The Gwa'Sala-Nakwaxda'xw Nations are a union of two Kwakwaka'wakw peoples in a

band government In Canada, an Indian band or band (french: bande indienne, link=no), sometimes referred to as a First Nation band (french: bande de la Première Nation, link=no) or simply a First Nation, is the basic unit of government for those peoples subjec ...

based 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 by ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...

, Canada, whose main reserve community is near the town of

Port Hardy Port Hardy is a district municipality in British Columbia, Canada located on the north-east end of Vancouver Island. Port Hardy has a population of 4,132 as of the last census (2016). It is the gateway to Cape Scott Provincial Park, the North ...

in the

Queen Charlotte Strait , image = Canadian pilot, near Port Hardy BC.jpg , alt = , caption = A pilot boat plies Queen Charlotte Strait near Port Hardy , image_bathymetry = Locmap-QCS-Hecate-Dixon.png , alt_bathymetry = ...

region of the Central Coast region of

, Canada. The band government is a member of the

Kwakiutl District Council The Kwakiutl District Council, also spelled Kwakwewlth District Council and Kwakiuth District Council, pronounced Kwagiulth District Council, is a First Nations Tribal Council based on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, based in the com ...

and, for treaty negotiation purposes, the

Winalagalis Treaty Group The Winalagalis Treaty Group is a group of four First Nations band governments on Vancouver Island in the Canadian province of British Columbia, Canada. The group was formed to coordinate and administer negotiations with the government of the Provi ...

which includes three other members of the Kwakiutl District Council (the

Quatsino First Nation The Quatsino First Nation is the First Nations band government of the Gwat'sinux subgroup of the Kwakwaka'wakw peoples, based in the Quatsino Sound region on the west coast of northern Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, focused on the ...

, the Da'naxda'xw Awaetlatla Nation, and the

Tlatlasikwala Nation The Tlatlasikwala Nation is a First Nations band government based on northern Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, focused on the community of Port Hardy, British Columbia in the Queen Charlotte Strait region. It is a member of the Kwakiut ...

). The Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw Nation was originally two distinct First Nations, the Gwa'sala and the 'Nak'waxda'xw (Nakoaktok). In the mid-1960s the Federal Government relocated the two nations to the current reserve, Tsulquate, and amalgamated them (along with the neighbouring Kwakiutl First Nation) into one group. Eventually the Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw Nations and the Kwakiutl First Nation separated into the two groups that are recognized by the federal government to this day. Their current main community is at Tsulquate IR No. 4 near

First Nations reserves

First Nations reserves under the governance of the Gwa'Sala-'Nakwaxda'xw are: * Ann Island IR No. 7, on Ann Island in

Smith Sound Smith Sound ( da, Smith Sund; french: Détroit de Smith) is an uninhabited Arctic sea passage between Greenland and Canada's northernmost island, Ellesmere Island. It links Baffin Bay with Kane Basin and forms part of the Nares Strait. On the ...

, 10.10 ha. * Dedagaus IR No. 8, on the north shore of

Seymour Inlet Seymour Inlet is one of the lesser travelled of the principal inlets of the British Columbia Coast. Unlike larger inlets such as Knight or Bute, it is not flanked by mountains but by relatively low, but still rugged, coastal hill-country and form ...

, 1/2 mile north of the Nahwokto Rapids, 0.30 ha. * Halowis IR No. 5, at the mouth of Smokehouse Creek at the head of Long Lake, 3.60 ha. * Kai-too-kwis IR No. 15, at the head of Chief Nollis Bay on Allison Sound, north of

Belize Inlet Belize Inlet is an inlet on the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada, located to the north of and adjoining Seymour Inlet Seymour Inlet is one of the lesser travelled of the principal inlets of the British Columbia Coast. Unlike larger inle ...

, 20.80 ha. * Kequesta IR No. 1, on the north shore of the entrance to Nuget Sound, 70.40 ha. * Khazisela IR No. 7,on an island in the centre of the Nahkwocto Raids at the north end of

Schooner Channel Schooner Channel, formerly Schooner Passage, is a strait on the east side of Bramham Island in the Central Coast region of British Columbia, Canada. Nearby, Allison Harbour Allison Harbour, also formerly known as False Bay and False Schooner Pas ...

, 0.40 ha. * Ko-kwi-iss IR No. 14, on the east shore of Allison Sound to the north of

, 6.40 ha. * Kuthlo IR No. 18, at the head of Salmon Arm of

, 3.0 ha. * Kwetahkis IR No. 9, on the north shore of Whelakis Lagoon on Seymour Inlet, 4.0 ha. * Mahpahkum IR No. 4, on

Deserters Island Deserters Island is an island in the Deserters Group archipelago in the Queen Charlotte Strait region of the Central Coast of British Columbia , settlement_type = Region of British Columbia , image_skyline = , nickname ...

in the

Deserters Group The Deserters Group is a small group of islands in the Queen Charlotte Strait region of the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada, located off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island to the north of Port Hardy. Deserters Island is one of the ...

, and including small off-shore islands, 7.80 ha. * Na-kwockto IR No. 2, on three small islands at the mouth of

Nugent Sound Nugent Sound is a sound In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and thei ...

, 1/2 mile south of Kequesta IR No. 1, 0.40 ha. * Nathlegalis IR No. 3, comprising Indian Island and five smaller islands in

Takush Harbour Takush Harbour is a harbour on the south side of Smith Sound in the Central Coast region of British Columbia, Canada. Nathlegalis IR No. 3 of the Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw Nations band government In Canada, an Indian band or band (french: b ...

in Browning Channel, 134.40 ha. * Nekite IR No. 2, at the mouth of the

Nekite River The Nekite River is a river in the Central Coast region of British Columbia, Canada, flowing south to the head of Smith Inlet. Nekite Indian Reserve No. 2 is located at the mouth of the river and is one of the many reserves of the Gwa'sala-' ...

at the head of Smith Inlet, 66.80 ha. * Owh-wis-too-a-wan IR No. 10, at Eclipse Narrows at the mouth of Frederick Sound,

, 5.30 ha. * Pahas IR No. 3, on the north shore of Blunden Harbour, 39.90 ha. * Pel-looth'l Kai IR No. 17, at the east end of

, 1.70 ha. * Peneece IR No. 11, at the head of Wigwam Bay on the north shore of

, 3.50 ha. * Saagoombahlah IR No. 6, on the east shore of Schooner Passage east of Braham Island, 1.80 ha. * Ta-a-ack IR No. 5, on one of the islands in the Storm Islands at the west end of

, 13.90 ha. * Toksee IR No. 4, at the junction of Long Lake and Wyclees Lagoon, 5.60 ha. * Tsai-kwi-ee IR No. 13, at Village Bay on the east shore of

Mereworth Sound Mereworth Sound is a sound on the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada, located to the north of Belize Inlet. See also *Mereworth Mereworth is a village and civil parish near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. The Wateringbury Stre ...

, 4.60 ha. * Tseetsum-Sawlasilah IR No. 6, on the north shore of

Naysash Inlet Naysash Inlet is an inlet on the Central Coast of British Columbia , settlement_type = Region of British Columbia , image_skyline = , nickname = "The Coast" , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Cana ...

, 2.10 ha. * Tsulquate IR No. 4, on the west shore of Hardy Bay, one mile north of

, 59.90 ha. * Waump IR No. 16, at the head of Allison Sound, Belize Inlet, 37.60 ha. * Wawwat'l IR No 12, on the right bank of the Seymour River, two miles from the head of Seymour Inlet, 66.80 ha. * Wyclese IR No. 1, on the south shore of Smith Sound at the entrance to Wyclees Lagoon, 223 ha. BC Names/GeoBC entry "Wyclese 1 (Indian reserve)"
/ref>

References

External links

BC Treaty.net information page
{{First Nations on Vancouver Island Kwakwaka'wakw governments Central Coast of British Columbia