Nuu chah nulth Song, Wawmeesh Memorial, Nov 06

The Nuu-chah-nulth song being performed at the Memorial for the late Wawmeesh, George Watts, of the Tseshaht First Nation. This song is for all Nuuchahnulth who have occupied the rustic West Coast of Vancouver Island for thousands of years. You can also hear this song on the Nuu-chah-nulth tribal councils home page: http://www.nuuchahnulth.org/tribal-co...

Nuu-chah-nulth translates to "All along the mountains and sea".

Aht, means "people of"...... Nuu-chah-nulth-aht means "people of the mountains and sea".

Nuuchahnulth consists of 15 tribes which also includes the Makah of Neah Bay Washington. The following tribes make up the Nuu-chah-nulth nation:
Ditidaht, Huu-ay-aht, Hupachasat, Tseshaht, Uchucklesaht, Ahousaht, Hesquiaht, Tla-o-qui-aht, Toquaht, Ucluelet,Ehattesaht, Kyuquot/Cheklesahht, Mowachat/Muchalaht, and Nuchatlaht

BRIEF HISTORY BEHIND THE NAME: This is a brief history from what I know about the name Nuu-chah-nulth.

Nuuchahnulth were once referred to as "nootka" and sometimes still are called that to this day. This name was given by European explorers back in the 1700's. Our people were telling the ship to "go around the point", Nootksilth. And this name stayed for quite some time.
I heard Hesquiaht Elder Simon Lucas tell the story about how we got the name Nuu-chah-nulth at a memorial feast in 2006. Here is the story he told in my own words:

In 1978 the West Coast District Indian Council went to the people and asked them to find a name that would be more fitting. He explained how there were many names suggested by the people. Back in 1978 an elder stood up and suggested the name NUUCHAHNULTH. Nuu-chee means mountain. And that elder explained that our people are rich because every reserve in our territory has huge mountains in the background. From then on, we became Nuu-chah-nulth and that name will remain.