The Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw, also known as the Kwakiutl (“Kwakʼwala-speaking peoples”), are one of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Most live in their traditional territory on northern Vancouver Island, nearby smaller islands including the Discovery Islands, and the adjacent British Columbia mainland. Some also live outside their homelands in urban areas such as Victoria and Vancouver. They are politically organized into 13 band governments.

Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw oral history says their ancestors (ʼnaʼmima) came in the forms of animals by way of land, sea, or underground. When one of these ancestral animals arrived at a given spot, it discarded its animal appearance and became human. Animals that figure in these origin myths include the Thunderbird, his brother Kolas, the seagull, orca, grizzly bear, or chief ghost. Some ancestors have human origins and are said to come from distant places.

Historically, the Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw economy was based primarily on fishing, with the men also engaging in some hunting, and the women gathering wild fruits and berries. Ornate weaving and woodwork were important crafts, and wealth, defined by slaves and material goods, was prominently displayed and traded at potlatch ceremonies. In contrast to most non-native societies, wealth and status were not determined by how much you had, but by how much you had to give away. This act of giving away your wealth was one of the main acts in a potlatch.  In the early twenty-first century the only one to bear the name Kwakiutl is the band located at the village of Fort Rupert. Since the 1980s, the Kwakiutl First Nation now call themselves Kwakwaka’wakw, which means “those who speak the language Kwak’wala”.

 Resource: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwakwaka%CA%BCwakw