It will now be easier for Mowachaht/Muchalaht people to reach Yuquot and other parts of their home territory, with the First Nation’s acquisition of a large passenger boat.
On Aug. 28 the new vessel was unveiled at the Gold River harbour. Stretching 31.5 feet, it can seat 13 people, including the skipper and first mate, and is equipped with inboard and outboard motors as well as backup batteries for the boat’s engine system. Prepared for the harsh weather that hits Nootka Sound for much of the year, the vessel is fully enclosed, heated and has a small bathroom. A life raft is installed on the vessel’s roof for emergencies.
The passenger boat cost nearly $800,000, funded by the federal government according to a directive from the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal. Issued in November 2021, CHRT 41 orders the federal government to fund the purchase and construction of capital assets that are needed for First Nations’ family services on reserve. With this funding the Mowachaht/Muchalaht also purchased two vans for members’ services.
Since being relocated from the southern shore of Nootka Island in the late 1960s, the Mowachaht/Muchalaht’s main reserves have been in the Gold River area – first Ahaminaquus at the shore of Muchalaht Inlet until 1996, then the current inland community of Tsaxana, located just outside of Gold River. But over the years the need has remained to sustain a connection to the First Nation’s territory in Nootka Sound, says Tyee Ha’wilth Mike Maquinna.
“It’s also been an understanding among our members that no matter what size of boat we have, we need to have people on the water,” he said. “For many a year we didn’t have that.”
Although many of the First Nation’s members have no recollection of permanently living in Yuquot, the desire persists to sustain a connection to their ancestral home, which once served as a central cultural and economic settlement for northern Nuu-chah-nulth tribes. For the last 33 years Mowachaht/Muchalaht members have camped in Yuquot each summer, culminating in the Summerfest celebration which welcomes visitors as well.
But this year transportation to Yuquot became more of a challenge. The MV Uchuck III, which makes regular trips to the Nootka Sound village site, was missing a critical part, and it wasn’t clear if the large shipment and passenger vessel would be ready for the annual celebration.
“It’s an aging boat and parts for that are few and far between,” said Maquinna regarding the missing part. “Apparently they had to go across the world to get it. They did what they could and they came through on the day of the Summerfest.”
A few years after Summerfest began in the early 1990s the First Nation decided to relocate from the Ahaminaquus reserve, which was constantly exposed to pollution from the nearby Gold River Pulp Mill. The No. 1 choice among members was to move back to Yuquot, but the cost of setting up another main settlement in such a remote location was prohibitive, recalls Maquinna.
“The first choice that people had was to move out to Yuquot,” he said. “A million dollars to get everything out there was taking a million dollars from the cost of building.”
“We don’t have the resources that we need to fully connect to our old ways of life to Yuquot,” said Mowachaht/Muchalaht CEO Azar Kamran, although he detailed a growing initiative that could make life on southern Nootka Island more sustainable.
The First Nation is designing a micro grid at the location, which would harness and store solar energy and the power of waves through an ocean-based turbine. The hope is that the micro grid would enable more people to spend time in Yuquot without relying on diesel-powered generators. If plans proceed, the first phase would produce 150 kilowatts, enough to power three to four homes and the tourist cabins, saving the First Nation from otherwise using 120,000 litres of diesel over a year of servicing these buildings.
So far approximately $9 million has been sourced for the project from a variety of entities, explained Kamran.
“We needed $13 million for the wave turbine side of it, and at this point we are short about $4 million,” he said. “We are working towards that with a few applications.”
Over the years the Williams family have been the First Nation’s only household to remain in Yuquot since the main reserve began moving in the 1960s. Although the site is a popular destination for members, its remoteness became a concern during a tsunami advisory in late July. The advisory was issued for the B.C. coast after a 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck the north Pacific Ocean floor off of Russia at 4:24 p.m. on July 29.
That afternoon Emergency Info BC cautioned people to stay away from coastal areas, harbours and marinas, as larger waves were expected at about 11:30 p.m. This was not an evacuation order, but the vulnerability of the 120 or so people camping in Yuquot at that time was palpable. The First Nation decided to coordinate any motorboats that were available to move people off Nootka Island, including Mowachaht/Muchalaht members, 11 hikers and those staying at a nearby fishing lodge.
“We did what we could to provide transportation for members,” said Maquinna. “Most went to Mucha Bay, that was closest.”
