Kwakiutl

[ kwah-kee-oot-l ]

noun

1. Also called Kwa·kwa·ka'wakw [kwah-, kwah, -ki-w, uh, k]. a member of one of the First Nations of Vancouver Island and the adjacent coast of mainland British Columbia.
2. Also called Kwak'wa·la [kwah, -kwah-l, uh]. the Wakashan language of the Kwakiutl.

adjective

1. of or relating to the Kwakiutl or their language.

Kwakiutl

/ ˌkwɑːkɪˈuːtəl /

noun

1. -utl-utls a member of a North American Indian people of N Vancouver Island and the adjacent mainland
2. the language of this people, belonging to the Wakashan family

Word History and Origins

Origin of Kwakiutl¹

First recorded in 1845–50; from Kwakiutl Kwagu'ł, a place name

Example Sentences

This was the critical turning point for her survival: Straitwatch Canada, a nonprofit, and the Kwakiutl First Nation told all boaters, including fishermen, to stay away from Springer, even if she approached them.

From Seattle Times

The land of the Kwakiutl, whose name translates to “smoke of the world,” was taken into ownership — both private and national — by gunpoint, dishonored treaties and restrictive and discriminatory laws.

From New York Times

Graeber is a 50-year-old anthropologist—among the brightest, some argue, of his generation—who made his name with innovative theories on exchange and value, exploring phenomena such as Iroquois wampum and the Kwakiutl potlatch.

From BusinessWeek

Among the more important tribes or group of tribes, are the Tlingit, Haida, Tshimpshian, and Kwakiutl.

From Project Gutenberg

Among the southern tribes, notably the Kwakiutl, the stature averages 1.645 m.

From Project Gutenberg