Kwakwakaʼwakw
Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw mask (19th century) | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 3,665 (2016 census) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Canada (British Columbia) | |
| Languages | |
| English, Kwakʼwala | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity, Traditional Indigenous religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Haisla, Heiltsuk, Wuikinuxv |
| People | Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw |
|---|---|
| Language | Kwak̓wala Kwak̓wala ʼNak̓wala G̱uc̓ala T̓łat̓łasik̓wala Liqʼwala |
| Country | Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw A̱wi'nagwis |
The Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw ([ˈkʷakʷəkʲəʔwakʷ]), also known as the Kwakiutl (/ˈkwɑːkjʊtəl/; "Kwakʼwala-speaking peoples"), are an indigenous group of the Pacific Northwest Coast, in southwestern Canada. Their total population, according to a 2016 census, was 3,665 people. Most live in their traditional territories on northern Vancouver Island, as well as nearby smaller islands (such as the Discovery Islands) and inland on the adjacent British Columbia mainland. Some also live outside their traditional homelands, in urban areas such as Victoria and Vancouver. They are politically-organized into 13 band governments.
The Kwakwaka'wakw language, now spoken by only 3.1% of the population, consists of four dialects of what is commonly referred to as Kwakʼwala, known as Kwak̓wala, 'Nak̓wala, G̱uc̓ala and T̓łat̓łasik̓wala.