The “family histories” of the Nuu-chah-nulth of Canada’s West Coast tell us about the

origins of tribal families. This Mercury publication of the Canadian Museum of

Civilization presents 18 of these histories, each belonging to a family that had the

exclusive right to tell it in a public ceremony. Together, these accounts, which make up Part 11 of the Sapir-Thomas Nootka Texts, provide insight into the traditional world-view of the Nuu-chah-nulth.