Tsimshian

American  

[tsim-shee-uhn] / ˈtsɪm ʃi ən /

noun

Tsimshians plural

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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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• Tsimshian
  plural
• Tsimshians
  plural

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

This summer, the Sealaska Heritage Institute will open its new Arts Campus, where visitors can experience Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian art with basketry, textile weaving and printmaking programs.

From Seattle Times • May 5, 2022

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

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.