Skip navigation links (access key: Z)Library and Archives Canada / Bibliothèque et Archives CanadaSymbol of the Government of Canada
Français - Version française de cette pageHome - The main page of the Institution's websiteContact Us - Institutional contact informationHelp - Information about using the institutional websiteSearch - Search the institutional websitecanada.gc.ca - Government of Canada website

This archived Web page remains online for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. This page will not be altered or updated. Web pages that are archived on the Internet are not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards. As per the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada, you can request alternate formats of this page on the "Contact Us" page.

Banner: The Kids' Site of Canadian Settlement
IntroductionExplore the Communities
 

Section title: Nisga'a
Introduction | History | Daily Life | Culture | References


Daily Life

Food

 
  Salmon drying in the sun, with canoes nearby, circa 1870

The lands and waters that surround the Nisga'a are among the richest food sources in the world. There are many different kinds of fish and animals that humans can use. The most important fish for the Nisga'a are the salmon and the eulachon (also called smelt). The salmon is used for food, while the eulachon has long had another use. People collected the oil of this tiny fish to use in their lamps. Eulachon are also called candlefish: the dried fish will stay alight and burn like a candle. Long ago, other Aboriginal nations on the northwest coast of North America traded with the Nisga'a for this important oil. Today, few people use eulachon oil to light their homes, but the oil is still in demand.

 
Brown bear in the Rockies, [1869]  

Nisga'a enjoy many other fruits of the sea, as they have for centuries. There are halibut, herring, shrimp, crab, kelp, mussels, and clams to take from the water. Salmon remains vitally important to the Nisga'a. And just as the sea has provided a rich diet for centuries, the forests and mountains, too, support abundant animals: bears, beaver, mink, mountain goats, wolves and moose.

Clothing

 
  Woman wearing rain gear consisting of a spruce root hat and cedar bark cape

Although the Nisga'a used the fur of animals for clothing, they also had weatherproof cedar bark clothing to wear during the heavy rain and in the winter. The women wove the waterproof cloaks and aprons from strips of aromatic cedar bark. They also wove spruce roots and cedar fibres into waterproof hats. Today, the Nisga'a dress like most other North Americans. However, during their ceremonies, they still put on their traditional clothing.

 

Previous Next


Proactive Disclosure