Tsimshian Indians, a group of tribes of the Chimmesyan linguistic family. Tsimshian means “people of the Skeena River.” Originally living inland along the Skeena in British Columbia, the Tsimshian had established fishing villages near the mouths of the Skeena and Nass rivers by the 18th century. Like the neighboring Tlingit and Haida Indians, they carved totem poles and held potlatches, ceremonies at which men destroyed or gave away valuable items to gain social status. In 1887 many Tsimshian followed the missionary William Duncan to Annette Island, Alaska. Today, several thousand Tsimshian live on reservations in British Columbia and Alaska.