A lesson in Territorial Acknowledgments

At the beginning of this fall semester I was asked to do a territorial acknowledgment to represent the Terrace Cohort of students honouring the territory of which our campus resides. This was some of the most important, valuable and relevant learnings that I have undertook since moving to Terrace B.C. I realized that in accepting the responsibility to do so it also became my responsibility to do it in the right way which honoured my Tsimshian heritage and the Tsimshian people. I needed help. I reached out and asked questions to learn about the territory I had been studying and living on. I started to learn the Sm’algya̱x language to honour the protocols of our people. This was beautiful and unexpected learning that will stick with me for a lifetime as I roll into the future acknowledging my matrilineal and patrilineal lineages while respectfully learning about where I work, live and play. Please see below the results of my studies:

UNBC Territory Acknowledgment

Sm’gyigyet (Chiefs)

Sigidm hana’na̱x (Matriarchs)

Lik’agigyet (Councillors to the chiefs)

K’abawaalsik (Children of rank)

Ḵ’abatłguułk (All the children)

Ada txa’nii na gyeda galt’sap (And all the people of the village)

Gidin Jaad hanuu dii kiiGa ga. (Eagle Woman is my name)

Dii k’uustak ga. (I am an eagle)

Naa’Yuwans Xaaydagaay ad uu dii kiiGawa ga. (I belong to the big house people)

Wiiganaads id Gan k’uulaga. (Sidney Crosby is my chief)

Gidin Jaad dii awGa uu iijii. ( Eagle Woman Carol Crosby is my mother.

Erica Reid di waayu (Erica Reid is my name).

William Ryan waa di nagwaadu (William Ryan is my father).

Lax Kw’allams di wil waatgit (He is from Lax Kw’allams).

Ts’msyen ada Haida’nu (I am Tsimshian and Haida)

Lax yuubm Ts’msyen a Lax Gyibuum Gitsmḵ’eelm gwa̱’a̱. (This is the territory of the Wolf Clan of Kitsumkalum)

T’oyaxsut ‘nüüsm da Ts’msyenm Sm’gyigyet ada Sigidm Hana’na̱x a Lax Gyibuum Gitsmḵ’eelm (thank you to their chiefs and matriarch) for allowing us the privilege of being in their unceded territory.

I honour my matrilineal lineage by introducing myself with my traditional name, clan name and chief’s name in Xaayda Kil which is the southern dialect of the Haida Language.

I honour my patrilineal lineage with a protocol speech, acknowledging my father’s lineage, and the territorial acknowledgment in Sm’algya̱x.

Sm’algyax is the language spoken by the Tsimshian people and their communities mostly in coastal British Columbia and in the far south of Alaska spanning the villages of Kitselas, Kitsumkalum, Lax Kw’Alaams, Metlakatla BC, Metlakatla Alaska, Kitkatla, Gitga’at at Hartley Bay, and Kitasoo at Klemtu.

As we meet today I would like to acknowledge that our Terrace cohort and I are learning on the unceded Ts’msyen territory of Lax Yuubm Lax Gyibuu (Wolf Clan territory) of the Kitsumkalum people. Unceded meaning never surrendered in war, treaty, or any other means of relinquishing ownership. I personally would like to acknowledge Sm Łoodm ‘Nüüsm (Dr. Mique’l Dangeli), Adjunct Professor of First Nations Studies at UNBC for her language support and cultural teachings which are among her many gifts.