There is a special place on the southeastern shores of Barkley Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island. It is a magnificent landscape of rocky cliffs fronting onto the wild Pacific Ocean, sheltered beaches, lakes, mountains and forests. Since the beginning of time, it has been the ancestral home of the Huu-ay-aht First Nation.

 

Drawing directly from oral history passed down by generations of Huu-ay-aht chiefs and elders, Kathryn Bridge and Kevin Neary tell the compelling stories of the Huu-ay-aht people from their perspective. This is a fascinating glimpse into the complex and rich history of a West Coast First Nation, from creation tales and accounts of their traditional ways to the recent Maa’nulth treaty.

Kathryn Bridge, PhD, is an archivist and historian who has curated exhibitions and written about Emily Carr for several decades. Her research is focused on the body of Carr's art and writings held in the BC Archives collections. Exhibitions include Emily Carr: Artist, Author, Eccentric Genius (2001) and The Other Emily (2010) at the Royal BC Museum, Victoria; and Intimate Glimpses: The Early Life of Emily Carr (2011) at the Wing Sang Gallery, Vancouver. Writings include the introduction to Carr's Klee Wyck (2004) and the forewords to Wildflowers by Emily Carr (2003) and Sister and I: From Victoria to London, an illustrated manuscript journal by Carr published in 2011. Bridge's Emily Carr in England is to be published by the Royal BC Museum in 2014.

Kathryn Bridge's profile page

Kevin Neary is a consultant in anthropology, research and museum interpretation for many First Nations and cultural institutions in British Columbia. He has participated in several research projects with the Huu-ay-aht over the past 20 years, developing a warm appreciation for Huu-ay-aht people, culture, language and history.

Kevin Neary's profile page

Voices of the Elders: Huu-ay-aht Histories and Legends

The Huu-ay-aht Chiefs and Council authorised Voices of the Elders to introduce the intricate and unique history of the people whose ancestral home is located on the southeastern shores of Barkley Sound. Derived from oral history passed down through generations, and preserved by voice recordings of Huu-ay-aht chiefs and elders, the persuasive stories of the Huu-ay-aht people are presented from the their historical perception. The multifarious history of a West Coast First Nation, from tales of the old times, accounts of their traditional ways of doing things, to the recent Maa’nulth treaty through the British Columbia Treaty Commission is laid out here in an accessible format.

Voices of the Elders: Huu-ay-aht Histories and Legends

The Huu-ay-aht Chiefs and Council authorised Voices of the Elders to introduce the intricate and unique history of the people whose ancestral home is located on the southeastern shores of Barkley Sound. Derived from oral history passed down through generations, and preserved by voice recordings of Huu-ay-aht chiefs and elders, the persuasive stories of the Huu-ay-aht people are presented from the their historical perception. The multifarious history of a West Coast First Nation, from tales of the old times, accounts of their traditional ways of doing things, to the recent Maa’nulth treaty through the British Columbia Treaty Commission is laid out here in an accessible format.