Tsimshian

American  

[tsim-shee-uhn] / ˈtsɪm ʃi ən /

noun

plural

Tsimshians,

plural

Tsimshian

1. a member of a group of Indigenous peoples of the coastal region of British Columbia and Annette Island, Alaska.

2. the languages of the Tsimshian, sometimes considered part of the Penutian family.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Tsimshian or their languages.

Tsimshian British  

/ ˈtʃɪmʃɪən /

noun

1. a member of a Native Canadian people of northern British Columbia

2. the Penutian language of this people

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Etymology

Origin of Tsimshian

First recorded in 1830–40; from Tsimshian; literally, “inside the Skeena River”; see Skeena ( def. )

Example Sentences

The bakery is owned and operated by the Gitxaała Nation, one of the Indigenous Tsimshian communities whose ancestral lands stretch across this coastal region.

From Salon • Jul. 20, 2025

Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian master carvers will carve their poles in communities around the Southeast, teaching apprentices the art.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 28, 2021

So far, most of his roles have been tied to his heritage which is predominately Navajo plus Hidatsa, Mandan and Tsimshian.

From The Guardian • Aug. 23, 2018

Next to him stands an imposing example of an actual copper, of either Haida or Tsimshian origin, dated 1840-60.

From New York Times • Sep. 7, 2017

In the Tsimshian, Kwakiutl, Nootka, Ntlakyapamuq, four Indian languages of British Columbia, the words for "father" when addressed, are respectively a'bo, ats, no'we, pap, and for "father" in other cases, nEgua'at, au'mp, nuwe'k'so, ska'tsa.

From The Child and Childhood in Folk-Thought Studies of the Activities and Influences of the Child Among Primitive Peoples, Their Analogues and Survivals in the Civilization of To-Day by Chamberlain, Alexander F.