Kwakwakaʼwakw mythology

The Kwakwakaʼwakw are a group of Indigenous nations, numbering about 5,500, who live in the central coast of British Columbia on northern Vancouver Island and the mainland. Kwakwakaʼwakw translates into "Kwakʼwala-speaking tribes." However, the individual tribes are single autonomous nations and do not view themselves collectively as one group.

These people share many common cultural customs with neighboring nations. They share beliefs in many of the same spirits and deities, although they speak different languages. Some spirits are, however, totally unique to one or two cultures and are not universally known throughout the Northwest Coast. Each tribe has its own history, practices, and stories. Some origin stories belong to only one specific tribe, while another tribe has its own stories. But many practices, rituals, and ceremonies occur throughout Kwakwakaʼwakw culture, and in some cases, neighboring indigenous cultures also.