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

A member of the Alaska Tsimshian tribe, he’s written a book under his tribal storyteller name, Ravenspeaker.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 26, 2023

He was greeted warmly, too, in Metlakatla, where he received a welcome in the Tsimshian language.

From Washington Times • Apr. 29, 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

The meanings assigned to the Tsimshian 8 and to Bilqula 6 to 8 are conjectural. 307Hale, Ethnography and Philology, p.

From The Number Concept Its Origin and Development by Conant, Levi Leonard