Hopetown, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Hopetown is an Indian Reserve community of the Gwawa'enux group of Kwakwaka'wakw
peoples, located on the south side of Watson Island
, to the north of Broughton Island
in the Broughton Archipelago
on the north side of the Queen Charlotte Strait
region on the Central Coast of British Columbia
, Canada
. The community is located entirely within Hopetown Indian Reserve No. 10A. The traditional name of the village in the Kwak'wala
language is Hikums, which has also been spelled Hegams and Hakina, meaning "facing outwards".
. Sometime in the 1860s, the village was abandoned due to a raid by the Bella Bella (Heiltsuk
) people and was only used as a fishing station, until c.1904 when the village was re-occupied.
Kwakwaka'wakw
The 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, located on the south side of Watson Island
Watson Island
Watson Island may refer to:* Watson Island , Australia* Watson Island , United States* Watson's Island, County Down, is a townland in County Down, Northern Ireland...
, to the north of Broughton Island
Broughton Island
Broughton Island may refer to:*Broughton Island *Broughton Island, Western Australia*Broughton Island , Canada*Qikiqtarjuaq, Nunavut , Canada*Broughton Island, New Zealand...
in the Broughton Archipelago
Broughton Archipelago
The Broughton Archipelago is a group of islands on the northeastern flank of the Queen Charlotte Strait on the coast of British Columbia, Canada. The largest islands in the group, which includes numerous smaller islets, are Broughton Island, North Broughton Island, Eden Island, Bonwick Island and...
on the north side of the Queen Charlotte Strait
Queen Charlotte Strait
Queen Charlotte Strait is a strait between Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It connects Queen Charlotte Sound with Johnstone Strait, Discovery Passage and then to the Strait of Georgia and Puget Sound...
region on the Central Coast of British Columbia
British Columbia Coast
The British Columbia Coast or BC Coast is Canada's western continental coastline on the Pacific Ocean. The usage is synonymous with the term West Coast of Canada....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The community is located entirely within Hopetown Indian Reserve No. 10A. The traditional name of the village in the Kwak'wala
Kwak'wala
Kwak'wala is the Indigenous language spoken by the Kwakwaka'wakw. It belongs to the Wakashan language family. There are about 250 Kwak'wala speakers today, which amounts to 5% of the Kwakwaka'wakw population...
language is Hikums, which has also been spelled Hegams and Hakina, meaning "facing outwards".
History
The village may have been visited on August 1, 1792 by Captain George VancouverGeorge Vancouver
Captain George Vancouver RN was an English officer of the British Royal Navy, best known for his 1791-95 expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern Pacific Coast regions, including the coasts of contemporary Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon...
. Sometime in the 1860s, the village was abandoned due to a raid by the Bella Bella (Heiltsuk
Heiltsuk
The Heiltsuk are an Indigenous First Nations of the Central Coast region of the Canadian province of British Columbia, centred on the island communities of Bella Bella and Klemtu. The government of the Heiltsuk people is the Heiltsuk Nation...
) people and was only used as a fishing station, until c.1904 when the village was re-occupied.