Tseshaht First Nation
{{Short description|Nuu-chah-nulth band government in British Columbia, Canada}}
{{Infobox First Nation
| band_name = Tseshaht First Nation
| band_number = 665
| endonym = c̓išaaʔatḥ
| image =
| caption =
| map = Tseshaht.png
| map_caption =
| people = Nuu-chah-nulth
| treaty =
| headquarters =
| province = British Columbia
| main_reserve =
| reserve =
| area =
| pop_year = 2021
| on_reserve = 452
| on_other_land = 40
| off_reserve = 755
| total_pop =
| chief = Ken Watts (waamiiš)
| council =
- Debra Foxcroft
- Jennifer Gallic
- Leisa Hassall
- Eunice Joe
- Natasha Marshall
- Ed Ross
- Les Sam
| tribal_council = Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council
| website = https://tseshaht.com/
| footnotes = {{cite web |title=First Nation Profiles |url=https://fnp-ppn.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/FNP/Main/Search/FNMain.aspx?BAND_NUMBER=665&lang=enghttps://fnp-ppn.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/FNP/Main/Search/FNMain.aspx?BAND_NUMBER=665&lang=eng |access-date=December 27, 2021 |website=Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada |publisher=Government of Canada |date=November 14, 2008}}
}}
Tseshaht First Nation is an amalgamation of many tribes up and down Alberni Inlet and in the Alberni Valley of central Vancouver Island in the Canadian province of British Columbia. They are a member of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council which includes all other Nuu-chah-nulth-aht peoples except the Pacheedaht First Nation.
Population
There are 1,205 Tseshaht. The main reserve community is located in Port Alberni, British Columbia.{{cite web |url=https://fnp-ppn.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/FNP/Main/Search/FNReserves.aspx?BAND_NUMBER=665&lang=eng |website=Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada |publisher=Government of Canada |title=Reserves/Settlements/Villages }} They became the area's dominant tribe through historical warfare. The Tseshaht First nation is one of 14 that make up the Nuu-chah-nulth culture. Their language is a member of the Wakashan family.
Creation story
Tseshaht oral history tells that their people were first created on Benson Island, British Columbia.{{cite web|url= http://www.tseshaht.com/|title=We are Tseshaht|accessdate=September 18, 2014}} In 2012, an interpretive display about the importance of the island was installed in cooperation with Parks Canada. The site is marked by a tall wooden carving by Tseshaht artist Gordon Dick.{{cite web|url= http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/bc/pacificrim/activ/activ16.aspx|title= First Nations Cultural Experiences: Broken Group Island Unit|accessdate=September 20, 2014}}
Notable people
- Alec Thomas born around 1894 near Alberni. He was a fisherman, trapper, longshoreman, logger, interpreter, and Tseshaht politician.{{cite web |url=http://www.tseshaht.com/tradition_history/figures/alec_thomas.php |title=Alec Thomas |publisher=Tseshaht First Nation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061122183538/http://www.tseshaht.com/tradition_history/figures/alec_thomas.php |archive-date=November 22, 2006}}
- Tom Sayachapis born circa 1838–1843. He was a prolific whaler and woodworker. Between 1913 and 1922, he was also one of the primary informants to Anthropologist/Linguist Edward Sapir for his extensive notes (known as the Sapir-Thomas Nootka texts) that were intended to provide an extensive ethnography on the cultural and social life of the Nuu Chah Nulth (Nootka) people. Tom Sayachapis died circa 1922.
- George Clutesi CM (1905-1988) actor, artist and writer
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://nuuchahnulth.org/ Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council homepage]
- [http://tseshaht.com Tseshaht First Nation]
{{Nuu-chah-nulth-aht First Nations}}