Kwakiutl

See also: Kwakiutl (statue)

The Kwakiutl /ˈkwɑːkjʊtəl/ are a tribe of the Kwakwaka'wakw people historically centered on the coast of British Columbia. There are about 700 living Kwakiutls. Like other Pacific Northwest tribes, they are known for the potlatch, a ritual gift-giving ceremony.

Anthropologist Franz Boas used the name Kwakiutl to refer to an ethno-linguistic group of 28 tribes. It came from the name of the tribe that Boas did most of his work with, the Kwagu'ł or Kwagyeulth, at Fort Rupert. The name was widely used into the 1970s and remains current in languages other than English. However, it is now considered a misnomer by most of the peoples it is applied to; they prefer to be called the Kwakwaka'wakw, which means Kwak'wala-speaking-peoples. One exception is the Laich-kwil-tach at Campbell River; they are known as the Southern Kwakiutl, and the tribal council they are in is the Kwakiutl District Council.

The Kwakiutls participated in dances in which people would wear masks and costumes and tell ancient stories.

The novel I Heard The Owl Call My Name by Margaret Craven focuses on a real Southern Kwakiutl village, Kingcome, British Columbia.

Gallery

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  Nakoaktok chiefs daughter, seated on a blanket-covered board supported by two wooden carved images representing her slaves

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  Dancers with hamatsa masks, photo by Edward S. Curtis, 1914

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  Kwakwaka'wakw figure from British Columbia, 19th century

External links

* maschere Kwakiutl

• The Canadian Encyclopedia

Media related to Kwakwaka'wakw at Wikimedia Commons