Lax Kw’alaams Band

Tsimshian Peninsula

The Allied Tribes of Lax Kw’alaams are comprised of 9 of the 14 tribes of the Tsimshian Nation - Giluts’aaw, Ginandoiks, Ginaxangiik, Gispaxlo’ots, Gitando, Gitlaan, Gits’iis, Gitwilgyoots, and Gitzaxlaal.

Lax Kw'alaams Community. Photo courtesy of Lax Kw’alaams Band

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The Lax Kw’alaams community is located on the Tsimshian Peninsula near Prince Rupert, BC

Lax Kw’alaams Band

Lax Kw’alaams derives its name from Laxlgu’alaams, which means “island of the wild roses.”

In 1834, the Hudson Bay Company made the site a trading post, originally named Fort Simpson and later changed to Port Simpson.

Lax Kw’alaams was the first Aboriginal community in BC to officially change its anglicised name to its Aboriginal name, from Port Simpson to Lax Kw’alaams.

See Projects

Lax Kw'alaams looking across the bridge to Rose Island. Photo by Edward Dossetter, courtesy of The Bill Reid Centre for Northwest Coast Studies Archive and Lax Kw'alaams — Lax Kw’alaams looking across the bridge to Rose Island. Photo by Edward Dossetter, courtesy of The Bill Reid Centre for Northwest Coast Studies Archive and Lax Kw’alaams

The traditional economy of the Lax Kw’alaams was based on fishing, hunting and trapping with each of the 9 tribes having their own distinct tribal lands. Each tribe had exclusive use and control of all natural resources within their boundaries. If another Nation wanted to use resources or conduct trade within the area, they had to receive permission from the tribe and often had to pay what amounted to a tax for those privileges.

Marine resources remain at the heart of the Lax Kw’alaams Nation, with Coast Tsimshian Seafood offering full-time employment to over one hundred Lax Kw’alaams members.

The traditional territory of the Nation encompasses part of the Skeena river, which contains important salmon habitat. Protection of marine resources is very important to the Lax Kw’alaams community; the Lax Kw’alaams Fisheries Stewardship Program carries out marine resource monitoring and scientific research that helps to conserve and protect this unique ecosystem.

Lax Kw'alaams Fisheries Stewardship. Photo by Brodie Guy — Lax Kw’alaams Fisheries Stewardship. Photo by Brodie Guy

Lax Kw’alaams Band Projects

In partnership with Coast Funds, Lax Kw’alaams Band has invested in:

First Nation	Applicant	Project	Description	Links	Type	Year	Funding
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Band	Fishing Vessel Upgrades	To support Lax Kw'alaams Fishing Enterprise with upgrades to its wholly owned fishing vessels.		Economic Development Fund	2024	$ 70,486
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Band	Lax Kw’alaams Fisheries Stewardship Program – 2023/24 Operations	To support core salaries and operations of the Fisheries Stewardship Program, including monitoring shellfish biotoxin levels and the associated community outreach program; undertaking eulachon surveys and herring assessment and monitoring of spawn on kelp activities; ongoing salmon monitoring and salmon stream enumeration; and developing an early detection and removal system for the invasive European Green Crab; and monitoring shellfish biotoxin levels.		Conservation Fund	2023	$ 100,000
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Business Development Ltd.	Start-up of Laxyuup Guardian Program	To support the start-up of the Lax Kw'alaams Laxyuup Guardian Program, which will see the Guardians working within the Lands, Resources and Stewardship department to undertake several role and responsibilities related to conservation, research, land monitoring, and overall guardianship and stewardship.		Conservation Fund	2022	$ 278,800
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Business Development Ltd.	CT Marine Tug & Barge Start Up	To invest in a tug and barge operation to strengthen the value chain for the Lax Kw’alaams Business Development companies and ensure essential barge service to the Lax Kwa'alaams Nation.		Economic Development Fund	2022	$ 400,000
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Business Development Ltd.	Lax Kw’alaams Fisheries Stewardship Program – 2021/22 Operations	To support core salaries and operations of the Fisheries Stewardship Program, including monitoring key marine resources in Lax Kw’alaams territory to inform stewardship strategies; continuing subtidal abalone abundance surveys and habitat assessment in Lax Kwaxl Conservancy; continuing the juvenile abalone settlement condos program to promote safe settlement for the species; assessing the abundance of the invasive European Green Crab including at traditional harvest locations; undertaking seaweed composition and biomass assessments; monitoring shellfish biotoxin levels; enumerating spawning salmon; and continuing community marine harvest outreach programs.		Conservation Fund	2021	$ 160,000
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Business Development Ltd.	Lax Kw’alaams Fisheries Stewardship Program – 2020/21 Operations	To support core salaries and operations of the Fisheries Stewardship program, including monitoring key marine resources in Lax Kw’alaams territory; continuing the subtidal abalone abundance surveys and habitat assessment in Lax Kwaxl Conservancy; placing settlement condos to promote safe settlement for juvenile abalone; undertaking an assessment of the abundance of invasive tunicates; undertaking a marine habitat use survey; continuing monitoring programs for shellfish biotoxins; installing a modified fish trap on the Lower Skeena River; and continuing ongoing community outreach programs.		Conservation Fund	2020	$ 160,000
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Business Development Ltd.	Coast Tsimshian Fish Plant – Infrastructure Improvements	To invest in infrastructure improvements of the Coast Tsimshian Fish Plant to support local fishers and seafood processing employees in the community and to save costs on annual maintenance	Project Story Blog Post	Economic Development Fund	2019	$ 578,279
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Business Development Ltd.	Fisheries Stewardship Program – 2019/20 Operations	To support core salaries and operations of the Fisheries Stewardship program, continue juvenile salmonid habitat monitoring in the Skeena River estuary and Chatham Sound; protection of sockeye salmon in the heavily exploited fishing sub-areas 4-12 and 4-15 through enhanced oceans monitoring; conduct dungeness crab biosampling to determine the effect that commercial harvest has on food and ceremonial harvest in Stumaun Bay and Big Bay; continue abalone abundance surveys in Lax Kwaxl Conservancy; and continue shellfish biotoxin monitoring, and community outreach efforts.		Conservation Fund	2019	$ 160,000
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Business Development Ltd.	Fisheries Stewardship Program – 2018/19 Operations	To support operations of the Fisheries Stewardship program, continue juvenile salmonid habitat monitoring in the Skeena River estuary and Chatham Sound; monitor and conduct eulachon enumeration in the Kw'aal-Estall Biodiversity Area and Estall Sparkling Conservancy; continue abalone abundance surveys in Lax Kwaxl Conservancy; and continue crab monitoring, shellfish biotoxin monitoring, and community outreach efforts.		Conservation Fund	2018	$ 160,000
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Business Development Ltd.	Fisheries Stewardship Program – 2017/18 Operations	To support operations of the Fisheries Stewardship program, continue juvenile salmonid habitat monitoring in the Skeena estuary and Chatham Sound, monitor and conduct salmonid enumeration in the Toon, Denise, and Stumaun Creek watersheds, continue larval eulachon distribution surveys in Chatham Sound, and initiate an abalone abundance research pilot in Lax Kwaxl Conservancy		Conservation Fund	2017	$ 270,000
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Business Development Ltd.	Fisheries Stewardship Program – 2016/17 Operations	To support operations of the program, continue juvenile salmonid habitat monitoring in the Skeena estuary and Chatham Sound, to monitor and conduct salmonid enumeration across four systems in Lax Kwaxl (Dundas and Melville Islands) Conservancy, and to integrate traditional use studies and traditional ecological knowledge data with new research and monitoring data to form responses to provincial resource development referrals		Conservation Fund	2016	$ 422,625
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Business Development Ltd.	Smart Community High-Speed Broadband Infrastructure	To invest in high speed broadband internet connectivity throughout the community of Lax Kw'alaams (Port Simpson) to increase the productivity of business operations, improve the security of business information assets, and enable online workforce development training capability for community members		Economic Development Fund	2015	$ 920,295
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Business Development Ltd.	Fisheries Stewardship Program – 2015/16 Operations	To support operations of the program, continue juvenile salmonid habitat monitoring in the Skeena estuary and Chatham Sound, to monitor and conduct research in Lax Kwaxl (Dundas and Melville Islands) Conservancy, and to conduct hydroacoustic surveys in Shawatlan Lake and Georgetown Lake to determine salmon related ecological restoration projects		Conservation Fund	2015	$ 271,200
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Business Development Ltd.	Fisheries Stewardship Program – Research Vessel Upgrade	To improve the field research capacity of the Lax Kw’alaams Fisheries Stewardship Program by upgrading critical research and transportation equipment		Conservation Fund	2014	$ 80,000
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Business Development Ltd.	Fisheries Stewardship Program – 2014/15 Operations	To support operations of the program, continue juvenile salmonid habitat monitoring in the Skeena estuary and Chatham Sound, continue the salmonid harvest monitoring program, and engage in environmental assessment review processes		Conservation Fund	2014	$ 270,000
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Business Development Ltd.	Fisheries Stewardship Program – 2013/14 Operations	To support operations of the program including research in the Skeena estuary to determine patterns of habitat utilization for all species of juvenile salmonids, design and implementation of the Nation's FSC harvest monitoring program for salmonids, and to increase technical mapping capabilities		Conservation Fund	2013	$ 240,000
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Business Development Ltd.	Operating Capital for Coast Tsimshian Seafoods	To provide working capital to bridge short-term funding requirements and facilitate bank financing during the start-up of the Nation's seafood processing facility in Port Simpson	Project Story	Economic Development Fund	2013	$ 250,000
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Business Development Ltd.	Fisheries Stewardship Program – 2012/13 Operations	To support operations of the program including clam bed biomass surveys, establish long term climate and plankton sampling to monitor juvenile salmonids survival in the Skeena River estuary, and increase science and GIS capacity of stewardship staff		Conservation Fund	2012	$ 183,250
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Business Development Ltd.	Redevelopment and Start-up of Coast Tsimshian Seafoods	To invest in major infrastructure improvements to restart operations of the Nation's seafood processing facility in Port Simpson	Project Story	Economic Development Fund	2012	$ 1,250,000
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Business Development Ltd.	Marine Resource Monitoring Program – Start-up	To commence operations of the program including patrolling the traditional territory and monitoring dive fisheries and other high-impact marine activities, developing an operations plan, hiring a training coordinator, and engaging leaders and community members on key resource issues		Conservation Fund	2011	$ 140,607
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Business Development Ltd.	Acquisition of Commercial Property in Prince Rupert	To purchase a centrally located commercial property in downtown Prince Rupert and to consolidate the Nation's operations at the facility		Economic Development Fund	2011	$ 447,000
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Business Development Ltd.	Expansion of H2O Adventures Ltd.	To invest in equipment and marketing in order to expand the business operations of the Nation's whale, grizzly bear, and cultural ecotourism business		Economic Development Fund	2011	$ 90,000
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Business Development Ltd.	Collaborative North Coast Protected Area Management Planning	To collaborate with the Metlakatla Nation on protected area management planning including development of plans for the Lax Kwaxl/Dundas and Melville Islands Conservancy and the K'sgaxl/Stephens Island Conservancy		Conservation Fund	2011	$ 97,588
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Business Development Ltd.	Marine Resource Monitoring Program – Planning	To design a marine-based regional monitoring program, develop a multi-year program implementation plan, and develop a training plan for up to four guardians based on monitoring priorities and staff skill sets		Conservation Fund	2010	$ 65,000
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Business Development Ltd.	Due Diligence for a Commercial Property Acquisition	To complete a market feasibility assessment for a commercial real estate investment opportunity in collaboration with the Metlakatla Nation		Economic Development Fund	2010	$ 7,600
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Business Development Ltd.	Resource Management Office – 2009/10 Expansion	To support operations of the office including development of a strategic plan for the new office, development of conservancy management plans with the Province of British Columbia, and monitoring activities in the marine environment with a focus on the commercial kelp harvest		Conservation Fund	2009	$ 117,000
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Business Development Ltd.	Acquisition of an Ecotourism Company	To acquire H2O Adventures Ltd. and to operate cultural tourism and whale and grizzly bear tours based from Prince Rupert		Economic Development Fund	2009	$ 130,000
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Business Development Ltd.	Coast Tsimshian Mariculture Ltd. – Continued Pilot-Scale Trials	To continue the pilot-scale scallop farm, finalize the corporate structure of the regional shellfish initiative, and transition to full-scale operations by October 2009		Economic Development Fund	2009	$ 50,000
Lax Kw’alaams Band	Lax Kw'alaams Business Development Ltd.	Coast Tsimshian Mariculture Ltd. – Pilot-Scale Scallop Farm Trials	To continue pilot-scale scallop farming trials for a future commercial-scale aquaculture business in Lax Kw'alaams territory in partnership with Coastal Shellfish Corporation		Economic Development Fund	2009	$ 50,000