Tsimshian Subsistence

      Like the other indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast region, the water provided most of their food. Salmon, especially, was a major part of the Tsimshian diet. Other fish that they caught include halibut, codfish, herring, and candlefish. They would also eat sea plants such as seaweed, goose tongue, and beach asparagus, as well as hunting sea animals such as seals and sea lions. The Tsimshian relied on fishing, hunting, and gathering edible plants from the land and the sea for their source of food. There was no agricultural system because of the abundance of food available to them. This abundance of food also allowed them to establish permanent settlements. Tsimshian men spent much of their time fishing along the coast and in the rivers and streams. Much of the food that they collected was seasonal, so it had to be preserved for winter and early spring. For example, the salmon travel up the rivers in the fall to lay eggs, so they would catch plenty of fish before winter began. They would also hunt whales, clams, oysters, and mussels. Whales were dangerous to hunt, however, as they would sometimes take days for men to kill them, and there was the added danger of the whale flipping their canoe. They did not rely only on the water for their food, though.To preserve the food, they would either have it dried by the wind or the sun, or they would smoke it in smokehouses.Summer was the main season for hunting and gathering food in the nearby forests. They also hunted bears, moose, mountain goats, and deer, as well as gathering edible plants (such as berries or shoots).

      For fishing, they would use harpoons, fishlines made from cedar, hooks made from bone and wood, nets, and underwater traps. They could easily catch plenty of salmon with these tools before winter began because the salmon would travel upstream to lay their eggs each fall. For hunting, they would use bows and arrows, harpoons, and various traps, such as snares and deadfalls. They also used fish oil to add more flavor to their food. They mainly got the oil from whales, seals, and eulachon, a type of fish. Most of the oil they had was saved for trading, though, because oil was a valuable trade item. 

      The men did the hunting and fishing, and left the gathering of clams, oysters, mussels, and edible plants (from both the water and the land) to the women. The women were also tasked with preparing the meals, and crafting the wooden trays and platters to serve them in. The food was either baked, steamed, or broiled by heating rocks and placing them into cedar boxes or baskets filled with water. This would boil the water and cook the food. The women served some of the fish fresh, but most of it was dried or smoked to preserve it for winter.

      The Tsimshian people would also have ceremonial, gift-giving feasts called a potlatch to honor births, deaths, burials, and other major events. The host of the potlatch would give the guests gifts according to their rank or status. A potlatch involved extravagant or competitive giving and destroying of valued possessions by the host to display superior wealth. These celebrations would often take over a year to plan, and would include singing, costumed dancers, and a feast. Potlatches were mainly a way for the host and their families could show off their wealth to others. The more valuable possessions that the host gave away, the more prestige (and power) they had. However, this system was not purely for showing off wealth, but also to help those in need with the gifts, which included canoes, fish, other foods, and oil.

      Despite large-scale commercial fishing, the Tsimshian people these subsistence patterns are still an important part of Tsimshian life.

The Pacific Salmon, the main food source of the Tsimshian people

Citations:

Miller, Jay

Alaskan Tlingit and Tsimshian. Electronic Document,

https://content.lib.washington.edu/aipnw/miller1.html. April 14, 2014.

Brock, Peggy

2012 Moveable Feasts: Chronicles of "Potlatching" among the Tsimshian, 1860s-1900s. Electronic Document,

http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.usf.edu/eds/detail?sid=449b2be8-fb5d-4420-9850-629dda6e71f4@sessionmgr4001&vid=2&hid=4210&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU=#db=aph&AN=76282583. April 14, 2014.

Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia
2013 Tsimshian. Electronic Document,
http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.usf.edu/eds/detail?sid=3142a5bc-b2a3-40cf-ac35-30d64d82c2f4%40sessionmgr4001&vid=1&hid=4105&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#db=aph&AN=39037088