How is the Kwakiutl Indian nation organized?
Each Kwakiutl community has its own reserve, or reservation. Reserves are land that belongs to a Native American tribe and is legally under their control. Each Kwakiutl tribe–known as a band or First Nation in Canada–is politically independent and has its own leadership. The fifteen Kwakiutl bands each have their own government, laws, police, and services, just like small countries. However, the Kwakiutls are also Canadian citizens and must obey Canadian law. What language do the Kwakiutl Indians speak? Almost all Kwakiutl people speak English today, but some Kwakiutls, especially elders, also speak their native Kwakiutl language. Kwakiutl is a complicated language with many sounds that don’t exist in English. If you’d like to know an easy Kwakiutl word, “gilakasla” (sounds a little like gee-lah-kah-slah, with a hard ‘g’ as in ‘go’) is a friendly greeting. You can also read a Kwakiutl picture dictionary here. What was Kwakiutl culture like in the past? What is it like now? Here’s a l
