Wakashan languages
Encyclopedia
Wakashan is a family of languages spoken in British Columbia
around and on Vancouver Island
, and in the northwestern corner of the Olympic Peninsula
of Washington state, on the south side of the Strait of Juan de Fuca
.
As is typical of the Northwest Coast, Wakashan languages have large consonant inventories—the consonants often occurring in complex clusters.
I. Northern Wakashan (Kwakiutlan) languages
II. Southern Wakashan (Nootkan) languages
, who believed it to be the tribal appellation.
Juan de Fuca
was probably the first white man to meet Wakashan-speaking peoples, and Juan Perez
visited the Nuu-chah-nulth people in 1774. After 1786, English mariners frequently sailed to Nootka Sound
; in 1803 the crew of the American
ship Boston were almost all killed by these Indians. In 1843 the Hudson's Bay Company established a trading post at Victoria. European-Canadians had regular contact with the First Nations after that time, resulting in population losses in the early 20th century due to smallpox
epidemics, social disruption and alcoholism. In 1903 the Aboriginals numbered about 5200, of whom 2600 were in the West Coast Agency, 1300 in the Kwakewith Agency, 900 in the North West Coast Agency, and 410 at Neah Bay Company, Cape Flattery
. In 1909 they numbered 4584, including 2070 Kwakiutl
and 2494 Nootka
. Roman Catholic missionaries were active in the region.
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
around and on Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
, and in the northwestern corner of the Olympic Peninsula
Olympic Peninsula
The Olympic Peninsula is the large arm of land in western Washington state of the USA, that lies across Puget Sound from Seattle. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the east by Puget Sound. Cape Alava, the westernmost point in the contiguous...
of Washington state, on the south side of the Strait of Juan de Fuca
Strait of Juan de Fuca
The Strait of Juan de Fuca is a large body of water about long that is the Salish Sea outlet to the Pacific Ocean...
.
As is typical of the Northwest Coast, Wakashan languages have large consonant inventories—the consonants often occurring in complex clusters.
Family division
The Wakashan language family consists of seven languages:I. Northern Wakashan (Kwakiutlan) languages
- 1. HaislaHaisla languageThe Haisla language is a First Nations language spoken by the Haisla people of the North Coast region of the Canadian province of British Columbia, who are based in the village of Kitaamat 10 km from the town of Kitimat at the head of the Douglas Channel, a 120 km fjord that serves as a...
( Xaʼislak’ala, X̌àh̓isl̩ak̓ala, with to dialects: X̄a’islak̓ala and X̄enaksialak̓ala, spoken by the Haisla or Northern Kwakiutl) – about 200 speakers (2005) - 2. Kwak'wala ( Kwakiutl and Lekwiltok (Liq̓ʷala), spoken by the Laich-kwil-tach or Southern KwakiutlLaich-kwil-tachLaich-kwil-tach is the proper spelling in the Kwak'wala language of the name used for themselves by the "Southern Kwakiutl" people of Quadra Island and Campbell River in British Columbia, Canada...
and Kwakwaka'wakwKwakwaka'wakwThe Kwakwaka'wakw are an Indigenous group of First Nations peoples, numbering about 5,500, who live in British Columbia on northern Vancouver Island and the adjoining mainland and islands.Kwakwaka'wakw translates as "Those who speak Kwak'wala", describing the collective nations within the area that...
peoples) – 235 speakers (2000) - A. Heiltsuk-Oowekyala ( Bella Bella) – about 200 speakers (2005)
- 3. Heiltsuk ( Haiɫzaqvla, spoken by the Heiltsuk or Northern Kwakiutl)
- 4. Oowekyala (’Uwik̓ala, spoken by the Wuikinuxv or Northern KwakiutlWuikinuxv peopleThe Wuikinuxv people, also known as the Wuikenukv, Oweekeno, Wikeno, Owikeno, Oowekeeno, Oweekano, Awikenox, or Rivers Inlet people, are an Indigenous First Nations people of the Central Coast region of the Canadian province of British Columbia, located around Rivers Inlet and Owikeno Lake, to the...
)
II. Southern Wakashan (Nootkan) languages
- 5. MakahMakah languageThe Makah language is the Indigenous language spoken by the Makah people. Makah has been extinct as a first language since 2002, when its last fluent native speaker died. However, it survives as a second language, and the Makah tribe is attempting to revive the language, including through preschool...
( Qʷi·qʷi·diččaq, Q'widishch'a:'tx, spoken by the Makah people together with the known extinct Ozette people, who spoke 'Osi:l-'a:'tx) – 230 speakers in USA (2000) - 6. NitinahtNitinaht languageDitidaht is a South Wakashan language spoken on the southern part of Vancouver Island. Nitinaht is related to the other South Wakashan languages, Makah and the neighboring Nuu-chah-nulth....
( Diidiitidq, Diitiidʔaatx̣, Nitinat, Ditidaht, Southern Nootkan, spoken by the Ditidaht or Southern NootkaDitidaht First NationThe Ditidaht First Nation is a First Nations government on southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.-See also:*Nitinaht language*Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council*Nuu-chah-nulth-External links:*...
, known to themselves as Diitiidʔaaʔtx̣ and PacheedahtPacheedaht First NationThe Pacheedaht First Nation is a First Nation based on the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Although the Pacheedaht people are Nuu-chah-nulth-aht by culture and language, they are not a member of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council and define themselves differently.Our...
), located in southwestern Vancouver Island – 30 speakers (1991) - 7. Nuu-chah-nulthNuu-chah-nulth languageNuu-chah-nulth is a Wakashan language spoken in the Pacific Northwest of North America, on the west coast of Vancouver Island from Barkley Sound to Quatsino Sound in British Columbia, by the Nuu-chah-nulth people...
( Nuučaan̓uł, Nootka, Nutka, Aht, West Coast, T’aat’aaqsapa, spoken by the Nuu-chah-nulth people) – 510 speakers (2005)
Name and contact
The name Wakesh or Waukash is Nuu-chah-nulth for "good", and was given by one of the early explorers including Captain James CookJames Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
, who believed it to be the tribal appellation.
Juan de Fuca
Juan de Fuca
Ioánnis Fokás , better known by the Spanish transcription of his name, Juan de Fuca , was a Greek-born maritime pilot in the service of the king of Spain, Philip II...
was probably the first white man to meet Wakashan-speaking peoples, and Juan Perez
Juan José Pérez Hernández
Juan José Pérez Hernández , often simply Juan Pérez, was an 18th century Spanish explorer. He was the first European to sight, examine, name, and record the islands near present-day British Columbia, Canada...
visited the Nuu-chah-nulth people in 1774. After 1786, English mariners frequently sailed to Nootka Sound
Nootka Sound
Nootka Sound is a complex inlet or sound of the Pacific Ocean on the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island, in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Historically also known as King George's Sound, as a strait it separates Vancouver Island and Nootka Island.-History:The inlet is part of the...
; in 1803 the crew of the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ship Boston were almost all killed by these Indians. In 1843 the Hudson's Bay Company established a trading post at Victoria. European-Canadians had regular contact with the First Nations after that time, resulting in population losses in the early 20th century due to smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
epidemics, social disruption and alcoholism. In 1903 the Aboriginals numbered about 5200, of whom 2600 were in the West Coast Agency, 1300 in the Kwakewith Agency, 900 in the North West Coast Agency, and 410 at Neah Bay Company, Cape Flattery
Cape Flattery
Cape Flattery may refer to:* Cape Flattery * Cape Flattery , between North Direction Island, South Direction Island and Three Islands...
. In 1909 they numbered 4584, including 2070 Kwakiutl
Kwakiutl
The term Kwakiutl, historically applied to the entire Kwakwaka'wakw ethno-linguistic group of originally 28 tribes, comes from one of the Kwakwaka'wakw tribes, the Kwagu'ł or Kwagyeulth, at Fort Rupert, with whom Franz Boas did most of his anthropological work and whose Indian Act Band government...
and 2494 Nootka
Nootka
Nootka may refer to:* The Nuu-chah-nulth indigenous peoples and their Nuu-chah-nulth language* The place called Nootka Sound* The island known as Nootka Island* The three treaties signed in the 1790s, known as the Nootka Conventions...
. Roman Catholic missionaries were active in the region.
External links
- Wakashan Word Sets, Native Languages of the Americas
- First Peoples Language Map of British Columbia