Introduction
Hesquiaht is the most northerly and remote of the five Central Region Nuu-chah-nulth Nations. Two of eight Hesquiaht Reserves are occupied by Hesquiaht members, one at Hot Springs Cove and the other at Hesquiaht Harbour. Hot Springs Cove is named after the natural hot springs located at the south end of a narrow peninsula on the east side of the cove. The Reserve Community of Hot Springs (Refuge Cove) village is located on the cove’s west side, home to approximately 80 individuals and 25 families (39 dwellings). The community had to rebuild after a devastating tsunami in 1963. With a population of approximately 150 people living in Hot Springs Cove and a commute of over one hour by boat into Tofino, the Hesquiaht are used to living in isolation.
And thus distance from services defines the challenges and opportunities for the Hesquiaht more than for any other community in the Clayoquot region. While for visitors a trip to the hot springs, Hesquiaht Harbour, Hooksum Outdoor School, or Cougar Annie’s Garden are adventures into hard-to-access wilderness, for Hesquiaht it is simply a necessary commute to the nearest grocery store or to visit the three quarters of the membership that live in Port Alberni, Nanaimo, Vancouver and Victoria.
To compound the impact of physical isolation, the Hesquiaht were devastated by the 1990s economic collapse of their traditional fisheries and forestry activities. Adding to the problem, the community is still recovering from the effects of the 1960s tidal wave that wiped out the village and forced many people to move away. The Hesquiaht are mindful that the future of the Hesquiaht nation needs to be grounded on spirituality, healing and reconciliation to retain and re-attract the membership to Hesquiaht territory.
Read more about this topic: Hesquiaht First Nation
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