The Nisga’a (pronounced nisqa), often formerly spelled Nishga and spelled in the Nisga’a language as Nisga’a, are an Indigenous nation or First Nation in Canada. They live in the Nass River valley of northwestern British Columbia. Their name comes from a combination of two Nisga’a words: Nisk’-“top lip” and Tl’ak’-“bottom lip”. This term was used because K’alii-aksim Lisims (Nass River Valley) is so bountiful that many living creatures come to it to feed. The Nisga’a saw that every living creature used its Nisk’ and Tl’ak’ to eat, therefore… Nisga’a!
The Nisga’a people number about 6,000. In British Columbia, the Nisga’a Nation is represented by four Villages: Gitlakdamix (New Aiyansh), Gitwinksihlkw (Canyon City), Laxgalts’ap (Greenville), Gingolx (Kincolith).
The government bodies of the Nisga’a include the Nisga’a Lisims Government, the government of the Nisga’a Nation, and the Nisga’a Village Governments, one for each of the four Nisga’a Villages. The Nisga’a Lisims Government is embodied in the Wilp Si’Ayuukhl Nisga’a and located in in the Nisga’s Lisims Government Building in Gitlakdamix.
Text adapted from Wikipedia’s article on the Nisga’a people