Haisla

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The Haisla (also Xa’islak’ala, X̄a’islak̕ala, X̌àʔislak̕ala, X̄a’islak’ala, X̣aʔislak’ala, Xa'islak'ala) are a First Nations people living at Kitamaat in the North Coast region of the Canadian province of British Columbia. Their indigenous Haisla language is named after them. The name Haisla is derived from the Haisla word x̣àʔisla or x̣àʔisəla '(those) living at the rivermouth, living downriver'.

Kitimaat Village, the Haisla reserve, is a short 20 minute drive south of the town of Kitimat at the head of the Douglas Channel, a 90-km (56-mi) ford that serves as saltwater corridor that connects the community and the town and port of Kitimat, which is the site of the aluminum smelter of Alcan Incorporateed, to the Pacific Ocean.

The government of the Haisla people is the Haisla Nation. Its offices are located in Kitimat, British Columbia.

[edit] Cultural Repatriation

In 2006, the Haisla First Nation repatriated a sacred totem pole from Sweden's Museum of Ethnography, after a lengthy international campaign. [1] Their successful efforts were documented in a film by Aboriginal filmmaker Gil Cardinal, entitled Totem: The Return of the G'psgolox Pole. [2]

[edit] Language

Main article: Haisla language

Haisla is a North Wakashan (Kwakiutlan) language spoken by several hundred people. Haisla is geographically the northernmost Wakashan language. Its nearest Wakashan neighbor is Oowekyala. Haisla is related to the other North Wakashan languages, Oowekyala, Heiltsuk, and Kwak'wala. The Haisla language consists of two dialects, sometimes defined as sublanguages - Kitamaat and Kitlope (also known as X̣enaksialak’ala)