Robert Galois’s Kwakwa̲ka̲'wakw settlements, 1775-1920: a geographical analysis and gazetteer explores the profound environmental adaptation and enduring spatial resilience of the Kwakwa̲ka̲'wakw people across the intricate maritime landscapes of northern Vancouver Island and the adjacent British Columbia mainland. The narrative illustrates how the dynamic environmental realities of this coastal topography—defined by labyrinthine glacial fjords, dense cedar rainforests, and the vital, rhythmic abundance of marine resources—required immense spatial ingenuity and deeply localized ecological knowledge from indigenous communities. By detailing a meticulous geographical gazetteer that tracks shifting village sites and seasonal harvesting camps over a century and a half of profound colonial contact, the text highlights how the Kwakwa̲ka̲'wakw society navigated massive demographic and economic changes by thoughtfully adapting their settlement patterns. Ultimately, the account demonstrates that collaboratively maintaining these complex spatial networks and patiently preserving traditional territorial knowledge were essential elements in sustaining a vibrant, enduring indigenous cultural identity deeply anchored to the rugged coastal geography of the Pacific Northwest.

This book provides a geographic overview of the demography and settlement patterns of the Kwakwa̲ka̲'wakw, who lived in northern Vancouver Island and the adjacent mainland of British Columbia.

Antiquities, British Columbia, British Columbia Antiquities, Colombie-Britannique Antiquités, Colonisation intérieure Types Colombie-Britannique, Kwakiutl Indians Antiquities, Kwakiutl Indians Land tenure, Kwakiutl Terres, Land settlement patterns, Land settlement patterns British Columbia, Names, Geographical, Names, Geographical British Columbi

Maps, Tables, and FiguresAcknowledgmentsPart 1: Language, Territory, and Settlements: Perspectives on the Kwakwa̲ka̲'wakwIntroductory Statement / Gloria GranmerWebster Geography, Ethnogeography, and the Perspective of the Kwakwa̲ka̲'wakw / Gloria Cranmer Webster and Jay PowellThe Kwak'wala Language / Jay PowellKwakwa̲ka̲'wakw Settlement Patterns, 1775-1920 / Robert GaloisPart 2: Gazetteer of Kwakwa̲ka̲'wakw Settlement Sites (Including Kwakwa̲ka̲'wakw Origin Narratives)Introduction to the GazetteerAbbreviationsGilford Island TribesKnight Inlet TribesKwakiutl TribesLekwiltok TribesNahwitti TribesNimpkish TribesNorthern Tribes QuatsinoSound TribesAppendices1. Kwakwa̲ka̲'wakw Population Data2. Kwakwa̲ka̲'wakw and Salish Territory, 1792: The Voyages of Vancouver and Galiano3. The Nahwitti Incidents of 1850 and 18514. Salmon Canneries Operating Kwakwa̲ka̲'wakw Territory, 1881-19295. Index of Kwakwa̲ka̲'wakw Place-names in U'mista Cultural CentreOrthographyBibliographyIndex