The Hesquiaht First Nation (pronounced Hesh-kwit or Hes-kwee-at) is a

Nuu-chah-nulth The Nuu-chah-nulth (; Nuučaan̓uł: ), also formerly referred to as the Nootka, Nutka, Aht, Nuuchahnulth or Tahkaht, are one of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast in Canada. The term Nuu-chah-nulth is used to describe fifte ...

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...

band government based on the west coast of

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, ...

, Canada. The Hesquiaht First Nation are members of the

Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council is a First Nations Tribal Council in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The organization is based in Port Alberni, British Columbia. History The Nuu-chah- ...

. Its members are

Hesquiaht The Hesquiaht are one of the Nuu-chah-nulth peoples of the West Coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Today the Hesquiaht are governed mostly by the Hesquiaht First Nation band government In Canada, an Indian band or band (fre ...

people. Hesquiaht is the most northern and isolated of the five Central Region Nuu-chah-nulth Nations. Two of eight Hesquiaht Reserves are occupied by Hesquiaht members— one at Hot Springs Cove and the other at Hesquiaht Harbour. Hot Springs Cove is named after the natural hot springs located at the south end of a narrow peninsula on the east side of the cove. The Reserve Community of Hot Springs (Refuge Cove) village is located on the cove’s west side, home to approximately 80 individuals and 25 families (39 dwellings). Approximately 100 people live in Hot Springs Cove, with a commute of over one hour by boat into

Tofino Tofino ( ) is a town of approximately 2,516 residents on the west coast of Vancouver Island in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The District of Tofino is located at the western terminus of Highway 4 on the tip of the Esowista Peninsu ...

. The Hot Springs Cove reserve is located on territory claimed by the

Ahousaht First Nation The Ahousaht First Nation is a First Nation government based on the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It administers the community of Ahousaht, British Columbia, which encompasses much of Clayoquot Sound. The Ahousaht a ...

History

Prior to the 19th century, the Hesquiaht were a congregation of five nations living around Hesquiaht Harbour, with a total population of about 6,000 to 10,000 individuals. Each nation was governed by their respective Ha’wiih (hereditary) system. After the smallpox epidemic, the communities moved to one site at Hesquiaht Village, before being moved by Indian Affairs to the current site at Hot Springs Cove. The community had to rebuild after a

tsunami A tsunami ( ; from ja, 津波, lit=harbour wave, ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater exp ...

in 1964. the tsunami heavily damaged the village and forced many people to move away. The Hesquiaht were affected by the 1990s economic collapse of their traditional fishery and forestry activities.

Governance

The Ha’wiih system functions in Hesquiaht. Four hereditary chiefs guide the community and inform the work of council. The chiefs sit hierarchically, matching the four fingers of the hand. The Ha'wiih are: *Kathleen Andrews-Thomas - Ta'hii (Head Hereditary Chief) (Middle finger), House of Kaaeth Klaahish Takuumth (includes the Charleson, Ignace and Mickey families) *Vince Ambrose (ring finger) (Ambrose, Lucas families) *Steve Tom (index finger) (Tom, Sabbas, Webster families) *Eddie Jones (small finger) (Jones, Lucas and Ginger families) Klukwana (the traditional governance system) includes the continued existence of Tikawiilth, those who manage the nation’s affairs on behalf of the hereditary chiefs. The Tikawiilth traditionally manage the affairs of the hereditary chiefs, which in modern times often coincides with the role of Chief and Council. The current Tikawiilth are Pat Charleson (Head Wolf Chief) - (thumb), Larry Paul, Remi Charleson, Eugene August and Chancellor Amos.

Council

Hesquiaht Council is elected every four years. Chief and Council meet monthly, and a joint Chief and Council, membership, and the Hereditary Chiefs meeting is held yearly. The Chief and Council are responsible for management of band affairs. The Chief and Council and their portfolios include: *Joshua Charleson, Chief Councillor: *April Charleson, Councillor: *Constant Charleson, Councillor: *Linus Lucas Jr., Councillor: *Joy Charleson, Councillor: *Preston Campbell, Councillor: *Kayla Lucas, Councillor The Hesquiaht Chief and Council rely on administrators to conduct the day-to-day management of tribal affairs, program delivery, and coordination with government agencies.

Diet

The Hesquiaht traditionally use the berries of

Vaccinium myrtilloides ''Vaccinium myrtilloides'' is a shrub with common names including common blueberry, velvetleaf huckleberry, velvetleaf blueberry, Canadian blueberry, and sourtop blueberry. It is common in much of North America, reported from all 10 Canadian provi ...

to make pies and preserves. They use the berries of ''Vaccinium vitis-idaea'' ssp as food.Compton, Brian Douglas, 1993, Upper North Wakashan and Southern Tsimshian Ethnobotany: The Knowledge and Usage of Plants..., Ph.D. Dissertation, University of British Columbia, page 101

Economic development

Fisheries are an important source of employment. The Nation operated a boat building yard. The Hesquiaht are an isolated community in the Clayoquot region. Sustainable transportation, community infrastructure, sustainable energy production and keeping or re-attracting members to the community are issues affecting their future. Hesquiaht are working on developing community resources. This includes eco-tourism, infrastructure and housing, treaty negotiations, and the marketing of the community and territory.

References

Sources

*Ecotrust Canada. "The Hesquiaht Nation," in Daniel Arbour, Brenda Kuecks & Danielle Edwards (editors).
Nuu-chah-nulth Central Region First Nations Governance Structures 2007/2008
', Vancouver, September 2008.

External links

Hesquiaht First Nations home page
{{Nuu-chah-nulth-aht First Nations Nuu-chah-nulth governments Clayoquot Sound region