Historical and Cultural Significance of k̓awat̕si

In 2014 the Nation held meetings with their Elders and language speakers to find a name for this new company.  The desire was to give the company a name that was in their own Bak̓wa̱mk̓ala language, and represented the vision for this company.

The bestowing of a name is itself, a significant cultural honour.  Names are part of a family’s collective Gildas (“Treasure Box”).  The Gildas refers to all the cultural treasures a family owns and which is overseen by the Gig̱a̱me’ (Chief) of the family, advised by his Elders.  These treasures include songs, dances, crests, names, and more.  They represent the cultural wealth the family acquired when their First Ancestor came from one of the other worlds, such as the Undersea or the World Above, and became human and founded his ‘na̱mima̱ (“Clan”).  It also includes the treasures that the family obtained through marriages or other means.

Names are not made up.  They are family treasures that are passed from generation to generation.  Names are not just for people, but can belong to treasured animals, and items that mainstream society may view as inanimate objects, such as canoes, coppers and houses.  They represent the role and spirit of that original supernatural being or item being passed on to a new generation.  These rights are continually renewed as names are passed on through the generations.

The selection of a name for a company that was to be part of undoing the harm done to the community was serious business and a great deal of time was taken to select the right name.

The name Ḵ̓awats̓i was selected finally to represent the vision and spirt of the work of the new company.  It was also the sharing of an important family treasure.

The name was agreed upon by the Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw Nation Elders, including Sally Nolie, a direct descendant of the Chief whose family primarily owned the Guḵwdzi (“Bighouse”) that had this name.  This was agreed to by other Elders and Chiefs involved in the process.

Bighouse (Guḵwdzi)

The Great House (Guḵwdzi) of the Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw was a home to the Chief and his extended families, as well as where ceremonies, feasts and potlatches were held.

These large communal dwellings were the property of chiefs, many of them with supernatural origins, such as those built by the first ancestors of various tribes.  The large house poles and cross beams often were carved with the crests of the owners, and some also had specific paintings that could be applied to the fronts of the houses.

It was not uncommon for the rights to own and build such a house to form part of the dowry of particularly noble daughters of high-ranking chiefs when married to other chiefs, or their heirs, as well as retained by those transferring them.