Introduction

Fishery Bay is located on the Nass River. Every season it is home to many Nisga'a oolichan camps. This project describes Fishery Bay.

Ts'im K'ol'hl Da oots'ip (Fishery Bay)

Since time immemorial, Fishery Bay has been the location of an annual oolichan fishery for the Nisga'a. It is located along the Nass River, approximately 5 miles down river from Laxgalts'ap (Greenville) and 25 miles up river from Gingolx (Kincolith). The Nisga'a people gather here every winter and early spring to catch the oolichan that come up the Nass River to spawn.

Figure 1: Location of Fishery Bay

While most maps refer to it as Fishery Bay, it officially became Ts'im K'ol'hl Da oots'ip (sim-kol DAW-AW zip), meaning "behind the fortress," as per the Nisga'a Treaty, 2000.

Historically, there were wars and conflicts along the Nass River. A huge rock in the area became a place of protection against raiding neighbouring parties. Many fights took place, especially when visiting tribes were not on friendly terms with the Nisga'a. (Collison, 1941) The name, Ts'im K'ol'hl Da oots'ip, refers to the bay, a traditional village and an oolichan fishing site is located.

The tribes who were on good terms with the Nisga'a Nation, for example through intermarriage, were allowed to lease pieces of territory with permission from the Nisga'a Chief.

More peaceful times exist today and the Nisga'a people still preserve oolichan for their family. Trade of oolichan continues to be an important part of Nisga'a culture. Although no longer trading for furs, oolichan still may be traded for other forms of foods harvested by Coastal Nations.

Because it is located 25 miles upstream of Gingolx and 25 miles downstream of Gitlakdamix (New Aiyansh), Ts'im K'ol'hl Da oots'ip is central to the Nisga'a Nation. However, Ts'im K'ol'hl Da oots'ip has only recently become home to the Nisga'a people. A change in fishing technology enabled the fisherman to move to wider stretches of the river closer to the sea.

In the past oolichan were fished from canoes in the shallow areas of the middle reaches of the Nass using a k'idaa or oolichan rake.' K'idaa looked like a very big comb; the teeth are about one inch apart. They stand in the boat and dip it into the water and shake the oolichans into the canoes.' (Nisga'a Tribal Council, 1995)

People didn't live (concentrated all together) in Fishery Bay before. It was just recently that they camped there. They camped at Anki'daa and Ginluulak and Gwinwok, also at Lax Lo'op. These are the places the Nisga'as camped to make their food (during the oolichan fishery). (Nisga'a elder, Gade'elibim Hayatskw [Rufus Watts])

As Fishery Bay developed, many semi-permanent camps were set up, and it became a very busy place to live at oolichan season. 'Even under normal conditions this unpretentious fishing village, deserted for most of the year, almost overnight presents a scene of extraordinary and ever-varying interest.' Even more interesting is that there was a church constructed to serve the people while they lived there.

Greenville stayed on the northern side, Aiyansh people beside them, then on the southern end the Kincolith people. In those days they had boundaries for each village. The Kincolith and Aiyansh people were mixed together. ([Simidiiks] Lewis McKay)

Providing Access for Other Wilps (Houses)

Although the laws of trespass were rigidly enforced, they did not preclude against the sharing of resources on one wilp's ango'oskw with other people. For other people to use the ango'oskw, what was required was the simple recognition of the Wilp's rights to control and manage the harvests on their own land and the primary interests of the wilp to the resources on its lands. (Nisga'a Tribal Council, 1995)

The majority of the families situated at Ts'im K'ol'hl Da oots'ip were of the Nisga'a Nation, but there are others that travel to this camp to harvest their oolichan grease. A small group of individuals from Lax Kw'alaams, (Port Simpson) travel to Fishery Bay every year to harvest the oolichan for grease.

The village of Lax Kw'alaams (35 miles North of Prince Rupert, British Columbia), is located on the original site of the Hudson's Bay Company Fort, which was established in 1834. This fort was situated on the Nass River, but due to stormy weather and other factors, it moved to its current location, and was renamed Port Simpson.

People of the Nisga'a Nation who work at Fishery Bay say that there is a story about how the individuals from Port Simpson got their camping site at Ts'im K'ol'hl Da oots'ip, however it is a story that we will leave to them to tell.

The tribes from the upper Skeena, that were on good terms with the Nisga'a (through intermarriage and speaking almost the same language), were allowed to have a permanent encampment of their own near the fishery. (Collison, 1941)

People from the Interior of British Columbia brought furs to pay for the right to fish and also for the use of nets, equipment, and shelter during the season. 'Where the oolichan throng, the favoured fishing spots were valued even above hunting grounds. Many were ancestral rights, and carried an obligation of generosity. Such sites could be leased. Indians came from long distances to the favourable fishing spots, and bought temporary rights to fish and render the oil.' (Harrington, 1953)

References

Collison, W.H. (1941) The Oolachan Fishery Vancouver, BC

Harrington, Lyn. (1953, March). Trail of the Candlefish. The Beaver Magazine Of The North. (pp.40-44).

Nisga'a Tribal Council. (1995) The Land and Resources: Traditional Nisga'a Systems of Land Use and Ownership. Ayuukhl Nisga'a Study Volume IV. Wilp Wilxo'oskwhl Nisga'a Publications.

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