Gwayasdums facts for kids

Gwayasdums is a historic village located on the west side of Gilford Island in British Columbia, Canada. It's found in a beautiful area called the Johnstone Strait. This village is the home of the Kwakwakaʼwakw peoples.

The village is also known as Gwayasdums Indian Reserve No. 1. You might also see its name spelled as Kwaustums or Gwa’yasdams.

Close by, there's a place called Health Bay and Health Lagoon. These names were also used to describe the area around the village.

History of Gwayasdums

Gwayasdums is the traditional home of the Kwikwasut'inuxw people. Today, about 70 people live there. Over time, many other Kwakwaka'wakw groups have also used this important village.

In 1856, the village was attacked and destroyed by the Nuxalk people. This might have happened because of a difficult time for the Nuxalk, possibly due to a food shortage in their area.

After the attack, the people who survived from Gwayasdums moved to Village Island. They joined another group called the Mamalilikala at a place called Memkumlis.

Later, between 1865 and 1879, other groups like the Gwawa’enuxw, Haxwa’mis, and Dzawada’enuxw started using Gwayasdums. They used it as a shared village during the winter months.

In the 1890s, the Kwikwasut'inuxw people began to return to Gwayasdums. However, different groups continued to share and use the village well into the 1900s.