Tsimshian

noun

Tsim·​shi·​an ˈchim-shē-ən 

ˈ(t)si-

1

plural Tsimshian or Tsimshians : a member of a group of First Nations peoples of west central British Columbia and southern Alaska

2

: the family of closely related languages spoken by the Tsimshian peoples

Examples of Tsimshian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Yet when the English arrived, the Tsimshian were declared British subjects and their land claimed as property of the Crown. —David James, Anchorage Daily News, 1 July 2023

Itineraries include visits to small Alaska Native villages like Kake (home to the Tlingit), Kasaan (Haida), and Metlakatla (Tsimshian), where there’s often a local guide to give a brief history lesson, totem and clan house tours, as well as performances. —Bailey Berg, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Oct. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Tsimshian (Coast and Southern Tsimshian languages) c̓msyan, a self-designation, literally, inside the Skeena (River)

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1