About the community
The Gitanmaax Band are Gitxsan people live where the Skeena and Bulkley rivers meet, in north-western BC near Hazelton. Gitanmaax was the name of the winter village, which became the current reserve. Gitanmaax means People who Fish by Torchlight.
The Gitanmaax Band currently has about 800 members living in the community, and about twice as many more living elsewhere.
Every 2 years, members elect a Chief and 12 council members. Each council member is appointed a portfolio of services that the band administration delivers to the community:
- Community-member services, including education, social development, child and youth wellbeing, and health.
- Infrastructure and community services, including lands, housing, public works, and public safety.
- Professional services, including administration, finance, economic development, band membership, legal counsel, and company management.
About the library
Write to Read BC installed a library in Gitanmaax, in collaboration and partnership with the community and council. The library is in the community school, and includes display cases for important cultural objects, wooden models of traditional Indigenous housing, and books about a range of Indigenous cultures and lands.
The library has tables and seating for working and meeting. Along one wall, it has computers and screens to allow remote attendance at online courses and conferences, in its learning centre.
