The 'Namgis First Nation (styled ʼNa̱mǥis) is a
First Nations
First nations are indigenous settlers or bands.
First Nations, first nations, or first peoples may also refer to:
Indigenous groups
*List of Indigenous peoples
*First Nations in Canada, Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Mé ...
band government on northern
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest ...
in
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
, and on adjoining islands in the southern
Queen Charlotte Strait
Queen Charlotte Strait is a strait between Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It connects Queen Charlotte Sound with Johnstone Strait and Discovery Passage and via them to the Strait of Georgia and Puget Sound. It for ...
region.
The territory of the 'Namgis First Nation spans the islands of the southern
Queen Charlotte Strait
Queen Charlotte Strait is a strait between Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It connects Queen Charlotte Sound with Johnstone Strait and Discovery Passage and via them to the Strait of Georgia and Puget Sound. It for ...
(Malcolm Island and Cormorant Island), which include the town of
Alert Bay and the former utopian community of
Sointula, established by
Finnish immigrants
Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...
. Both communities are offshore across Broughton Strait from the town of
Port McNeill
Port McNeill is a town in the North Island region of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada on Vancouver Island's northeast shore, on Queen Charlotte Strait. Originally a base camp for loggers, it became a settlement in 1936. It was named ...
, which is on
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest ...
. The majority of 'Namgis First Nation territory, however, spans the basin of the
Nimpkish River
The Nimpkish River is a river in northern Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It is the longest river on the Island, rising on the west slope of Mount Alston, flowing northwest into Nimpkish Lake and then north into the Broughton Stra ...
and
Nimpkish Lake and adjoining parts of the interior of northern
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest ...
.
The main village of the 'Namgis is Yalis, on Cormorant Island adjacent to Alert Bay. The original village site was at a place called
Xwalkw on the north side of the mouth of the
Nimpkish River
The Nimpkish River is a river in northern Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It is the longest river on the Island, rising on the west slope of Mount Alston, flowing northwest into Nimpkish Lake and then north into the Broughton Stra ...
, which in the
Kwak'wala language is called ''Gwani''.
Indian reserves
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve () or First Nations reserve () is defined by the '' Indian Act'' as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." ...
s under the governance of the 'Namgis First Nation are:
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada "Reserves/Settlements/Villages Detail"
/ref>
* Alert Bay IR No. 1, on the east shore of Alert Bay on Cormorant Island, 74.60 ha.
* Alert Bay IR No. 1A, a west portion of Cormorant Island, 161.60 ha.
* Ar-ce-wy-ee IR No. 4, on the left bank of the Nimpkish River
The Nimpkish River is a river in northern Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It is the longest river on the Island, rising on the west slope of Mount Alston, flowing northwest into Nimpkish Lake and then north into the Broughton Stra ...
, 3 miles south of its mouth, 16.70 ha.
* Ches-la-kee IR No. 3, at the mouth of the Nimpkish River, 118.20 ha.
* Ksui-la-das IR No. 6, on Ksuiladas Island, the most southerly of the Plumper Group of islands, 25.80 ha.
* Kuldekuma IR No. 7, on Kuldekuma Island, the most northerly of the Pearse Group just east of Cormorant Island, 22.0 ha.
* Nimpkish Indian Reserve No. 2, on Cormorant Island on the east shore of Alert Bay, south of Alert Bay IR No. 1, 2.70 ha.
* O-tsaw-las IR No. 5, on the right bank of the Nimpkish River, north of Nimpkish Lake, 20.40 ha.
See also
*Alert Bay, British Columbia
Alert Bay is a village on Cormorant Island, near the town of Port McNeill on northeast Vancouver Island, in the Regional District of Mount Waddington, British Columbia, Canada.
Demographics
In the 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statist ...
* Kwakwaka'wakw
* Kwak'wala (language)
References
External links
‘Namgis First Nation website
*
'Namgis on Facebook
Kwakwaka'wakw governments
Northern Vancouver Island
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