People of the river of the mist

Some 300 km east of the northern coastal city of Prince Rupert, B. C., on a grassy flat on the eastern bank of the Bulkley River, near where the waters of the Bulkley mix with those of the Skeena River to journey together towards the Pacific Ocean, sit six cedar long-houses constructed according to the ancient traditions of the original people of the region.

The 'Ksan Historical Village and Museum is a museum in the sense that artifacts are housed and displayed in exhibits which are arranged so that paying customers can view them and learn about the history of the Gitxsan people, but 'Ksan is more than just a museum, and the word "artifact" hardly does justice to what awaits inside.

Laurel Mould, the executive director of the association which manages 'Ksan for its owners, the Gitanmaax band, calls the village a "living museum." She calls the items which are on display there "material culture." She needs new words to distinguish 'Ksan from conventional museums because her people are still in touch with - and in many ways are still living according to - their ancient culture and traditions. Words associated with museums tend to relegate the artifacts they feature to the distant past, to a time and a world which are no more.

Aboriginal ceremonies were outlawed for many years in the province. Items attached to traditional life were confiscated by the government. The Gitxsan people, like most of the Indigenous peoples of the area now called British Columbia, fought fiercely to preserve their cultural identity. Their pride, not only in their traditional way of life but also in their successful struggle to maintain their identity, is reflected in every aspect of 'Ksan.

Looking after articles produced by an ancient culture that has survived attacks from destructive outside influences is not part of a typical museum employee's job description. But, because it's her culture that she's helping to preserve, Mould's work is very important to her. She said a part of 'Ksan's function is to educate the 50,000 annual visitors about Aboriginal history, something that education systems in mainstream society have failed to do.

"For 70 years our feasting system was outlawed, and it's not ancient history. This happened very recently. When people understand how recent it is, they're quite shocked," the Gitxsan woman said, adding that her community's leaders believe the on-going fight for social justice for Aboriginal people can only be won when non-Aboriginal Canadians become educated about the historical wrongs perpetrated by their governments.

"I tell all our tour guides 'If you send one person down the path with a better understanding of the Gitxsan people, you've done a good job today,' " Mould said.

There are seven Gitxsan villages located within a 50-kilometre radius of 'Ksan. Just minutes from the museum is the thriving and picturesque village of Hazelton. To reach 'Ksan, drivers must head south from the Yellowhead Highway at New Hazelton and cross a one-lane bridge which spans the Bulkley River. Surrounded by what the Gitxsan people refer to as the "friendly" mountains of the interior, the scenery in the region is breath-taking.

In Gitxsanimx, the Indigenous language of the region, the prefix git means "people of." The word ksan (or xsan as Gitxsan linguists suggest it should be spelled) a change Mould said will probably happen in the not-to-distant future, means "river of the mist." The Gitxsan people call themselves the "people of the river of the mist" or "the people of the Skeena River."

The idea of creating a storage place for priceless and irreplaceable cultural material first arose in the region during the 1940s. After several more modest ventures served the purpose for many years, the full-scale traditional village opened its doors on Aug. 12, 1970. Six cedar buildings, housing a carving shed and workshop, an artists' studio, a sales shop and three long-houses used for a variety of cultural purposes, ae flanked by a varied collection of totem poles.

Recent federal and provincial funding cuts convinced the board of 'Ksan Historical Village, one of the finest displays of Indigenous culture anywhere, to run their $400,000-a-year operation without any government help. This year, 'Ksan generated 98 per cent of its own funding. The goal is 100 per cent.

Although Mould is proud of 'Ksan's financial independence, she said the government funding cuts were a little hard to swallow.

"Much of our regalia is in museums all over the world," the Gitxsan woman said. "It was sold by Canadian governments after it was confiscated. If we want it, we have to buy it back."