Vancouver Island & Coast | British Columbia Assembly of First Nations

Languages	FN Population	Total Pop’n	Pop’n % FN
Nuučaan̓uɫ Diitiidʔaatx̣ Halq'eméylem hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ Hul’q’umi’num’ Kwak̓wala Lkwungen Malchosen Semiahmoo SENĆOŦEN T’Sou-ke Hailhzaqvla Éy7á7juuthem Pəntl’áč Nuxalk Nəxʷsƛ̕ay̓əmúcən ’Uik̓ala Oowekyala	39,331	759,400	5.18%

Regional Description

The Vancouver Island and Coast region encompasses 84,231 square kilometres of land on Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, and the central portion of B.C.’s mainland coast from Powell River to just north of Ocean Falls and Bella Coola. This region is known for its temperate climate, unspoiled wilderness and beautiful coastlines.

In 2015, the region was home to 793,800 residents, making it the second-most-populated region in B.C. after Lower Mainland Southwest. Nearly half the region’s residents reside in Victoria’s Capital Regional District, 20% in Nanaimo and another 22% principally in small to medium sized communities in the mid and southeast coast of Vancouver Island. The rest of the region is sparsely populated and largely undeveloped. Many communities in these sparsely populated regions in the northern half of Vancouver Island and the mainland portion of the region are First Nations communities. Approximately 5% (39,300) of the regional population are First Nations. This is the highest absolute First Nations population of any region, although other regions have higher proportional First Nations populations, such as the North Coast, whose 35,300 First Nations residents make up over 60% of the total regional population.

The geographically diverse Vancouver Island and Coast region contains mountains, fertile agricultural lands, beaches, ancient rainforests, rivers, fjords, and archipelagos, which make up the traditional territory of many Coast Salish groups: Heiltsuk, Nuxalk, Wuikinuxv, Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw, and Da’naxda’xw in the northern mainland portion of the region adjacent to Queen Charlotte Sound; Quatsino, Nuu-chah-nulth, and Kwakwak’awakw on north and central Vancouver Island; Ditidaht, Pacheedaht, Saanich, Beecher Bay [Scia’new], Malahat, Nanoose [Snaw-naw-as], Songhees, Sooke [T’sou-ke], and Hul’qumi’num on southern Vancouver Island.

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Most First Nations in the Vancouver Island and Coast region are linguistically and culturally linked to groups in the Lower Mainland Southwest region — a result of the high levels of movement of people, goods, and knowledge throughout pre-colonial Salishian economy. The regional economic history is similar to that of the Lower Mainland Southwest region: the naturally bountiful Vancouver Island and Coast region, which supported large Indigenous populations, was the ideal location for settler colonial development. In tandem with the Lower Mainland Southwest, the forestry economy grew, as did the population— especially in the new British Columbian capital, Victoria.
The forestry, fishing, mining, oil, gas and related manufacturing industries grew to become the region’s “traditional economic base.” Today these industries— particularly fishing and forestry— continue to be important in the mid and north island and mainland coast, though today they are less dominant economic pillars. As the Victoria region continued to develop as an administrative and population centre, the service sector grew to play a major role in the region’s economy.
Today, the service sector is the region’s primary employer. Population growth— especially from retirees— attracted by the moderate climate, and tourism activity are the region’s primary economic drivers. These drivers generate investment, construction activity, and demand for services. Public administration is also a major employer and economic catalyst in Victoria. An emerging technology sector is providing increasing employment in southern Vancouver Island, with high real estate prices in Vancouver reportedly driving talent to Victoria.
The contemporary economy of the mid and north Island and mainland coast is more akin to other, more rural economic regions in BC, with commercial fishing and logging continuing to play a large role in providing local employment. First Nations communities in these regions are economically active in these traditional natural resource sectors, as well as in the tourism and ecotourism industries, which seek to conserve, protect, and showcase the astounding ecological value of the region.
Development corporations— owned collectively by aligned Nations or by individual First Nations— are the primary vehicles by which First Nations pursue and advocate for sustainable economic development, and can be explored through the Community Profiles Section of this database.
Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council (NTC) is a not-for-profit society that provides a wide variety of services and supports to fourteen Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations with approximately 10,000 members. The 14 Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations are divided into three regions. Southern Region: Ditidaht, Huu-ay-aht, Hupacasath, Tse-shaht, and Uchucklesaht. Central Region: Ahousaht, Hesquiaht, Tla-o-qui-aht, Toquaht, and Yuu-cluth-aht. Northern Region: Ehattesaht, Kyuquot/Cheklesaht, Mowachat/Muchalaht, and Nuchatlaht.
www.nuuchahnulth.org
Te’mexw Treaty Association is a non-profit society formed of five Coast Salish First Nations: Songhees, Nanoose (Snaw-Naw-As), Beecher Bay (Scia’new), T’Sou-ke and Malahat. The five Te’mexw Member First Nations joined together with one common objective; to support one another and to work together as a single organization to negotiate a modern treaty with the federal and provincial government in the British Columbia Treaty Process.
www.temexw.org
Laich-Kwil-Tach Treaty Society is the body that acts on behalf of the We Wai Kum Nation, We Wai Kai Nation, and Kwiakah First Nations in negotiating a modern treaty with the federal and provincial governments.
www.lkts.ca
Hul’qumi’num Treaty Group represents six communities: Chemainus, Cowichan Tribes, Halalt, Lake Cowichan, Lyackson and Penelakut. The First Nation traditionally occupied and used the area around Duncan, north to Ladysmith, east to the Gulf Islands and west to Cowichan Lake.
www.b.c.treaty.ca/hulquminum-treaty-group
Kwakiutl District Council is a political organization representing 9 of the 15 bands of the Kwakwak’awakw (Kwak’wala speaking peoples): Mamalilikulla Qwe’Qwa’ Sot’Em Nation, Da’naxda’xw Nation, Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw Nation, Kwakiutl Nation, Tlatlasikwala Nation, Cape Mudge Nation, Campbell River Nation, Kwiakah First Nation, and K’ómoks First Nation.

www.kdchealth.com
Musgamagw Dzawada’enuxw Tribal Council is a longstanding traditional alliance between four tribes: Gwawa’enuxw (Hopetown), Kwickwasut’inuxw (Gilford), Haxwa’mis (Wakeman) and Dzawada’enuxw (Kingcome). MDTC provides resources, support and representation for its member communities.
www.mdtc.ca
Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council is comprised of eleven Coast Salish First Nations: Halalt, Homalco, Klahoose, Malahat, Snaw-Naw-as (Nanoose), Snuneymuxw, Stz’uminus, Tla’amin, Tsawwassen, Tseil-Wau-Tuth, and T’Sou-Ke. Tsawwassen and Tseil-Wau-Tuth are located within the Lower Mainland Southwest region, outside the Vancouver Island and Coast region.
www.nautsamawt.org
Maa-nulth First Nations is an alliance between the Huu-ay-aht, Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Chek’tles7et’h’, Toquaht, Uchucklesaht, and Ucluelet First Nations, which finalized the negotiation of a modern treaty in 2011 with the federal and provincial governments through the B.C. Treaty Process.
www.maanulth.ca
Wuikinuxv-Kitasoo-Nuxalk Tribal Council is a community economic development organization and an alliance serving the Wuikinuxw, Kitasoo, and Nuxalk First Nations. The role of WKNTC is to provide advisory and/or program services to band members in the areas of community planning, band government, technical services, financial management and economic development.
www.nuxalknation.ca/about/faq/
Ditidaht and Pacheedaht Treaty:Ditidaht and Pacheedaht have been negotiating at a common treaty table with B.C. and Canada since August 1997. The traditional territories of both Ditidaht and Pacheedaht span the southwest corner of Vancouver Island.
http://www.b.c.treaty.ca/ditidaht-pacheedaht-first-nations
Nanwakolas Council is comprised of First Nations belong to the Kwakwaka’wakw – a culturally defined group of First Nations sharing the same language, Kwakʼwala and Lik’wala, located on northern Vancouver Island and the adjacent southern Central Coast area, including the many islands in between. Its member First Nations include Mamalilikulla, Tlowitsis, Da’naxda’xw Awaetlatla, Wei Wai Kum, Kwiakah and K’ómoks.
www.nanwakolas.com