Wickaninnish

Wickaninnish was a chief of the Tla-o-qui-aht people of Clayoquot Sound, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada during the opening period of European contact with the Pacific Northwest Coast cultures in the 1780s and 1790s. He is also known by various other names and spellings, including Wickaninish, Wickananish, Wikinanish, Huiquinanichi, Quiquinanis, and Hiyoua.

Wickaninnish was a rival of the Mowachaht chief Maquinna of Nootka Sound and in one account is blamed for the death of Maquinna's brother, Callicum, an event which spurred a war by the Mowachaht against the Tla-o-qui-aht.

A confrontation between Wickaninnish and Capt. Jonathan Thorn of the "Tonquin" led to the Tla-o-qui-aht massacre of the "Tonquin's" crew and the destruction of the vessel by one of the surviving crew members.

Wickaninnish's name is preserved in the name of Wickaninnish Beach in Pacific Rim National Park and the Wickaninnish Inn, a surfside hotel and restaurant on Chesterman Beach, close to Long Beach in Pacific Rim National Park.

External links

* [http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=2212 Wikinanish] , Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
* [http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0008578 Wickananish] , The Canadian Encyclopedia