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Nuu-chah-nulth

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The Nuu-chah-nulth (pronounced New-cha-nulth) (also formerly referred to as the Nootka, Nutka, Aht, West Coast, T’aat’aaqsapa, Nuuchahnulth) people are indigenous peoples of Canada. The term 'Nuu-chah-nulth' is used to describe 15 separate but related nations whose traditional home is in the Pacific Northwest on the west coast of Vancouver Island. In pre-contact and early post-contact times, the number of nations was much greater, but smallpox and other consequences of contact resulted in the disappearance of some groups, and the absorption of others into neighbouring groups. The Nuu-chah-nulth are related to the Chinook and Kwakiutl peoples, and the Nuu-chah-nulth language is part of the Wakashan language group.

The Nuu-chah-nulth, and other Pacific Northwest cultures, were famous for their potlatch ceremonies, in which the host would honour guests with generous gifts. The term 'potlatch' is a word of nuu-chah-nulth origin.

The Nuu-chah-nulth were among the first Pacific peoples north of California to come into contact with Europeans. Competition between Spain and the United Kingdom over control of Nootka Sound led to a bitter international dispute around 1790, which was settled when Spain agreed to abandon its exclusive claims to the North Pacific coast. Negotiations to settle the dispute were handled under the hospitality of a powerful chief of the Mowachaht Nuu-chah-nulth of Nootka Sound, Maquinna.

The Nuu-chah-nulth were one of the only groups on the Pacific Coast who hunted whales. Whaling is essential to Nuu-chah-nulth culture and spirituality, and is reflected in stories, songs, names, family lines, and numerous place names throughout the Nuu-chah-nulth territores. Perhaps the most famous Nuu-chah-nulth artifact is the Yuquot "whaler's shrine", a ritual house-like structure used in the spiritual preparations for whale hunts. Composed of a series of memorial posts depicting spirit figures and the bones of whaling ancestors, it is presently in storage at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. It was the subject of a film, The Washing of Tears which recounts the rediscovery of the bones and other artifacts at the museum, and the travails of the Mowachaht people, the shrine's original owners, in seeking to repossess them.

At the time of early contact with European explorers, up until 1830, more than 90 percent of the Nuu-chah-nulth were killed by sexually-transmitted diseases, malaria, and smallpox, and by cultural turmoil resulting from contact with Westerners.

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Origin of name

When James Cook first encountered the villagers at Yuquot in 1778, they directed him to "come around" (in their language "nootka") with his ship to the harbour. Cook interpreted this as the name of their tribe. In 1978 the term Nuu-chah-nulth (meaning "all along the mountains") was chosen as a collective term to describe the closely related nations of western Vancouver Island. This was the culmination of 1958 alliance forged between the various nations in order to present a unified political voice. The Makah of Washington State are directly related to the Nuu-chah-nulth.

Nuu-chah-nulth Bands and population (in brackets)

Nuu-chah-nulth bands today are:

  1. Ahousaht First Nation: (pop. 1782) formed from the merger of the Ahousaht and Kelsemeht bands in 1951;
  2. Ehattesaht First Nation; (294)
  3. Hesquiaht First Nation; (653)
  4. Kyuquot/Chicklisaht; (486)
  5. Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nations: (520) formerly the Nootka band;
  6. Nuchatlaht First Nation; (165)
  7. Huu-ay-aht: (formerly Ohiaht); (598)
  8. Hupacasath (formerly Opetchesaht); (256)
  9. Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations: (881) formerly Clayoquot;
  10. Toquaht First Nation; (117)
  11. Tseshaht First Nation; (918)
  12. Uchucklesaht First Nation; (181)
  13. Ucluelet First Nation. (606)
Totaly population for the 14 nations in the Nuuchahnulth Tribal is 8147 according to the Nuuchahnulth tribal council indian registry (most recent update: Feb 2006).

The Ditidaht First Nation (population 690), while politically and culturally affiliated with the Nuu-chah-nulth, are independently referred to. Similar for the Pacheedaht, who are not politically affiliated with the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council.

Translations. What do the tribal names mean in their original language?

Nuu-Chah-Nulth - "all along the mountains and sea." Nuu-chah-nulth were formerly "Nootka" (and prefer not to be called that), but Nuu-chah-nulth which better explains how all the tribes are all connected to the land and the sea. Some of the names following (Ditidaht, Makah) are not part of the Nuu-chah-nulth political organization, however; all are "Aht" (people).

Ahousaht - People living with their backs to the land and mountains.

Ucluelet - People with a safe landing place for canoes.

Ehattesaht - People of a tribe with many clans

Checkleset – People from the place where you gain strength

Hesquiaht - People who tear with their teeth

Kyuquot - Different people

Mowachaht - People of the deer

Muchalaht – People who live on the Muchalee river

Nuchatlaht - People of a sheltered bay

Huu-ay-aht - People who recovered

Tseshaht - People from an island that reeks of whale remains

tla-o-qui-aht - People of other tribes

Toquaht - People from a situated area

Uchucklesaht - People of the inside harbour

Ditidaht - People from a place in the forest

Hupacasath - People living on the edge (of the banks)

Quidiishdaht (Makah) - People living on the outside

Nuuchahnulth Place names

Nuuchahnulth had a name for each place within their traditional territory. These are just a few still used to this day:

Wickaninnish – Name belonging to a great chief.

hisaawista (esowista) – Captured by clubbing the people who lived there to death.

Yuquot (friendly Cove) = - Where they get the north winds.

nootk-sitl (Nootka) – Go around.

maaqtusiis – A place across the island.

kakawis – Fronted by a rock that looks like a container.

kitsuksis – Log across mouth of creek

opitsaht – Island that the moon lands on.

pacheena – Foamy.

tsu-ma-uss (somass) – Washing.

tsahaheh – To go up.

hitac`u (itatsoo) – Ucluelet reserve.

t’iipis – polly’s point.

Tsaxana – A place close to the river.

Cheewat – Pulling tide. 

Source: Ha-shilth-sa Newspaper, 2003. All translations were compiled with consulation from nuuchahnulth elders. Ha-shilth-sa (meaning 'interesting news') is the official newspaper for the Nuu-chah-nulth nation.



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