1. Numéro 1

    Kejimkujik Nova-Scotia
  2. Numéro 2

    Pepeshapissinikan Haute-Côte-Nord, Quebec
  3. Numéro 3

    Qajartalik Nunavik, Quebec
  4. Numéro 4

    Áísínai’pí Alberta
  5. Numéro 5

    K'aka'win British Colombia
Mettre le site en anglais

K’aka’win, île de vancouver, comlombie-britanique

K'aka'win

K'aka'win, also known as the Sproat Lake petroglyphs, is an open-air rock art site carved directly into a vertical rock wall on the bank of Sproat Lake. The lake is located in the namesake provincial park nestled in the Alberni Valley, in the heart of Vancouver Island. This rock art site was among the first ones to be studied in Canada at the end of the 19th century. The site is situated in Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) territory. This is the land of the Hupacasath First Nation, where a language of the Wakashan family is spoken.

Environment and History

Along the Sea and Mountains

Vancouver Island Ranges stretch over nearly the entire length of the island, with some peaks rising 2000 metres (6000 feet) above sea level. The island’s coastlines are fragmented by sounds, bays and coves.

The Alberni Valley is enclosed by mountains and is home to exceptionally rich animal and plant life. The valley is covered with lush forests thick with species such as Western red cedar, Douglas fir, Western hemlock, and, on higher grounds, yellow cypress. A wide variety of berries, shrubs and ferns, including the salmonberry, also thrive in the valley. The region is teeming with fish, including five different species of Pacific salmon, along with cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and other species. Among the mammals roaming the island are the Roosevelt elk, black bear, wolf and cougar. Some of the birds gracing the valley skies include the great blue heron, peregrine falcon and some rare species such as the Queen Charlotte Goshawk. Many marine mammals are sighted along the west coast of the island: sea lions, grey whales, humpback whales and killer whales (orcas).

The oceanic climate of Vancouver Island is humid and warm. Precipitation is particularly abundant in the fall and winter, mainly in the form of rain. Winters are mild with temperatures rarely dropping below 0˚C, while summers are cool with average 20˚C temperatures.

Image of a map showing the location of the Sproat Lake Provincial Park
  • Presentation of a slideshow of 10 images featuring the environment of the rock art site located on the bank of Sproat Lake that is comprised of a dense forest, a variety of vegetation, gigantic trees, many waterways and steep cliffs.
  • Presentation of a slideshow of 10 images featuring the environment of the rock art site located on the bank of Sproat Lake that is comprised of a dense forest, a variety of vegetation, gigantic trees, many waterways and steep cliffs.
  • Presentation of a slideshow of 10 images featuring the environment of the rock art site located on the bank of Sproat Lake that is comprised of a dense forest, a variety of vegetation, gigantic trees, many waterways and steep cliffs.
  • Presentation of a slideshow of 10 images featuring the environment of the rock art site located on the bank of Sproat Lake that is comprised of a dense forest, a variety of vegetation, gigantic trees, many waterways and steep cliffs.
  • Presentation of a slideshow of 10 images featuring the environment of the rock art site located on the bank of Sproat Lake that is comprised of a dense forest, a variety of vegetation, gigantic trees, many waterways and steep cliffs.
  • Presentation of a slideshow of 10 images featuring the environment of the rock art site located on the bank of Sproat Lake that is comprised of a dense forest, a variety of vegetation, gigantic trees, many waterways and steep cliffs.
  • Presentation of a slideshow of 10 images featuring the environment of the rock art site located on the bank of Sproat Lake that is comprised of a dense forest, a variety of vegetation, gigantic trees, many waterways and steep cliffs.
  • Presentation of a slideshow of 10 images featuring the environment of the rock art site located on the bank of Sproat Lake that is comprised of a dense forest, a variety of vegetation, gigantic trees, many waterways and steep cliffs.
  • Presentation of a slideshow of 10 images featuring the environment of the rock art site located on the bank of Sproat Lake that is comprised of a dense forest, a variety of vegetation, gigantic trees, many waterways and steep cliffs.
  • Presentation of a slideshow of 10 images featuring the environment of the rock art site located on the bank of Sproat Lake that is comprised of a dense forest, a variety of vegetation, gigantic trees, many waterways and steep cliffs.
Full Screen Mode

Killer Whale and Place Name

In the Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) culture, the killer whale is closely related to the wolf. These marine mammals hunt in packs with the same hunting skills used by wolves. It is a Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) belief that the killer whale has the ability to assume, once on land, the form of a wolf.

k’aka’win
K'aka'win is a word in the Nuučaan̓uɫ (Nuu-chah-nulth) language that means “something stuck on its back.” This is the Indigenous word for the killer whale in reference to its dorsal fin. Another place name related to this site is qua queiyt’q kaka’win oo t!un A-xa’maqis, which means “killer whale rushes onto the beach.” This word actually refers to a hunting technique of killer whales when they rush onto the shore to attack seals and sea lions.
In the Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) culture, the killer whale is closely related to the wolf. These marine mammals hunt in packs with the same hunting skills used by wolves. It is a Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) belief that the killer whale has the ability to assume, once on land, the form of a wolf.

Gilbert Malcom Sproat
(1834-1913)

Sproat Lake was named after Gilbert Malcolm Sproat. He was a business man, Vancouver Island Justice of the Peace and Indian Reserve Commissioner sympathetic to Indigenous land right claims. Sproat was also an amateur ethnographer, who published in 1868 a book on the Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) of the Alberni region entitled Scenes and Studies of Savage Life. The Sproat Lake site, or K’aka’win, is mentioned for the first time in this book.

Picture of Gilbert Malcolm Sproat

  • Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) of Vancouver Island

    The rock where the petroglyphs are carved is also known as the “house of Kwatyat,” the Nuu-chah-nulth’s (Nootka) culture hero. Kwatyat is a Transformer. As told in oral stories, this being has the power to transform the surrounding elements. It is said that he gave living beings and landscapes the form that they have today. In Northwest Coast cultures, the Transformer is often represented as a raven. This place continues to bear great significance for the people of the Hupacasath First Nation, who keep this heritage alive in a number of stories and fight for its protection.

    The rock where the petroglyphs are carved is also known as the “house of Kwatyat,” the Nuu-chah-nulth’s (Nootka) culture hero. Kwatyat is a Transformer. As told in oral stories, this being has the power to transform the surrounding elements. It is said that he gave living beings and landscapes the form that they have today. In Northwest Coast cultures, the Transformer is often represented as a raven. This place continues to bear great significance for the people of the Hupacasath First Nation, who keep this heritage alive in a number of stories and fight for its protection.

    Recent picture showing the back view of a man. He is wearing a ceremonial garment and is standing at the entrance of a building. Totems and other individuals also dressed in ceremonial garments can be seen inside the building. A fire is burning at the centre of the room where a Potlatch is about to take place.
  • Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) of Vancouver Island

    The rock where the petroglyphs are carved is also known as the “house of Kwatyat,” the Nuu-chah-nulth’s (Nootka) culture hero. Kwatyat is a Transformer. As told in oral stories, this being has the power to transform the surrounding elements. It is said that he gave living beings and landscapes the form that they have today. In Northwest Coast cultures, the Transformer is often represented as a raven. This place continues to bear great significance for the people of the Hupacasath First Nation, who keep this heritage alive in a number of stories and fight for its protection.

    The rock where the petroglyphs are carved is also known as the “house of Kwatyat,” the Nuu-chah-nulth’s (Nootka) culture hero. Kwatyat is a Transformer. As told in oral stories, this being has the power to transform the surrounding elements. It is said that he gave living beings and landscapes the form that they have today. In Northwest Coast cultures, the Transformer is often represented as a raven. This place continues to bear great significance for the people of the Hupacasath First Nation, who keep this heritage alive in a number of stories and fight for its protection.

    Artwork showing a Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) woman
  • Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) of Vancouver Island

    The rock where the petroglyphs are carved is also known as the “house of Kwatyat,” the Nuu-chah-nulth’s (Nootka) culture hero. Kwatyat is a Transformer. As told in oral stories, this being has the power to transform the surrounding elements. It is said that he gave living beings and landscapes the form that they have today. In Northwest Coast cultures, the Transformer is often represented as a raven. This place continues to bear great significance for the people of the Hupacasath First Nation, who keep this heritage alive in a number of stories and fight for its protection.

    The rock where the petroglyphs are carved is also known as the “house of Kwatyat,” the Nuu-chah-nulth’s (Nootka) culture hero. Kwatyat is a Transformer. As told in oral stories, this being has the power to transform the surrounding elements. It is said that he gave living beings and landscapes the form that they have today. In Northwest Coast cultures, the Transformer is often represented as a raven. This place continues to bear great significance for the people of the Hupacasath First Nation, who keep this heritage alive in a number of stories and fight for its protection.

    Painting of the inside of a Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) dwelling
  • Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) of Vancouver Island

    The rock where the petroglyphs are carved is also known as the “house of Kwatyat,” the Nuu-chah-nulth’s (Nootka) culture hero. Kwatyat is a Transformer. As told in oral stories, this being has the power to transform the surrounding elements. It is said that he gave living beings and landscapes the form that they have today. In Northwest Coast cultures, the Transformer is often represented as a raven. This place continues to bear great significance for the people of the Hupacasath First Nation, who keep this heritage alive in a number of stories and fight for its protection.

    The rock where the petroglyphs are carved is also known as the “house of Kwatyat,” the Nuu-chah-nulth’s (Nootka) culture hero. Kwatyat is a Transformer. As told in oral stories, this being has the power to transform the surrounding elements. It is said that he gave living beings and landscapes the form that they have today. In Northwest Coast cultures, the Transformer is often represented as a raven. This place continues to bear great significance for the people of the Hupacasath First Nation, who keep this heritage alive in a number of stories and fight for its protection.

    View of Sproat Lake Petroglyphs in 1918
  • Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) of Vancouver Island

    The rock where the petroglyphs are carved is also known as the “house of Kwatyat,” the Nuu-chah-nulth’s (Nootka) culture hero. Kwatyat is a Transformer. As told in oral stories, this being has the power to transform the surrounding elements. It is said that he gave living beings and landscapes the form that they have today. In Northwest Coast cultures, the Transformer is often represented as a raven. This place continues to bear great significance for the people of the Hupacasath First Nation, who keep this heritage alive in a number of stories and fight for its protection.

    The rock where the petroglyphs are carved is also known as the “house of Kwatyat,” the Nuu-chah-nulth’s (Nootka) culture hero. Kwatyat is a Transformer. As told in oral stories, this being has the power to transform the surrounding elements. It is said that he gave living beings and landscapes the form that they have today. In Northwest Coast cultures, the Transformer is often represented as a raven. This place continues to bear great significance for the people of the Hupacasath First Nation, who keep this heritage alive in a number of stories and fight for its protection.

    Old picture of two women in their traditional watercraft
  • Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) of Vancouver Island

    The rock where the petroglyphs are carved is also known as the “house of Kwatyat,” the Nuu-chah-nulth’s (Nootka) culture hero. Kwatyat is a Transformer. As told in oral stories, this being has the power to transform the surrounding elements. It is said that he gave living beings and landscapes the form that they have today. In Northwest Coast cultures, the Transformer is often represented as a raven. This place continues to bear great significance for the people of the Hupacasath First Nation, who keep this heritage alive in a number of stories and fight for its protection.

    The rock where the petroglyphs are carved is also known as the “house of Kwatyat,” the Nuu-chah-nulth’s (Nootka) culture hero. Kwatyat is a Transformer. As told in oral stories, this being has the power to transform the surrounding elements. It is said that he gave living beings and landscapes the form that they have today. In Northwest Coast cultures, the Transformer is often represented as a raven. This place continues to bear great significance for the people of the Hupacasath First Nation, who keep this heritage alive in a number of stories and fight for its protection.

    Old picture of three Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) elders
  • Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) of Vancouver Island

    The rock where the petroglyphs are carved is also known as the “house of Kwatyat,” the Nuu-chah-nulth’s (Nootka) culture hero. Kwatyat is a Transformer. As told in oral stories, this being has the power to transform the surrounding elements. It is said that he gave living beings and landscapes the form that they have today. In Northwest Coast cultures, the Transformer is often represented as a raven. This place continues to bear great significance for the people of the Hupacasath First Nation, who keep this heritage alive in a number of stories and fight for its protection.

    The rock where the petroglyphs are carved is also known as the “house of Kwatyat,” the Nuu-chah-nulth’s (Nootka) culture hero. Kwatyat is a Transformer. As told in oral stories, this being has the power to transform the surrounding elements. It is said that he gave living beings and landscapes the form that they have today. In Northwest Coast cultures, the Transformer is often represented as a raven. This place continues to bear great significance for the people of the Hupacasath First Nation, who keep this heritage alive in a number of stories and fight for its protection.

    Old picture of a man standing up in his watercraft. He is using a harpoon to catch fish.
  • Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) of Vancouver Island

    The rock where the petroglyphs are carved is also known as the “house of Kwatyat,” the Nuu-chah-nulth’s (Nootka) culture hero. Kwatyat is a Transformer. As told in oral stories, this being has the power to transform the surrounding elements. It is said that he gave living beings and landscapes the form that they have today. In Northwest Coast cultures, the Transformer is often represented as a raven. This place continues to bear great significance for the people of the Hupacasath First Nation, who keep this heritage alive in a number of stories and fight for its protection.

    The rock where the petroglyphs are carved is also known as the “house of Kwatyat,” the Nuu-chah-nulth’s (Nootka) culture hero. Kwatyat is a Transformer. As told in oral stories, this being has the power to transform the surrounding elements. It is said that he gave living beings and landscapes the form that they have today. In Northwest Coast cultures, the Transformer is often represented as a raven. This place continues to bear great significance for the people of the Hupacasath First Nation, who keep this heritage alive in a number of stories and fight for its protection.

    Old picture of the Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) village of Nootka Sound
  • Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) of Vancouver Island

    The rock where the petroglyphs are carved is also known as the “house of Kwatyat,” the Nuu-chah-nulth’s (Nootka) culture hero. Kwatyat is a Transformer. As told in oral stories, this being has the power to transform the surrounding elements. It is said that he gave living beings and landscapes the form that they have today. In Northwest Coast cultures, the Transformer is often represented as a raven. This place continues to bear great significance for the people of the Hupacasath First Nation, who keep this heritage alive in a number of stories and fight for its protection.

    The rock where the petroglyphs are carved is also known as the “house of Kwatyat,” the Nuu-chah-nulth’s (Nootka) culture hero. Kwatyat is a Transformer. As told in oral stories, this being has the power to transform the surrounding elements. It is said that he gave living beings and landscapes the form that they have today. In Northwest Coast cultures, the Transformer is often represented as a raven. This place continues to bear great significance for the people of the Hupacasath First Nation, who keep this heritage alive in a number of stories and fight for its protection.

    Old picture of two women from Nootka Sound weaving baskets
  • Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) of Vancouver Island

    The rock where the petroglyphs are carved is also known as the “house of Kwatyat,” the Nuu-chah-nulth’s (Nootka) culture hero. Kwatyat is a Transformer. As told in oral stories, this being has the power to transform the surrounding elements. It is said that he gave living beings and landscapes the form that they have today. In Northwest Coast cultures, the Transformer is often represented as a raven. This place continues to bear great significance for the people of the Hupacasath First Nation, who keep this heritage alive in a number of stories and fight for its protection.

    The rock where the petroglyphs are carved is also known as the “house of Kwatyat,” the Nuu-chah-nulth’s (Nootka) culture hero. Kwatyat is a Transformer. As told in oral stories, this being has the power to transform the surrounding elements. It is said that he gave living beings and landscapes the form that they have today. In Northwest Coast cultures, the Transformer is often represented as a raven. This place continues to bear great significance for the people of the Hupacasath First Nation, who keep this heritage alive in a number of stories and fight for its protection.

    Old picture of the Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) village at Friendly Cove, British Columbia
  • Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) of Vancouver Island

    The rock where the petroglyphs are carved is also known as the “house of Kwatyat,” the Nuu-chah-nulth’s (Nootka) culture hero. Kwatyat is a Transformer. As told in oral stories, this being has the power to transform the surrounding elements. It is said that he gave living beings and landscapes the form that they have today. In Northwest Coast cultures, the Transformer is often represented as a raven. This place continues to bear great significance for the people of the Hupacasath First Nation, who keep this heritage alive in a number of stories and fight for its protection.

    The rock where the petroglyphs are carved is also known as the “house of Kwatyat,” the Nuu-chah-nulth’s (Nootka) culture hero. Kwatyat is a Transformer. As told in oral stories, this being has the power to transform the surrounding elements. It is said that he gave living beings and landscapes the form that they have today. In Northwest Coast cultures, the Transformer is often represented as a raven. This place continues to bear great significance for the people of the Hupacasath First Nation, who keep this heritage alive in a number of stories and fight for its protection.

    Old picture of three Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) children at Friendly Cove, British Columbia
  • Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) of Vancouver Island

    The rock where the petroglyphs are carved is also known as the “house of Kwatyat,” the Nuu-chah-nulth’s (Nootka) culture hero. Kwatyat is a Transformer. As told in oral stories, this being has the power to transform the surrounding elements. It is said that he gave living beings and landscapes the form that they have today. In Northwest Coast cultures, the Transformer is often represented as a raven. This place continues to bear great significance for the people of the Hupacasath First Nation, who keep this heritage alive in a number of stories and fight for its protection.

    The rock where the petroglyphs are carved is also known as the “house of Kwatyat,” the Nuu-chah-nulth’s (Nootka) culture hero. Kwatyat is a Transformer. As told in oral stories, this being has the power to transform the surrounding elements. It is said that he gave living beings and landscapes the form that they have today. In Northwest Coast cultures, the Transformer is often represented as a raven. This place continues to bear great significance for the people of the Hupacasath First Nation, who keep this heritage alive in a number of stories and fight for its protection.

    Old picture of a Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) elder
  • Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) of Vancouver Island

    The rock where the petroglyphs are carved is also known as the “house of Kwatyat,” the Nuu-chah-nulth’s (Nootka) culture hero. Kwatyat is a Transformer. As told in oral stories, this being has the power to transform the surrounding elements. It is said that he gave living beings and landscapes the form that they have today. In Northwest Coast cultures, the Transformer is often represented as a raven. This place continues to bear great significance for the people of the Hupacasath First Nation, who keep this heritage alive in a number of stories and fight for its protection.

    The rock where the petroglyphs are carved is also known as the “house of Kwatyat,” the Nuu-chah-nulth’s (Nootka) culture hero. Kwatyat is a Transformer. As told in oral stories, this being has the power to transform the surrounding elements. It is said that he gave living beings and landscapes the form that they have today. In Northwest Coast cultures, the Transformer is often represented as a raven. This place continues to bear great significance for the people of the Hupacasath First Nation, who keep this heritage alive in a number of stories and fight for its protection.

    Picture of a woman making a traditional hat
  • Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) of Vancouver Island

    The rock where the petroglyphs are carved is also known as the “house of Kwatyat,” the Nuu-chah-nulth’s (Nootka) culture hero. Kwatyat is a Transformer. As told in oral stories, this being has the power to transform the surrounding elements. It is said that he gave living beings and landscapes the form that they have today. In Northwest Coast cultures, the Transformer is often represented as a raven. This place continues to bear great significance for the people of the Hupacasath First Nation, who keep this heritage alive in a number of stories and fight for its protection.

    The rock where the petroglyphs are carved is also known as the “house of Kwatyat,” the Nuu-chah-nulth’s (Nootka) culture hero. Kwatyat is a Transformer. As told in oral stories, this being has the power to transform the surrounding elements. It is said that he gave living beings and landscapes the form that they have today. In Northwest Coast cultures, the Transformer is often represented as a raven. This place continues to bear great significance for the people of the Hupacasath First Nation, who keep this heritage alive in a number of stories and fight for its protection.

    Historical picture showing a totem and a few individuals wearing ceremonial headdresses and garments
Full Screen Mode
Brandy Lauder, membre de la Première Nation Hupacasath, se tient devant un lac et nous entretient au sujet du site K'aka'win. Un plan rapproché sur les pétroglyphes nous montre les détails des différents motifs alors que Mme Lauder raconte certains récits et explique la relation qu'elle entretient avec ce lieu.

Brandy Lauder and
the Hupacasath First Nation

Oral Tradition and Preservation of the Place

Discovery and Interpretation of the Place

In 1889, the site was studied by renowned anthropologist Franz Boas, who proposed basic interpretations of the images and insights on how they were created. Since then, several researchers have studied the representations at this site, including Doris Lundy, whose insights are featured in this video.

Image showing the dock from which visitors can see all the K'aka'win petroglyphs. The video presents the K'aka'win site at Sproat Lake, in British Columbia and its surrounding landscape. Shots successively show the waterway, then focus on the mountains rising far from the shores and lead to the rock wall with its carved petroglyphs. The video shows rock art images in succession as they are described. The video ends with a bird’s eye view of the area, as the mountains and the river extend far into the horizon.

Marine Creatures

Hybrid beings dominate at K'aka'win, making it more difficult to identify them. Some images have been recognized as depicting a “seawolf,” which is a half-wolf, half-whale creature embodying the close link between wolves and cetaceans in Northwest Coast oral traditions. Other images have been identified as “Lightning Snake,” or Hiyʹitlʹiik / Haietlik. This creature is the manifestation of lightning and is closely linked to the Thunderbird, which uses it for whale hunting. “Lightning Snake” is also sometimes called the harpoon, the belt or the dog of the Thunderbird. This being combines bird, wolf and fish characteristics to highlight the importance of whale hunting. Similar representations are found on objects used for hunting, such as harpoons and canoes. Since most of the creatures bear dorsal fins specific to killer whales, these images may be a different version of supernatural killer whales.

Pictures of carvings made on the K'aka'win rock wall
The Cliff

  • Zone 1

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec luctus elementum quam vel hendrerit.

    Lorem Ipsum
  • Zone 2

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec luctus elementum quam vel hendrerit.

    Lorem Ipsum
  • Zone 3

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec luctus elementum quam vel hendrerit.

    Lorem Ipsum
  • Zone 4

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec luctus elementum quam vel hendrerit.

    Lorem Ipsum
  • Zone 5

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec luctus elementum quam vel hendrerit.

    Lorem Ipsum
  • Zone 6

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec luctus elementum quam vel hendrerit.

    Lorem Ipsum
  • Zone 7

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec luctus elementum quam vel hendrerit.

    Lorem Ipsum
  • Zone 8

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec luctus elementum quam vel hendrerit.

    Lorem Ipsum
  • Zone 9

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec luctus elementum quam vel hendrerit.

    Lorem Ipsum
Full Screen Mode

Telltale Objects

  • Picture of a ceremonial Kwakiutl apron. The motifs of one eagle, two killer whales and flowers enhance the front of this traditional garment.
Kwakwaka'wakw (Kwakiutl) ceremonial apron, circa 1860
Kwakwaka'wakw (Kwakiutl) ceremonial apron, circa 1860

Motifs of eagles and killer whales are prominent in the oral traditions of several Indigenous peoples in British Columbia, including the Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka).

  • Pictures of two painted wooden panels representing a Thunderbird, a whale, a wolf and a Lightning Snake
View in details - Painted wood panels, circa 1850
Painted wood panels, circa 1850

Representations of various traditional Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) entities. These decorated panels were meant to be exhibited during ceremonies.

  • Picture of a scale model watercraft with Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) people onboard
View in details- Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) canoe with figures onboard, 1890onboard, 18901890
Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) canoe with figures onboard, 1890

Scale model of a Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) canoe with figures onboard


  • Picture of a traditional hat worn by the Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) people
View in details - Hat of a chief whaler, 18th century
Hat of a chief whaler, 18th century

Traditional hat worn by a Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) leader

  • Picture of a sculpted and painted Lightning Snake mask
View in details - Lightning Snake mask, circa 1860-1880
Lightning Snake mask, circa 1860-1880

Sculpted and painted Lightning Snake mask Photograph by Richard Walker

  • Colourful artwork by artist Joe Wilson depicting the story of the Thunderbird that carries away, wings wide open, a killer whale between its claws to eat it
View in details - Thunderbird and Killer Whale
Thunderbird and Killer Whale

Artwork by artist Joe Wilson depicting the story of the Thunderbird that takes the killer whale away to eat it


Technique and Conservation

Incision, Abrasion and Pecking at K'aka'win

The K'aka'win site petroglyphs were incised, abraded and/or pecked into the rock. Franz Boas suggested that the tips of wooden sticks were used to rub wet sand against the rock in order to create smooth depressions.

The video features Aurora Skala, researcher at Kwusen Research & Media Ltd, in British Columbia. She is standing in front of rather dense vegetation as she talks about the conservation of rock art and her work with Indigenous communities.

Reclaiming and Preserving the Culture

Aurora Skala, Researcher in British Columbia

Conserving and Protecting the Kwatyat House

  • Picture of huge rocks piled up at the foot of the K'aka'win rock to protect the site from rising lake waters and break waves likely to damage the petroglyphs
View in details - A bulwark of huge rocks was set up at the foot of the carved rock to guard against rising lake waters, high waves and curious visitors eager to walk up to the petroglyphs during the dry season.d’essayer de marcher jusqu’aux pétroglyphes pendant la saison sèche.

A bulwark of huge rocks was set up at the foot of the carved rock to guard against rising lake waters, high waves and curious visitors eager to walk up to the petroglyphs during the dry season.

  • Picture of lichen spreading on the K'aka'win rock
View in details - The rock surface is sometimes washed to expose the carvings to open air and control the propagation of lichen. du lichen

The rock surface is sometimes washed to expose the carvings to open air and control the propagation of lichen.

  • Picture of a floating platform installed in front of the K'aka'win rock to keep at bay visitors wishing to see the petroglyphs
View in details - A floating platform was placed at a safe distance from the rock art panel for visitors wishing to see the petroglyphs. les pétroglyphes.

A floating platform was placed at a safe distance from the rock art panel for visitors wishing to see the petroglyphs.

Killer Whale, the Master of the Seas

Killer whales, or orcas, are beings central to the stories and beliefs of Northwest Coast First Peoples. For them, these marine mammals are clan ancestors, the clan being the basic unit of social organization. Killer whales may also be the reincarnation of great chiefs. According to oral tradition, these creatures can assume human form when they return to their underwater dwellings. It is only when they get into their canoes to go hunting and fishing that killer whales transform and take on the form by which they are known to humans. Oral tradition also tells of a white wolf one day entering the sea to become the first killer whale. Both predators are admired for their wisdom and hunting prowess. Similarities in their colourings, hunting techniques and pack social behaviour have been highlighted. Orcas are also related to humans, because both hunt the same prey: whales.

Picture of a sculpted and painted killer whale, part of a totem located at the Thunderbird Park in Victoria, British Columbia

Photo: Courtesy of the Royal British Columbia Museum, d-04123

Browse Sites

Close transcript

Video: Akufen. ©Musée de la civilisation

[Static shot of Brandy Lauder. She is standing in front of a vast lake surrounded by high mountains]
I am Brandy Lauder, I am from the Hupacasath First Nation. My Hupacasath name is “%u ma qak tak~`+”, which means “rich talent within.” I’ve worked for the Hupacasath First Nation since I was 15 years old. K'aka'win is the Hupacasath name for “killer whale.” It’s the place name for the petroglyphs here, and it tells a story of…, after a very large tsunami, a killer whale got trapped in Sproat Lake, and it lived here for quite a long time. When it was finally killed, and it was killed here at the spot, when they opened up the belly, they found the different sea creatures, but mostly was the underwater plants that grow here in Sproat Lake.

One of the stories of how the killer whale ended up in Sproat Lake is that the Thunderbird had picked it up to eat, cause it was one of its main food staples, and as he flew over he had dropped it here. [Dynamic shot, from left to right, across the K'aka'win cliff where the petroglyphs are located] Haietlik/hiyʹitlʹiik is the Lightning Snake, held by Tuta, or Thunderbird. The main carving in there looks like the lightning snake, the Tuta, Thunderbird carries. [Static shot of Brandy] As myself, as a little girl, we would come here swimming. We’d… not very often, but when we did, my uncles would tell me about K'aka'win, and the killer whales, and all the wonderful sea creatures. We were here so long ago, and we have strived for, at least that I experienced, for the last 20 years of trying to protect it. It…, with the gravel road, and with all the logging, all the sediments would come down and slowly sand it down. We worked with the forestry companies to […] block the road, so nobody can use it. You can walk down it, but you can’t drive down it. I know that it’s been washed twice, in my memory, just so we can bring it out for people to see. We took off the lichens and the sediments and the dirt, so it wouldn’t wear off so fast. We work with BC Parks to raise awareness that they’re here, hoping that people would pay more respect to it. Like I said in the past, we had problems with vandalism, just people not caring and spray painting, and breaking bottles on it. So our First Nation comes out, we visit it as much as we can, our youth come out here, we go swimming, we talk about it. But, we try to keep as much protection on it as we can.

Video: Akufen. ©Musée de la civilisation

Stylistically, this particular site’s closest relatives are that in the Nanaimo region to the west of Sproat Lake. They're at a Place Called Petroglyphs Park where the seawolves have the same internal undulating structure. And there’s one other site on Great Central Lake which has a tail feature much like the trailing figure at this particular site. With regard to the site on the cliff at Sproat Lake, I think it’s a really unusual sites even in Bc which has a number of styles and very unusual rock art sites. It’s unusual because, I believe, it’s a single vision in that unlike a lot of other rock art sites, which look like they’ve had input from a lot of different people, with different artistic abilities over time. This particular site looks like it was carved by someone with a singular vision, and the same person did it. I also think that this particular site, which is located on a cliff called “The House of Raven,” has definite mythological background to it. It involves the hunt for the Lightning Snake and Franz Boas, in 1891, suggested that one of the figures, the one by the crack in the rock, is that of a manned canoe with the prow missing. And it suggests that like some modern art, where you are the viewer of the site is part of the picture, he is the interpreter of it.

I believe that this particular site was also meant to be seen from the water, in a canoe, at a time of high water, which would place in the late fall, winter, or spring, and I also suggest that it was probably part of a winter ceremony, when the days of darkness are slowly giving way to the days of light. The days of darkness, of course, are the time of the spirits; the days of the light are the time of humans. The site suggests to me the winter ceremonie because it’s similar to other sites on the coast, one of which is a large rock on Skeena river, and a fellow who studied it for many years believes that particular design, which was a mass of faces and strange creatures, was meant to be viewed by firelight, because it would seem like the creatures move. And at Sproat Lake, one time only, we were there in the winter, the water level was high, the wind came up, and as the water rippled past the cliff face, the creatures, which were below the high water mark, also looked like they were swimming, and I think that’s what the artist intended.

Video: Akufen. ©Musée de la civilisation

[Static shot of Aurora Skala. She is standing in front of dense vegetation]
I’m Aurora Skala, and I’m an archaeologist here in BC, and for the last 4 years, I’ve spent time researching rock art in the province, and also helped to revitalise the practice of creating rock art. So I think that the most important preservation work that goes on in British Columbia is actually education, and this is probably true worldwide, all over the world, about protecting rock art sites. It’s not only about what a scientist or a First Nations descendant community might be interested in doing to preserve that particular rock art site, to make sure it’s not looted, or to make sure we have really high quality photographs of the site. Probably the most important thing the work is going on is education. I think it’s initiatives like this one that educate a wide audience about the importance of protecting rock art sites, and treating them with respect. And you know, especially at a time when sea level is rising, for example, and some of the rock art sites are going further below sea level, preservation is in part about making sure we have really good records of those rock art sites before they erode completely. I think the most important conservation work is in fact the work that goes on with culturally continuous practices.

So, some of the work I do, the most fun part of the work I do, is working with First Nations youth who want to continue to learn about creating rock art. So, I’ve made a […], you know historical paint recipes with First Nations youth, we’ve explored that and researched what paint was being made in the past, and we’ve actually made new pictographs. And I think that kind of cultural continuity of these practices, so that the tradition is remembered and respected, I think that’s actually the most important conservation work that’s going on. It’s not just about protecting the old sites, but also seeing that this practice is a living art that continues into the present day and future, and making sure that members of the general public, who may or may not have a First Nations background, are really aware of just how important this […], these sites are, not only for the descendent communities, but also as a global legacy. Rock art is something that all of our ancestors did, the world over. I mean, everyone all over the world is using ochre and pecked stone to make these really important cultural statements, and I think that a, yeah, the legacy is really in education.