List of Nuxalk villages facts for kids

The Nuxalk people are an Indigenous group from the central coast of British Columbia, Canada. This article shares a list of their traditional villages.

For a long time, the Nuxalk people have lived in many villages across their territory. By 1953, most Nuxalk people lived in just two main communities: Kimsquit near Dean Inlet, and Bella Coola at the mouth of the Bella Coola River.

Today, most Nuxalkmc (which means 'Nuxalk people') live in two main villages: Bella Coola and Snxlhh (also called 4-mile). However, they still use and connect with their entire traditional lands.

Nuxalk Villages of the Past

This list of villages comes from information gathered by McIlwraith and cited by John Reed Swanton. The names in brackets are the modern Nuxalk language spellings, along with what the name means.

• Aimats (Aymats) – Located north of Anutsqaaxlh, near the Piisla River.
• Aketi (Acati) – Found on the south side of the Dean River, about one mile from the sea.
• Anutlitlk (Anutl'lhlc) – This village was near the mouth of the Dean River. It was abandoned almost a hundred years ago.
• Anutskwakstl (Anutsquutslh or anutsqaaxlh) – This was an eastern part of the village of Tl'uk'uulh.
• Aseik (Asiiqw - head of channel) – Situated on a stream flowing into a bay at the southwest end of South Bentinck Arm (Ats'aaxlh).
• Asenane (Asanani/Asinani) – Located on the shore of a bay on the south side of the Bella Coola River (Nuxalk).
• Asktlta (Asklhta) – Found at Salmon House Falls on the Upper Dean River.
• Atlklaktl (Alhqlaaxlh - fenced village) – Near the south bank of the Piisla River, about a quarter-mile from the sea.
• Ikwink – Located on the Dean River, 28 miles from the sea.
• Kadis (Q'xtis) – On the east side of South Bentinck Arm, about a quarter-mile from the Noieck River. It was actually closer to Ts'awlhmim than to Nuwik.
• Kameik (Qamiix) – On the west bank of the Necleetsconnay River (Nutcictskwani), about three-quarters of a mile from the sea. This is also the name of a creek and mountain, and matches the location of the village of Ts'alh.
• Kantkilsk (Qnklst - rocky-below / island) – On the east side of South Bentinck Arm, slightly north of Bensins Island (also called Qnklst). This is opposite the hot springs (Icp'iixm) on the west side of the fjord (Ats'aaxlh).
• Kimsquit (K'mckw'itxw) – A village in the Kimsquit region.
• Koapk (Qw'apx) – On the east side of the mouth of a creek (Asiixw) that flows into the head of South Bentinck Arm (Ats'aaxlh) from the south.
• Komkutis (Q'umk'uts) – The upper (eastern) part of Sts'kiilh.
• Kwiliutl (Qwlyulh) – On the north side of the Atnarko River (Lhaaxlc), a few hundred yards above where it meets the Talchako or Whitewater River.
• Nuekmak (Nu7iixmaqw's) – Near some still pools on the north side of Bella Coola River, a short distance above Snu7unikwlxs. The pools were known to be on the south side.
• Nuhwilst (Nucwlst) – On the shore of Dean Channel, six miles from Satskw.
• Nuiku (Nuwikw) – On a raised mound on South Bentinck Arm (Ats'aaxlh), south of the mouth of the Nuwikw River.
• Nukaakmats (Snuqaaxmats') – On the north shore of the Bella Coola River, about a mile above Ts'lkt (or Ts'likt).
• Nukits (Nukits' - twisted water) – On the south side of the Bella Coola River, 11¼ miles from the sea. This was the upper end of the modern village of Hagensborg.
• Nuskapts (Nusqap'ts) – On the south bank of the Dean River, about 25 miles from the sea.
• Nuskek (Nusxiq') – On the shore of North Bentinck, east of the creek that flows into Green Bay (Nusxiq').
• Nuskelst (Nusq'lst) – On the north side of the Bella Coola River (Nuxalk), opposite the mountain with the same name (Nusq'lst).
• Nutal (Nutl'l) – On the bank of the Dean River at the bottom of the canyon (Nutl'l).
• Nutltleik (Nutl'lhiixw - dry headwaters, modern day Burnt Bridge) – 200 yards from the Bella Coola River on a creek flowing in from the north, about 31 miles from the sea.
• Nutskwatlt – On the south side of the Dean River, about 1¼ miles from the sea.
• Okmikimik (Uqmikmc) – At the present village of Hagensborg, 11 miles from the sea.
• Ososkpimk – On the north shore of the Bella Coola River, about half a mile above Aimats.
• Satsk (Satskw) – At the mouth of the Kimsquit River, known today as Chatscah Indian Reserve No. 2.
• Senktl (Snxlhh) – On the south side of the Bella Coola River, opposite Sts’icts’icwtalhp.
• Setlia (Salhya - Tallio Point) – On the east side of South Bentinck Arm, about a quarter-mile from where it joins North Bentinck.
• Siwalos (Siwalusim - where the canoes were left) – On the north side of the Dean River, about 35 miles from the sea. This is where the trail to the Interior (Sutkalhta - winter trail) left the river valley.
• Skomeltl (Squmalh - the name of a site, creek and valley) – On the south side of the Bella Coola River, about 3 miles from the sea. This was the upper end of Snxlhh and Tsumuulh.
• Snoönikwilk (Snu7unikwlxs - West Point) – On a curving point on the south bank of the Bella Coola River, about 4 miles from the sea. This is actually the name of the ridge on the north side of the river.
• Snutele (Snut'li - place of dog salmon) – On the south bank of the Bella Coola River, above Snuqaaxmats'. This is also the name of the creek and valley that start there.
• Snutlelelatl – On the north side of the Atnarko River, about 10 miles from where it meets another river.
• Stskeitl (Sts'kiilh) – On the south bank of the Bella Coola River, about a quarter-mile from the sea.
• Stuik (Stuwic) (Stuie) – On the point between the Atnarko and Whitewater (Talchako) Rivers, which join to form the Bella Coola River.
• Talio (Talyuu) – On the west side of the mouth of the Nuwikw River. Its location was often changed.
• Tasaltlimk (ts'alh or ts'alhmc) – On the shore of North Bentinck Arm, west and north of the mouth of the Nutcictskwani River.
• Tciktciktelpats (Possibly Tsipscaaxuts) – Some distance from the north bank of the Bella Coola River, as the river's path has changed.
• Tlokotl (Tl'uk'uulh - high mound) – Above Alhqlaaxlh on the Piisla Creek.
• Tsaotltmem (Ts'awlhmim - Camp 2 bay) – On the east side of South Bentinck Arm, about 4 miles from Qnklst.
• Tsilkt (Ts'lkt or Ts'likt) – On the north shore of the Bella Coola River, above Tsumuulh (noisy rock).
• Tsomootl (Tsumuulh - Sound of water over a rock) – The upper part of Squmalh.

Other Village Names

Franz Boas, another researcher, also listed some names in 1898. Most of these are likely other names for the villages mentioned above:

• Koatlna (Kwalhna - inlet south of South Bentinck)
• Nusatsem (Nusats'm - place of dried up humpies, village and creek at Noosatsum creek and another name for Asinani)
• Osmakmiketlp (Usmicmikalhp - place of harvesting spruce trees - location unknown)
• Peisela (Piisla)
• Sakta
• Selkuta
• Slaaktl (Slaaxlh - likely the name of the Talchako river)
• Sotstl (Sutslh - the village at mouth of Kimsquit River)
• Tkeiktskune (Nu-tcictskwani - River running north at the mouth of the Bella Coola river)
• Tskoakkane

Sources

• The Indian Tribes of North America, by John Swanton, 1953, quoted on canadiangeneaology.net website.
• A Concise Nuxalk-English Dictionary, by Hank Nater, 1990. Published by the Canadian Museum of Civilization.