| Language of origin | Tsimshianic language family Nisg̲a’a language |
| Feature Type: | River - Watercourse of variable size, which has tributaries and flows into a body of water or a larger watercourse. |
| Status: | Official |
| Other Names: | Kwinamass River |
| Name Authority: | BC Geographical Names Office |
| Relative Location: | Flows W into Kwinamass Bay, Portland Inlet, S of mouth of Nass River, Range 5 Coast Land District |
| Tags: | Indigenous |
| Latitude-Longitude: | 54°46'30"N, 130°09'00"W at the approximate mouth of this feature. |
| Datum: | WGS84 |
| NTS Map: | 103J/16 |
| Related Maps: |
103I/12 103I/13 103J/16 |
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Origin Notes and History:
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Kwinamass River adopted in the 1930 BC Gazetteer, as labelled on BC maps 3M, 1916 and 1H, 1917, not Kinnomax River as had been labelled on BC map 1A, 1912. Kwinamass River confirmed 4 November 1948 on 103/NE and 4 October 1951 on 103I. Form of name changed to Ksi X'anmas per Nisga'a Treaty, Appendix F-3, effective 11 May 2000. Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office |
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Nisga'a name for the entire Kwinamass watershed is X'anmas; the watercourse is Ksi X'anmas [Ksi, in the context of geographical names, refers to "water flowing out from someplace"]. Source: Nisga'a Tribal Council / Ayuukhl Nisga'a Department, Aiyansh BC |
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Ksi X'anmas means "water of where it is red". X'anmas is the place where mis'aws (red ochre) was found. The X'anmas territory was rich in fur-bearing animals, seafoods, salmon and other food resources and is the reason there were several smokehouses and longhouses here at one time. The titleholder also permitted the Ts'imsan to get their fish here. He had been the last Sim'oogit (chief) to practice polygamy and one of his wives was from the Ts'imsan nation. Source: Nisga'a Tribal Council / Ayuukhl Nisga'a Department, Aiyansh BC |