| Laxgalts'ap Greenville |
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Laxgalts'ap
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Established | |
| Government | |
| • Governing body | Nisga'a Lisims Government |
| Population | |
| • Total | 474 |
| Time zone | PST (UTC−8) |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC−7) |
| Postal code | VOJ 3T0 |
| Area code(s) | 250 |
Laxg̱alts'ap (also Laxqalts'ap, and formerly Lachkaltsap[1] or Greenville) is a Nisga'a Village of approximately 474, in the Nass River valley of British Columbia, Canada. It is one of the four main villages in the Nisga'a Lisims, the formal name for their territory, and is situated on the north side of the Nass River between Gitwinksihlkw to the east and Gingolx to the west. It is approximately 24 km from where the Nass empties into the Pacific Ocean at Nass Bay. Road access is via the Nisga'a Highway.
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In the Nisga'a language, Laxgalts'ap translates to "village on village"-- the current village was built on the site of a much older one.[2]
The older village at this site, known as Gitxat'in, was destroyed by fire.[3]
Laxgalts'ap got its English name of Greenville (pron. GREN-vill)[4] from Methodist Missionary Alfred Green, who was based here in the late 19th Century.[5]
Until reconstituted as a Nisga'a Village in 2000 by the terms of the Nisga'a Treaty, Laxgalts'ap was formerly Lachkaltsap Indian Reserve No. 9.[6]
The museum is a project of the Nisga'a Lisims Government. It opened in the spring of 2011. It is to be a place for display of Nisga'a artifacts, sharing traditions and ideas, and a centre for research and learning.[7] Many of the artifacts will be from the approximately 300 artifacts being returned from the Royal British Columbia Museum and the Canadian Museum of Civilization.[8][9] The facility will comprise 10,000 square feet (930 m2) with the only Class A climate-controlled gallery space in British Columbia's northwest.[10] Its architecture emulates traditional Nisga'a forms: the floor plan a feast bowl, the cross section a traditional long house, and the roof a canoe. The canoe form itself is also a reference to the motto for the Nisga'a Treaty signing, “our canoe has landed.”.[11]
The community is served by School District 92 Nisga'a and hosts Alvin A. McKay Elementary School. The secondary school is in Gitlakdamix.