People of the Saltwater

An Ethnography of Git lax m'oon

Charles R. Menzies

• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN: 9780803288089
• eBook ISBN: 9781496200518
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: Social Sciences

A 2017 Choice Outstanding Academic Title In People of the Saltwater, Charles R. Menzies explores the history of an ancient Tsimshian community, focusing on the people and their enduring place in the modern world. The Gitxaa?a Nation has called the rugged north coast of British Columbia home for millennia, proudly maintaining its territory and traditional way of life. People of the Saltwater first outlines the social and political relations that constitute Gitxaa?a society. Although these traditionalist relations have undergone change, they have endured through colonialism and the emergence of the industrial capitalist economy. It is of fundamental importance to this society to link its past to its present in all spheres of life, from its understanding of its hereditary leaders to the continuance of its ancient ceremonies. Menzies then turns to a discussion ofan economy based on natural-resource extraction by examining fisheries and their central importance to the Gitxaa?as' cultural roots. Not only do these fisheries support the Gitxaa?a Nation economically, they also serve as a source of distinct cultural identity. Menzies's firsthand account describes the group's place within cultural anthropology and the importance of its lifeways, traditions, and histories in nontraditional society today.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• List of Illustrations
• Introduction
• 1. Git lax m’oon
• 2. Smgigyet
• 3. Laxyuup
• 4. Adaawx
• 5. Sihoon
• 6. Tskah, Xs’waanx
• 7. Bilhaa
• 8. Hoon
• Conclusion
• Notes
• References
• Index
• About Charles R. Menzies
• Illustrations