The Haisla Nation is the band government of the Haisla people in the North Coast region of the Canadian province of British Columbia, centred on the reserve community of Kitamaat Village, which is near the similarly named town of Kitimat. The traditional territory of the Haisla Nation is situated along the Douglas Channel Region of Kitimat of British Columbia’s north coast and includes the Kitlope Valley which is rich in natural resources, especially salmon.
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Ethnographic composition
The Haisla Nation includes two once-separate peoples, the Kitamaat and the Kitlope. The Kitlope, also spelled Gitlope, means "people of the rocks" or "people from the opening in the mountains" in the Tsimshian language and was the term used for them by the neighbouring Tsimshian people. They call themselves Henaksiala, while the Tsimshian meaning of the name for the Kitamaat group – whose name for themselves is Haisla – is "people of the snow".
Despite their common names being in Tsimshian, the Haisla people speak the Haisla language, and were, like their language and along with the neighbouring Heiltsuk and Wuikinuxv peoples, incorrectly known in the past as the "Northern Kwakiutl". The community is renowned for its delicious eulachon grease, and has produced many talented West Coast artists such as Derek Wilson, Henry Robertson, Barry Wilson, Lyle Wilson and Sammy Robinson. The Haisla Braves still hold the longest winning record in the All Native Basketball Tournament in Prince Rupert, B.C. from the 1970s.
Modern Haisla culture
Award winning fiction writer Eden Robinson and her sister, CBC broadcaster Carla Robinson are part of the Haisla and Heiltsuk Nations.
The Haisla also made history with the return of the Gyp'sgolox Totem Pole in 2006, which was taken from their territory in 1929 and put into the Museum of Ethnography in Sweden. Two National Film Board of Canada documentaries by Gil Cardinal record the Haisla's efforts to reclaim the Gyp'sgolox pole, and its eventual return.
Kitamaat Village has a large recreation centre, health centre, elementary school, band office, seafood restaurant, fire hall, dock, camp ground and soccer field.
Hereditary clans of this nation are Beaver, Raven, Eagle,and Black Fish (killer whale)
Chief and Councillors
Chief Councillor: Ellis Ross Deputy Chief Councillor: Taylor Cross Councillor: Lucille Harms Councillor: Kevin Stewart Councillor: Willard Grant Councillor: Fred Ringham Councillor: Margaret Grant Councillor: Crystal Smith Councillor: Trevor Martin Councillor: Ray(Sonny) Green Councillor: Brenda Duncan
Language
http://www.firstvoices.com/en/Haisla
Economic Development
In an article in Alberta Oil Magazine the Haisla band were described as "decidedly pro-business." The Haisla supported a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export project proposed by Apache Canada Ltd.. They also gained equity B.C. LNG Export Co-operative.
The Douglas Channel region has been targeted as tidewater for oil and gas export.
Douglas Channel Energy Partners (DCEP)
In 2004 the Houston-based firm approached the corporate arm of Haisla council regarding a potential construction project for a barge-based LNG facility. In 2011 HN DC LNG LP, a limited partnership established was formed to benefit the Haisla Nation. HNLP was created to provide the Haisla Nation a vehicle through which to pursue and otherwise engage in the liquefied natural gas industry in Western Canada. In February 2012 the National Energy Board approved the LNG co-op’s project, "which will export up to 26 million tonnes of the supercooled gas over 20 years, with a single train that can process 125 million cubic feet of gas per day slated to begin operations in 2013."
Enbridge Northern Gateway
Kitimaat Village on Haisla First Nation traditional land would be the location of the Kitimat terminus, the tidewater, where oils sands' raw bitumen would be loaded onto Pacific Ocean supertankers if Enbridge's Northern Gateway pipeline project is approved.
Education and Culture
Cultural activities and education in the Haisla Nation include: