MAPS & PLACE NAMES

MAPS & PLACE NAMES

INITIATION DRAFT — Master index for Tsm̱syen geographic knowledge: watersheds, wilp territories, ancient names, harvesting places, migration routes, and adawx-linked locations. This section will grow to become the geographic backbone of Luudisk.

Overview

Tsm̱syen place names are not labels — they are:

• adawx in geographic form,
• maps of territory and responsibility,
• indicators of harvesting rights,
• memory of migrations,
• teachings embedded in the land,
• proof of sovereignty.

Each name carries:

• a story,
• a House connection,
• a meaning,
• a pronunciation,
• and a location that matters to the wilp.

This index will become a living map of our homeland.

How This Section Works

This section is divided into key categories:

1. **Watersheds & River Systems** 2. **Mountains, Passes, & Trails** 3. **Villages (Ancient & Modern)** 4. **Feasting Houses and Named Poles** 5. **Harvesting Places** 6. **Seasonal Camps** 7. **Burial Sites and Grave Marker Protocols** 8. **Trade Routes & Migration Paths** 9. **Sacred & Restricted Areas** 10. **Contested or Encroached Areas (Industry)** 11. **Restored or Revived Place Names** 12. **Wilp-Specific Maps** 13. **Watershed Governance Maps** 14. **Google Earth / GE Studio Visual Overlays**

Each category will eventually contain:

• maps,
• coordinates,
• pronunciation audio,
• links to adawx,
• harvesting rights,
• and wilp relationships.

Purpose of This Section

This section supports:

• youth education,
• sovereignty and governance,
• land protection,
• reclamation of place names,
• legal cases (like CN spraying),
• boundary discussions,
• feast introductions and speeches,
• cultural rebuilding.

The land remembers us — this section helps us remember the land.

INITIAL CATEGORY LIST (14 ITEMS)

Below are the **14 starter entries** to begin populating.

1. Watersheds & River Systems

• Ksiyeen (Skeena River)
• Gitsalasu Canyon
• Kalum River / K’ḵa̱lgu
• Khyex River
• Lakelse River
• Zymotiz River
• Kitsumkalum Lake
• Ging̱olx – Nass River (boundary relevance)

2. Mountains & Passes

• Tahltan Pass
• Kitselas Canyon Overlook
• Sleeping Beauty Range
• Mount Layton

3. Villages (Ancient & Modern)

• Gitlaxdzawk (Kitselas)
• Gitx̱sixła / Gitsalasu
• Kitsumkalum / Laxgalts’ap
• Port Essington (spoke Tsm̱syen)
• Metlakatla

4. Harvesting & Food Sites

• Oolichan Grounds – Ksiyeen
• Berry Grounds of the Kalum Valley
• Halibut Banks of Tsim̱syen Coast
• Clam Beds – Lower Skeena
• Seaweed Camps (s’g̱a’n)

5. Seasonal Camps

• Spring Grease Camps
• Summer Salmon Camps
• Fall Berry Camps
• Winter Feasting Villages

6. Burial Sites & Protocol Areas

• Headstone Territories
• Ancient Grave Poles Locations

7. Trade Routes

• Grease Trails (Between Ksiyeen and Interior)
• Coastal Canoe Routes to Gitga’ata and Gitxaala
• Interior Exchange Paths

8. Sacred & Restricted Areas

• Adaawx-Sites Requiring Permission
• Healing Waters / Medicine Places
• Former Longhouse Grounds

9. Contested or Impacted Areas

• CN Rail Corridor – Herbicide Damage Sites
• Pipeline Right-of-Way Areas
• Industrial Logging Zones
• Rail, Road, Hydro Corridors

10. Reclaimed & Restored Names

• Restoring Sm’algya̱x Place Names Project
• Youth Pronunciation Map
• Google Earth Storytelling Trails

11. Wilp Territory Maps

• Wilp K’oom
• Wilp Gamlakyeltxw
• Wilp Ha’miyaa
• Wilp Wii Gyet _(placeholder names — adjust as needed)_

12. GE Studio Visual Overlays

• 3D Canyon Flyover
• Skeena River Canoe POV Map
• Old Villages Overlay (B&W Transparency)
• Adawx Route Animations

Notes

INITIATION DRAFT — This section will grow with each House, story, and place name added. Youth will eventually be able to click a name, see the map, hear pronunciation, and read its adawx connection.