Kwakwaka’wakw
Please post your comments and suggestions for this article.
Comment by Norman Dale on December 22nd, 2011 at 10:22 am
This is a good article. I would suggest that in the very brief list of notable Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw you include at least two others about whom there are alreadty well-known biographies. James Sewid, who was largely responsible for the repatriation of Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw art to the museums at Alert Bay and Cape Mudge, and Harry Assu, an elder from Cape Mudge who was very influential. The books by and about them are, respectively, Guests Never Leave Hungry (with James Spradley) and Assu of Cape Mudge by Joy Inglis. Sewid was inducted to the Order of Canada. Assu’s boat was, for years, on the Canadian 5$ bill.
Comment by Norman Dale on December 22nd, 2011 at 10:26 am
You mention the 17 tribes several times in this article but never specify who they are or where they come from. This information is easily available. See either http://www.firstnations.de/fisheries/kwakwakawakw.htm or http://www.umista.org/kwakwakawakw/tribes.php and I feel it would be more respectful toi name them rather than allude vaguely to their fates of extinction or amalgamation. In point of fact, most continue to survive and redevelop today.
Comment by Jennifer Tanabe on December 28th, 2011 at 6:20 pm
Thank you, Norman, for both your valuable comments. The article will be updated to include the information you suggested.
Jennifer P. Tanabe, Social Sciences Editor, NWE
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