https://luudisk.org/mediawiki/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Territories_of_the_Tsm%E2%80%99syen_tribesTerritories of the Tsm’syen tribes - Revision history2026-07-28T12:38:52ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.5https://luudisk.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Territories_of_the_Tsm%E2%80%99syen_tribes&diff=140&oldid=prevAmusterer: initial2025-12-14T15:01:34Z<p>initial</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>= Territories of the Ts’msyen Tribes =<br />
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The Ts’msyen Nation occupies and relates to a broad network of lands and waters along the lower Skeena River, its estuary, and the surrounding coastal and inland regions of the northwest coast.<br />
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Territory in Ts’msyen law is not understood solely as fixed boundaries. <br />
It is understood through **relationship, responsibility, use, stewardship, and adaawx**, carried by houses (*wilp*) and recognized through ayaawx.<br />
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== Understanding Territory in Ts’msyen Law ==<br />
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Territory is governed through:<br />
* wilp stewardship<br />
* clan relationships<br />
* named places<br />
* travel routes<br />
* harvesting areas<br />
* feast recognition<br />
* shared and overlapping use<br />
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Territorial authority is relational, not abstract.<br />
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== Skeena River and Inland Territories ==<br />
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The Skeena River is a central artery of Ts’msyen life.<br />
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Inland territories include:<br />
* riverbanks and tributaries<br />
* fishing sites and camps<br />
* canyon and plateau areas<br />
* inland travel corridors<br />
* seasonal harvesting grounds<br />
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Communities such as **Kitselas** and **Kitsumkalum** are closely associated with these inland and river-based territories.<br />
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== Coastal and Estuarine Territories ==<br />
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Coastal Ts’msyen territories extend across:<br />
* the Skeena estuary<br />
* tidal flats and shorelines<br />
* nearshore marine areas<br />
* islands and inlets<br />
* saltwater travel routes<br />
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These territories support fishing, trade, diplomacy, and inter-Nation relations.<br />
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Communities such as **Lax Kw’alaams (Port Simpson)**, **Gitxaala (Kitkatla)**, and **Gitga’at (Hartley Bay)** are strongly associated with coastal and marine territories.<br />
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== House-Based Stewardship ==<br />
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Territory is primarily held and exercised through **houses (wilp)**.<br />
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Each wilp:<br />
* carries responsibility for specific places<br />
* holds adaawx tied to land and waters<br />
* governs use and access through law<br />
* answers for stewardship failures<br />
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Tribes coordinate territory, but wilp carry it.<br />
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== Shared and Overlapping Territories ==<br />
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Ts’msyen territories include areas of:<br />
* shared use between houses<br />
* seasonal overlap<br />
* inter-tribal cooperation<br />
* negotiated access<br />
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These relationships are governed by protocol, not force.<br />
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Overlap does not mean absence of law.<br />
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== Travel, Trade, and Connection ==<br />
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Ts’msyen territory includes:<br />
* river routes<br />
* ocean passages<br />
* portage trails<br />
* trade corridors<br />
* diplomatic pathways<br />
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Movement through territory has always been regulated by relationship, permission, and responsibility.<br />
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== Southern and Related Coastal Relationships ==<br />
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Ts’msyen people maintain long-standing relationships with neighboring coastal Nations.<br />
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Communities such as **Kitasoo / Xai’xais (Klemtu)** are distinct Nations, yet have historic connections through travel, trade, intermarriage, and shared maritime law.<br />
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These relationships are governed through protocol and mutual respect.<br />
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== Boundaries and Recognition ==<br />
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Territorial recognition occurs through:<br />
* feast witnessing<br />
* adaawx<br />
* historical use<br />
* inter-house acknowledgment<br />
* continued stewardship<br />
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Maps may assist understanding, but they do not replace Ts’msyen law.<br />
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== Modern Communities and Territory ==<br />
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Today, Ts’msyen people live in multiple communities, including:<br />
* Lax Kw’alaams (Port Simpson)<br />
* Kitselas<br />
* Kitsumkalum<br />
* Gitxaala (Kitkatla)<br />
* Gitga’at (Hartley Bay)<br />
* Metlakatla (BC)<br />
* Metlakatla (Alaska)<br />
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Residence does not extinguish territorial relationship.<br />
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== Territory as Living Responsibility ==<br />
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Ts’msyen territory is not static or abandoned.<br />
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It remains living law through:<br />
* continued use<br />
* stewardship obligations<br />
* ceremony and feast<br />
* intergenerational teaching<br />
* assertion of ayaawx jurisdiction<br />
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Territory endures because responsibility endures.</div>Amusterer