First Contact
Objective
In late summer of 20111 Steve and Theresa plan to journey to Bligh Island on board the M/V Uchuck III. Bligh Island is part of the many islands contained within Nootka Sound which is historically significant as the place of first contact between Europeans and the First Nations. In March of 1778, Captain James Cook of the Royal Navy became the first European to set foot on British Colombian soil when he visited Friendly Cove (as known as Yuquot by the Mowachaht) on Nootka Island. It’s this visit which started the massive trade in sea-otter pelts.
Once there they’ll establish a base camp and over the course of 9 days explore and document as much of this rugged coast as possible. In addition to Friendly Cove, they plan to visit Marvinas Bay, site of the attack on the American trading vessel The Boston. All but two of the crew were killed; John Thompson and John R. Jewitt. Jewitt would later write an account of his three years captivity among the Mowachaht.
They’ll also visit Resolution Cove where Captain Cook repaired his ship HMS Resolution with timber cut from Bligh Island (named for the master of the ship, William Bligh who would later become the Captain of the famous mutiny). The foremast of the ship had been damaged during a heavy storm.
Set against the backdrop of the west coast of Vancouver Island with its abundance of wildlife, this journey is sure to be rewarding.
Nootka Island and surrounding area. Map designed by Essex Media
Historical Background
Captain Cook
Captain James Cook FRS RN was an English explorer, navigator and cartographer, ultimately rising to the rank of Captain in the Royal Navy. Cook was the first to map Newfoundland prior to making three voyages to the Pacific Ocean during which he achieved the first European contact with the eastern coastline of Australia and the Hawaiian Islands as well as the first recorded circumnavigation of New Zealand.
On his last voyage, Cook once again commanded HMS Resolution, while Captain Charles Clerke commanded HMS Discovery. Ostensibly the voyage was planned to return Omai to Tahiti; this is what the general public believed, as he had become a favorite curiosity in London. Principally the purpose of the voyage was an attempt to discover the famed Northwest Passage. After returning Omai, Cook travelled north and in 1778 became the first European to visit the Hawaiian Islands. In passing and after initial landfall in January 1778 at Waimea harbour, Kauai, Cook named the archipelago the “Sandwich Islands” after the fourth Earl of Sandwich, the acting First Lord of the Admiralty.
From the South Pacific, he went northeast to explore the west coast of North America north of the Spanish settlements in Alta California. He made landfall at approximately 44°30′ north latitude, near Cape Foulweather on the Oregon coast, which he named. Bad weather forced his ships south to about 43° north before they could begin their exploration of the coast northward. He unknowingly sailed past the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and soon after entered Nootka Sound on Vancouver Island. He anchored near the First Nations village of Yuquot. Cook’s two ships spent about a month in Nootka Sound, from March 29 to April 26, 1778, in what Cook called Ship Cove, now Resolution Cove, at the south end of Bligh Island, about 5 miles (8.0 km) east across Nootka Sound from Yuquot, a Nuu-chah-nulth village whose chief who Cook did not identify but may have been Maquinna.
Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Map designed by Essex Media
Relations between Cook’s crew of the people of Yuquot were cordial if sometimes strained. In trading, the people of Yuquot demanded much more valuable items than the usual trinkets that had worked for Cook’s crew in Hawaii. Metal objects were much desired, but the lead, pewter, and tin traded at first soon fell into disrepute. The most valuable items the British received in trade were sea otter pelts. Over the month long stay the Yuquot “hosts” essentially controlled the trade with the British vessels, instead of vice versa. Generally the natives visited the British vessels at Resolution Cove instead of the British visiting the village of Yuquot at Friendly Cove.
First Nations
Like all First Nations on Vancouver Island, the Mowachaht/Muchalaht have been present in their traditional territory for thousands of years. When the European explorers first arrived in what is now Canada in 1778, the Mowachaht/Muchalaht were the first people they met. Since it was summer at the time, the meeting place was at Yuquot (Friendly Cove), where the Mowachaht/Muchalaht had their summer encampment. Over the coming years, many voyagers met with people from the Nation, some trading peacefully, some engaging in out and out warfare.
In 1803, after suffering some injustices at the hands of previous European traders, Maquinna, the chief of the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation, ordered the American trading ship The Boston attacked. The raid was extremely successful, with most of the crew killed, and two taken captive. For the next two years, these two men were “slaves” to Maquinna, however, the term slave only really referred to their captivity, as they were only required to participate in food and wood gathering, tool making, and day to day activities. They were permitted to observe the Sabbath, and the more active of the two, John Jewitt, learned the language and ended up taking a wife while living with the First Nation. He was returned to a passing ship after 28 months of captivity and published a book about his experience; The Adventures and Sufferings of John R. Jewitt.
All throughout history, the Mowachaht/Muchalaht have been utilizing the local resources, most notably those found in the sea. The sea otter has played an important role in their history, as it was traditionally hunted to use for their rich pelts. With the arrival of the Europeans, the pelts became the number one traded commodity. As more and more ships arrived to take advantage of the trade, the sea otter population slowly declined, and it is this trade that was partially responsible for their near extinction.
With the arrival of permanent colonizers in the late 1700s, the Mowachaht/Muchalaht were forced to leave some of their traditional territory, as a fort was built on Nootka Island. The fort was abandoned for good by 1795. The Mowachaht/Muchalaht had a reasonably good relationship with the European traders until they started to set up permanent settlements on the island. After this, the usual story of displacement, disease, attempts to “educate” and assimilate, and overbearing policies began to emerge. The Mowachaht/Muchalaht shrunk in population, and a number of smaller groups combined and moved further up Muchalaht Inlet, to their present day home near
