Kitselas, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Kitselas, also Kitsalas, is an unincorporated settlement, otherwise known as Kitselas Indian Reserve No. 1 of the Kitselas
subgroup of the Tsimshian
people lcoated on the Skeena River
in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. Kitselas means "people of the village at the canyon" in the Tsimshian language. The band government of the Kitselas people is the Kitselas First Nation
, headquartered at Gitaus, another location within the canyon.
The name is also that of the Canadian National Railway
point in this area. It originally was to be named, or was proposed to be named "Vanarsdol" for C.C. Van Arsdoll, an engineer for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
who was responsible for construction of its route through the Rocky Mountains. His nickname was "Four-tenths Van", earned as a result of his famous ultimatum to surveyors that the grade of the railway route was not to exceed four-tenths of one percent.
Kitselas
Kitselas, Kitsalas or Gits'ilaasü are one of the 14 tribes of the Tsimshian nation of British Columbia, in northwestern Canada. The original name Gits'ilaasü means "people of the canyon." The tribe is situated at Kitselas, British Columbia, at the upper end of Kitselas Canyon, which is on the...
subgroup of the Tsimshian
Tsimshian
The Tsimshian are an indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Tsimshian translates to Inside the Skeena River. Their communities are in British Columbia and Alaska, around Terrace and Prince Rupert and the southernmost corner of Alaska on Annette Island. There are approximately 10,000...
people lcoated on the Skeena River
Skeena River
The Skeena River is the second longest river entirely within British Columbia, Canada . The Skeena is an important transportation artery, particularly for the Tsimshian and the Gitxsan - whose names mean "inside the Skeena River" and "people of the Skeena River" respectively, and also during the...
in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. Kitselas means "people of the village at the canyon" in the Tsimshian language. The band government of the Kitselas people is the Kitselas First Nation
Kitselas First Nation
Kitselas First Nation is the band government of the Kitselas subgroup of the Tsimshian. The band government is based at Gitaus in the Skeena Valley in the Skeena River valley to the northeast of the city of Terrace, British Columbia, Canada...
, headquartered at Gitaus, another location within the canyon.
The name is also that of the Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
point in this area. It originally was to be named, or was proposed to be named "Vanarsdol" for C.C. Van Arsdoll, an engineer for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was a historical Canadian railway.A wholly owned subsidiary of the Grand Trunk Railway , the GTPR was constructed by GTR using loans provided by the Government of Canada. The company was formed in 1903 with a mandate to build west from Winnipeg, Manitoba to the...
who was responsible for construction of its route through the Rocky Mountains. His nickname was "Four-tenths Van", earned as a result of his famous ultimatum to surveyors that the grade of the railway route was not to exceed four-tenths of one percent.