention for the title among the tribe.
In 1935 William Beynon
recorded that Gitando people in Lax Kw'alaams included 14 members of the Gispwudwada
(Killerwhale clan) (1 house-group), 17 members of the Ganhada
(Raven) (1 house-group), and 25 members of the Laxsgiik
(Eagle) (2 house-groups, including the House of Sgagweet, with 5 members).
George Kelly was a member of the House of Sgagweet who was adopted into the Gispaxlo'ots in order to perpetuate the House of Ligeex
, a house closely related to Sgagweet.
The anthropologist Marius Barbeau
, in a survey of totem poles, described several poles belonging to various Gitando Laxsgiik houses which had stood in Lax Kw'alaams. One, a Sgagweet pole depicting a Standing Beaver, stood until at least 1947.
In addition to the House of Sgagweet, other Gitando houses include:
There were ten houses in total at this time. However epidemics and migration decimated the population of the Gitanndo and most tribes of the Tsimshian. Today there are six families that occupy four houses of the Gitando.
i)House of Sgagweet
ii)House of Gilasgamgan & Gistaaku
iii) House of Geyshluk (from Gamayaam)
iv) House of Niisyagayunaat
Tsimshian
The Tsimshian are an indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Tsimshian translates to Inside the Skeena River. Their communities are in British Columbia and Alaska, around Terrace and Prince Rupert and the southernmost corner of Alaska on Annette Island. There are approximately 10,000...
nation in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada, and one of the nine of those tribes making up the "Nine Tribes" of the lower Skeena River
Skeena River
The Skeena River is the second longest river entirely within British Columbia, Canada . The Skeena is an important transportation artery, particularly for the Tsimshian and the Gitxsan - whose names mean "inside the Skeena River" and "people of the Skeena River" respectively, and also during the...
resident at Lax Kw'alaams
Lax Kw'alaams
Lax-Kw'alaams , usually called Port Simpson, is an Indigenous village community in British Columbia, Canada, not far from the city of Prince Rupert. It is the home of the "Nine Tribes" of the lower Skeena River, which are nine of the fourteen tribes of the Tsimshian nation...
(a.k.a. Port Simpson), B.C. The name Gitando means the people of weirs. Their traditional territory includes the watershed of the Exstew River, a tributary of the Skeena River. Since 1834, they have been based at Lax Kw'alaams, when a Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
fort was established there. They are closely related to the Gispaxlo'ots
Gispaxlo'ots
The Gispaxlo'ots are one of the 14 tribes of the Tsimshian nation in British Columbia, Canada, and one of the nine of those tribes making up the "Nine Tribes" of the lower Skeena River resident at Lax Kw'alaams , B.C...
, another of the Nine Tribes, who have an adjacent territory.
The chieftainship of the Gitando resides with the hereditary name-title Sgagweet, the holder of which is chief of the House of Sgagweet, a Laxsgiik
Laxsgiik
The Laxsgiik is the name for the Eagle "clan" in the language of the Tsimshian nation of British Columbia, Canada, and southeast Alaska...
(Eagle clan) house-group (extended matrilineal family) of the Gitando. The anthropologist Viola Garfield
Viola Garfield
Viola E. Garfield was an American anthropologist best known for her work on the social organization and plastic arts of the Tsimshian nation in British Columbia and Alaska.-Early life:...
reported in 1938 that the name was held by Paul Sgagweet, who died in 1887 and was commemorated by a 15-foot totem pole
Totem pole
Totem poles are monumental sculptures carved from large trees, mostly Western Red Cedar, by cultures of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America...
marble headstone representing one of his most prominent crests the "Standing Feeding Beaver", which is still standing in the village of Lax Kw'alaams today. Paul Sgagweet bequeathed the name to his first cousin or sister's son; Alfred Dudoward
Alfred Dudoward
Alfred Dudoward was an hereditary chief from the Tsimshian nation in British Columbia, Canada, who was instrumental in establishing a Methodist mission in his community of Port Simpson , B.C.Dudoward was a member of the Gitando tribe, one of the nine Tsimshian tribes based in Lax Kw'alaams. His...
, who was instrumental in establishing a Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
mission at Lax Kw'alaams. Dudoward had no (matrilineal) heirs and so adopted his own son and a niece into the house. The son inherited the name Sgagweet after Dudoward's death in 1914 or 1915 and was holding it when Garfield was writing in 1938. He had designated the niece's son as his successor, however, this son named Clarence Watson, moved to Southern BC and enfranchised, thus surrendering his Native Status. The chieftainship was held in trust by the sons of Alfred Dudoward, until the youngest of: Charles Dudoward (Chief Wiishakes), gave the responsibility to his first cousins son, Libby Kelly. From Libby the names were passed on to his nephews Mitch and Fred Dudoward. However the name as never been appointed upon anyone since Alfred Dudoward. There is still contention for the title among the tribe.
In 1935 William Beynon
William Beynon
William Beynon was a hereditary chief from the Tsimshian nation and an oral historian who served as ethnographer, translator, and linguistic consultant to many anthropologists....
recorded that Gitando people in Lax Kw'alaams included 14 members of the Gispwudwada
Gispwudwada
The Gispwudwada is the name for the Killerwhale "clan" in the language of the Tsimshian nation of British Columbia, Canada, and southeast Alaska. It is considered analogous or identical to the Gisgahaast clan in British Columbia's Gitksan nation and the Gisk'ahaast/Gisk'aast Tribe of the Nisga'a...
(Killerwhale clan) (1 house-group), 17 members of the Ganhada
Ganhada
The Ganhada is the name for the Raven "clan" in the language of the Tsimshian nation of British Columbia, Canada, and southeast Alaska. It is considered analogous or identical to the Ganada Tribe of the Nisga'a nation in British Columbia and the Frog clan among B.C.'s Gitxsan nation...
(Raven) (1 house-group), and 25 members of the Laxsgiik
Laxsgiik
The Laxsgiik is the name for the Eagle "clan" in the language of the Tsimshian nation of British Columbia, Canada, and southeast Alaska...
(Eagle) (2 house-groups, including the House of Sgagweet, with 5 members).
George Kelly was a member of the House of Sgagweet who was adopted into the Gispaxlo'ots in order to perpetuate the House of Ligeex
Ligeex
Ligeex is an hereditary name-title belonging to the Gispaxlo'ots tribe of the Tsimshian First Nation from the village of Lax Kw'alaams , British Columbia, Canada. The name, and the chieftainship it represents, is passed along matrilineally within the royal house called the House of Ligeex...
, a house closely related to Sgagweet.
The anthropologist Marius Barbeau
Marius Barbeau
Charles Marius Barbeau, , also known as C. Marius Barbeau, or more commonly simply Marius Barbeau, was a Canadian ethnographer and folklorist who is today considered a founder of Canadian anthropology...
, in a survey of totem poles, described several poles belonging to various Gitando Laxsgiik houses which had stood in Lax Kw'alaams. One, a Sgagweet pole depicting a Standing Beaver, stood until at least 1947.
In addition to the House of Sgagweet, other Gitando houses include:
- House of Gilasgamgan -- Laxsgiik (Eagle clan)
- House of Gistaaku -- Laxsgiik (Eagle)
- House of Gamayaam -- Gispwudwada (Killerwhale)
- House of Niisxłoo -- Laxsgiik (Eagle)
- House of Niisyagayunaat -- Ganhada (Raven)
- House of 'Nluulax -- Laxsgiik (Eagle)
There were ten houses in total at this time. However epidemics and migration decimated the population of the Gitanndo and most tribes of the Tsimshian. Today there are six families that occupy four houses of the Gitando.
i)House of Sgagweet
ii)House of Gilasgamgan & Gistaaku
iii) House of Geyshluk (from Gamayaam)
iv) House of Niisyagayunaat
Sources
- Barbeau, Marius (1950) Totem Poles. 2 vols. (Anthropology Series 30, National Museum of Canada Bulletin 119.) Ottawa: National Museum of Canada.
- Garfield, Viola E.Viola GarfieldViola E. Garfield was an American anthropologist best known for her work on the social organization and plastic arts of the Tsimshian nation in British Columbia and Alaska.-Early life:...
(1939) "Tsimshian Clan and Society." University of Washington Publications in Anthropology, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 167-340.
- Neylan, Susan (2003) The Heavens Are Changing: Nineteenth-Century Protestant Missions and Tsimshian Christianity. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.
- Reece, Scott (1997-2002) "Oral interviews of Lax Kw'alaams elders." Lax Kw'alaams, and Prince Rupert, BC.