Gingolx is located at the confluence of the Kincolith and Nass rivers on the northern shore of Nass Bay, approximately 70 miles (113 km) east-southeast of Ketchikan and 50 miles (80 km) north-northeast of Prince Rupert, British Columbia. It was historically known as Kincolith and is one of four Nisga’a villages comprising the Nisga’a First Nation, the others being Gitlaxtʼaamiks (formerly New Aiyansh), Gitwinksihlkw (Canyon City), and Lax̱g̱altsʼap (Greenville). The name Gingolx, meaning “place of scalps” in the Nisga’a language, refers to the historical practice of displaying the scalps or skulls of enemies on poles to deter intruders. The Kincolith River originates from deglaciated cirques at an elevation of about 4,700 feet (1,433 m) and flows southwest for 27 miles (43 km) to Nass Bay. The watershed drains the southern extent of the Boundary Ranges in the Coast Mountains. The underlying bedrock, primarily granitic intrusions, is a remnant of the Late Cretaceous Coast Range Arc. This volcanic arc system formed as the Kula and Farallon plates subducted under the North American Plate. The largest granitic outcropping in North America extends from northern Washington to the Yukon. About 100 million years ago, subduction of oceanic plates caused magma to rise from the Farallon Plate and inject into the older igneous rocks of the continental Insular Belt, forming a volcanic arc. Volcanism along this arc began to decline around 60 million years ago and generally ceased about 50 million years ago, although see Tseax Cone. Erosion has removed many of the original volcanoes, leaving outcrops of granite where magma had intruded and cooled beneath them. The eroded watershed of the Kincolith River now exposes granodiorite, which forms the present-day Coast Mountains.

The Nass River begins in the Skeena Mountains of the Coast Range and drains a watershed of about 5 million acres (2 million ha). It flows southwest for 240 miles (380 km) to Nass Bay, connecting to the North Pacific Ocean via Portland Inlet and Dixon Entrance. The river’s lower 25 miles (40 km) are navigable and support significant runs of Chinook, chum, coho, pink, and sockeye salmon, contributing to a rich history of human settlement. The English name “Nass” is derived from the Tlingit word “Naas,” meaning “intestines” or “guts,” likely referring to the river’s abundance of food. The Nisga’a call it “K’alii Aksim Lisims,” or “Lisims Valley,” with “Lisims” meaning “murky,” describing the silt-laden waters. The name Nisga’a is from the Tlingit language meaning ‘people of the Nass River’. The Nisga’a language, related to Tsimshian, is spoken along the river. Although linguistically connected, the Nisga’a consider themselves ethnically distinct from the Tsimshian. Historically, the Nisga’a relied on subsistence activities, hunting, fishing, and gathering foods like salmon, halibut, seals, sea lions, and berries. They traveled by canoe and foot, living in cedar plank houses. The archaeological record indicates that after millennia of human settlement, a cultural shift began approximately 2,500 years ago when newcomers arrived from the interior or the north. Initially, these migrants integrated into existing Tsimshian communities, leading to conflict and the emergence of social class distinctions. Over time, increased population pressures from internal growth and migration led to warfare with the Tlingit from the north and east, prompting the temporary abandonment of coastal territory by the ancestral Tsimshian. This conflict unfolded in two phases: about 1,900 years ago, the coastal Tsimshian retreated to interior river valleys, and around 1,500 years ago, a coalition of coastal and interior Tsimshian returned to the coast, expelling the Tlingit.

The site of Gingolx has been inhabited seasonally for thousands of years by clans of the Nisga’a. Before European contact, the Daaxan, or Killer Whale clan, lived on the eastern side of the village, and the Gitxun, or Eagle clan, on the western side. The modern village of Gingolx was founded in 1867 by Robert Doolan and Robert Tomlinson, modeled after the Christian settlement of Metlakatla, founded by William Duncan. The first European-style buildings, including a church and school, were built in 1879. Today, the community has four clans: Killer Whale, Eagle, Raven, and Wolf. The Kincolith Hatchery, located at the mouth of the Nass River, is owned by the Nisga’a and operated by the Nisga’a Lisims Government. Built in 1978, the hatchery aims to restore the Kincolith River chinook population to historic levels and boost coho production for sport, commercial, and subsistence fisheries. From 1980 to 1996, the hatchery produced coho and Chinook salmon. Coho production was terminated in 1996 due to excess stock, and chum salmon became the hatchery’s second focus. Chum were reared from 1991 to 1994 using broodstock from the Stagoo River. From 1996 to 2004, the hatchery concentrated on producing Chinook and chum salmon. In 2005, Chinook production was reduced, and a weir was installed on the Kincolith River to assess fish escapement. In 2003, a 17-mile (27-km) road was completed, connecting Gingolx to Greenville and linking it to the Nisga’a communities of New Aiyansh and Canyon City. This road, known as the Kincolith Extension Highway, connects Gingolx to the Nisga’a Highway, which has links to the Yellowhead and Cassiar Highways. Read more here and here. Explore more of Gingolx and Kincolith River here: