’Namgis First Nation
/ˈnɑːmɡɪs fɜːrst ˈneɪʃən/noun
The Indigenous governing body representing the ’Namgis people, a Kwakwaka’wakw First Nation based at Alert Bay in British Columbia, Canada.
Did you know?The ’Namgis are part of the Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, whose ceremonial potlatch traditions were criminalized by Canadian law from 1885 until 1951.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*genh₁-
“To give birth, beget, or produce; the ancient root behind many words connected with birth and descent.”
Latin
Latin
natio
“A birth, breed, people, or group descended from a common origin.”
13th Century
Old French
nacion
“A people or nation, borrowed from Latin natio.”
14th Century
English
nacioun
“A politically or ethnically defined people or country.”
20th Century
Canadian English
First Nation
“A modern Canadian term for a recognized Indigenous community, increasingly adopted from the 1970s onward.”
Modern English
English
’Namgis First Nation
“The official English designation of the ’Namgis governing body and community; the specific ’Namgis name comes from Kwak̓wala and is not reliably translatable through English or Latin etymology.”