place
In the beginning of time when our ancestors had the ability to change forms, a man emerged from a cedar tree near the mouth of a river known as Hada.
This man, Ts̓eḵame, had supernatural and shamanistic powers. Ts̓eḵame became one of the founding members of the Ḵwikwa̱sutinux̱ people, a tribe now living in Gwayasda̱ms on Gilford Island. In 1865, Royal Navy Commander Captain Daniel Pender named this river estuary “Bond Sound”.
Where the waves of the north Pacific meet the driftwood-strewn beaches, where original growth canopy carved by the cascade of waterfalls meets the sea, we share our territory with Orca and grizzlies, salmon, sea lions, eagles, deer, and sea otter.
We believe our natural and cultural resources must be sustained to maintain and safeguard our direct connection to our territory and its resources.
Nestled in the supernatural beauty of the Great Bear Rainforest of BC at the Hada River estuary, Nawalakw is a powerful and inspirational educational setting. At our camp, we recognize the role of our land as teacher and healer, guided by our ancestors and our elders.
We believe that reconciliation begins with oneself and then extends into our families, relationships, workplaces and eventually into our communities. Based on contemporary and traditional best practices, we will develop mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical wellness, and create opportunities for cultural knowledge learning and application.
language & culture camp
nawalakw culture camp
Following initial fundraising and tremendous momentum since the project’s inception in 2019, construction for Phase One of the project is complete. We celebrated the grand opening of our Language & Culture Camp at Hada, hi’ma̱nis ḵ̓aḵ̓ut̓ła̱’at̓si, in July 2022. The 2400 sq. ft solar-powered camp has capacity for 24 students, teachers, and support staff for year-round cultural and language revitalization programs.
information for school groups
We welcome inquiries from Band and Public schools who have a significant percentage of their students of Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw descent, and wish to explore an immersive cultural experience in traditional territory.
Please contact us at languageculturecamps@nawalakw.com
meet our Hada crew
Coming Soon!
getting here
Nawalakw is located in the Southern Great Bear Rainforest of British Columbia, Canada. Accessible by air and sea only, the Nawalakw Language & Culture Camp will be the only structure at Hada (Bond Sound). For multi-day immersive language programs available at Hada, we will offer transportation to school groups by crew boat. A typical trip from Port McNeill to Hada will take 2 hours.
Transportation will be provided on one of two Nawalakw-owned boats.
Local Business
We support local Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw-owned businesses including wildlife viewing tour operators currently offer day-tours departing from Port McNeill or Alert Bay. For more information: https://seawolfadventures.ca
our phased approach
Nawalakw Culture Camp
Following initial fundraising and tremendous momentum since the project’s inception in 2019, construction for Phase One of the project is complete. We celebrated the grand opening of our Language & Culture Camp at Hada, hi’ma̱nis ḵ̓aḵ̓ut̓ła̱’at̓si, in July 2022. The 2400 sq. ft solar-powered camp has capacity for 24 students, teachers, and support staff for year-round cultural and language revitalization programs.
Healing Village and Sustainable Destination Development
Our purpose is to be a force for good, to create a thriving community and protect the lands of our ancestors for generations to come. In this spirit, our programs will provide healing and wellness for our people and our lands in a sustainable way.
The second development phase will expand the site to include a main lodge, individual cabins, wellness centre, outdoor facilities, an interpretive centre and a healing village. These facilities will be designed to provide early immersion language, training and certification programs, and healing programs in partnership with BC First Nations Health Authority.
To support ongoing and expanded language and healing programming, we will welcome and connect visitors to this supernatural territory by sharing our stories, our challenges, our efforts – and of course – our culture. To us the most important part of this journey is an immersive experience, by keeping things simple, authentic and enriching. Our supernatural lands create space for day-to-day concerns to fade into the background, bring perspective, and shift our values.
Visit Friends of Nawalakw for more information about direct financial ways to support our vision.
