Table of Contents
Guide
Page List
Return to the valleys of the River of
Mists with award-winning author
Hetxw.ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson).
Nox X sgaak, the eagle mother, cares
for her brood in the embrace of a
black cottonwood with the help of
her mate. Will both eaglets survive
the summer in an environment that is
both delicate and unforgiving?
Learn about the life cycle of these
stunning birds of prey, the traditions
of the Gitxsan, and how bald eagles
enrich their entire ecosystem.
A map of the Gitxsan territory is
included in the back of the book.
M OTHERS OF X SAN
The Sockeye Mother
The Grizzly Mother
The Eagle Mother
The Frog Mother (forthcoming)
The Wolf Mother (forthcoming)
The Raven Mother (forthcoming)
For Xsiwis (Dr. M. Jane Smith), who always told
me I would be a writer, and to this day, works hard
to preserve Gitxsan stories.
H.G./B.D.H.
For the friends and family who helped lift me up this year
with love and immense gratitude.
N.D.
U NEXPECTED S TORM
A strong wind blows through the valleys of Xsan, River of Mists. The land
feels chilled and moisture carries the cold into every imaginable nook
and cranny. The sun, which crested over the mountain during the early
morning rain, now struggles to peek through an unexpected winter
flurry. The Gitxsan would say gal nakwhl maadim, the winter is too
long. This is the time of Lasa yaa, the Spring Salmons Returning Moon,
the moon we see during the month of April.
A flurry is a brief,
light snowfall.
Amongst the thick brush of the riverbank, tuutsxw
ammal, a black cottonwood, stretches high above
the other trees. Woven into the fork of its strongest
branches is the nest of Nox X sgaak, the eagle mother.
She appears frozen to the tree, but she is protecting an
important treasure.
As her mate arrives, Nox X sgaak moves to the edge
of the nest where she can finally shake the snow from
her feathers. Two large eggs are now exposed to light
and cold. The father hastily moves to take his turn at
incubating. The eggs will hatch in about two weeks.
This mother and father will pair for life, and they
have been together now for three breeding
seasons. The spring storm hasnt dampened
their spirits, nor is it stopping the Gitxsan
from fishing along the riverbanks below.
Incubating means to
keep the eggs warm until
they are ready to hatch.
S IBLING R IVALRY
Lasa maay, the Berry Moon, is fast approaching, as we
are now into the month of June. As the people along
Xsan are harvesting berries to preserve for the long
winter months, Nox X sgaak and her mate are feverishly
hunting to keep up with the demands of their two young
eaglets. The eagle mothers larger size allows her to
carry more back to the nest in one trip.
An eaglet is a
young eagle.
The cottonwood is now covered in leaves, and on
hot summer days, it provides shade to all who live
around it. At the nest, which sits over a metre deep
and nearly two metres wide, young eaglets wait
impatiently for their next meal. Sister is small
compared to her brother. Nature favours the strong
and so does Nox X sgaak. She has been feeding more to brother.
But, in an environment that is both delicate and unforgiving, sister is
persevering. Father must see something the eagle mother does not.
He has been feeding sister after his hunt. Although she is still smaller,
she has grown too big for brother to kill or push out of the nest.
Persevering means to
continue trying to do
something even though
it is difficult.
Birds fledge when they
grow the necessary
feathers to fly.
Branching means
stepping out of the nest
onto branches to flap
their wings and test out
their new feathers.
The eaglets will spend several
more weeks completely dependent
on Nox X sgaak and her mate. Then
the young birds will fledge and start
branching around the nest. When the eagles
are branching, they are flapping their powerful
new feathers in a dance that teaches them
about their wings, giving them confidence
and desire to take flight.
A F INAL R UN
August is here and Lasa likinxsw, the Grizzly Bears Moon, has arrived. The
Gitxsan people now spend their days down by the river, waiting for the
schools of misoo, sockeye salmon, to arrive. Sister has survived and is now
larger than her brother. Nox X sgaak and her mate still offer sympathetic
meals to the young eagles, but only for another week or so.
The siblings have a new perspective of the world below. With their eagle
eyes, they see everything four to eight times farther and clearer than the
best Gitxsan eyes. From above the trees, they watch a large black mass
moving under the surface of Xsan. Their instinct drives them to dive to the
water below to grab at the sockeye that swim beneath the rapids. A lack of
experience leaves them unsuccessful, and they drop down beside the eagle
mother to steal from her fresh catch.
Much like the eagles, the Gitxsan depend on the salmon.
They learn to fish from their mothers and fathers in the
same way. Grandparents, parents, aunts, and uncles all
do their part, teaching the young people how to spot the
best run, when to fish, and how to catch this vital resource
that not only helps them survive, but is an integral part of
Gitxsan life and understanding of the world around them.
The world of the Gitxsan people does not exist
without all the beings within their ecosystem, so
the eagles will always be present. Nox X sgaak and
her partner may use this same cottonwood for
up to 20 years. The time they spend here not only
benefits the cottonwood, but the nitrogen-rich
skin and bone they leave at the bottom
of the tree decays and leaves nutrients
to spread throughout the ecosystem.
Nitrogen is a chemical element found in all
living things. It is an important fertilizer for the
Xsan ecosystem.
An ecosystem is a community of living things
together with their environment.
T HE G ITXSAN
The Gitxsan Nation are Indigenous peoples from unceded territories
in the Northwest Interior of British Columbia. This 35,000 square
kilometres of land cradles the headwaters of Xsan or the River
of Mist, also known by its colonial name, the Skeena River. The
land defines who they are.
The Nation follows a matrilineal line, and all rights,
privileges, names, and stories come from the mothers.
Lax Seel (Frog), Lax Gibuu (Wolf), Lax Skiik (Eagle), and
Gisghaast (Fireweed) are the four clans of the people. It
is taboo to marry a fellow clan member, even when there
are no blood ties.
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