Kwakiutl

Kwakiutl Indians , a tribe of Indians of the Wakashan language family, which also includes the Nootka. The Kwakiutl inhabited coastal areas of what is now British Columbia and numbered about 5,000 to 6,000 at the time of contact with European explorers in the 18th century. Their economy was based on hunting, fishing, and gathering. They were noted for their fine wood carvings, especially totem poles and ceremonial masks. The Kwakiutl had a complex social organization that included chiefs, nobles, commoners, and slaves. One of their most important customs was the potlatch.

Today there are about 3,500 Kwakiutl living on reserves on Vancouver Island and the shores of Queen Charlotte Sound, British Columbia. They are employed primarily in the fishing industry.