The most important part of our identity and who we are as Namgis is established by our first ancestors' story and places us directly at our Gwa'ni River. When the Transformer, Kaniki'lakw, travelled around the world, he eventually returned to the place where Gwa'nalalis lived. Kaniki'lakw asked, "Would you like to become a cedar tree?" Gwa'nalalis replied, "No. Cedar trees, when struck by lightning, split and fall. Then they rot away for as long as the days shall dawn in the world." Kaniki'lakw asked again, "Would you like to become a mountain?" "No," Gwa'nalalis answered. "For mountains have slides and crumble away for as long as the days shall dawn in the world." The Transformer asked a third question, "Would you like to become a large boulder?""No, do not let me become a boulder, for I may crack in half and crumble away for as long as the days shall dawn in the world." Finally, Kaniki'lakw asked, "Would you like to become a river?""Yes, let me become a river, that I may flow for as long as the days shall dawn in the world," Gwa'nalalis replied. Putting his hand on Gwa'nalalis' forehead, and pushing down prone, Kaniki'lakw said, "There, friend. You will be a river and many kinds of salmon will come to you to provide food for your descendants, for as long as the days shall dawn in the world." And so, the man Gwa'nalalis became the river, Gwa'ni.