The Kwakiutl have a thrived for thousands of years in the rich and varied lands of Vancouver Island and the adjacent mainland of British Columbia, Canada. The Kwakiutl’s first contact with non-Indians came in the late 18th century, when fur traders from England, Spain, and the United States arrived on the Northwest Coast. However, the settlers and missionaries who followed them into the region in the 19th century did not. Their efforts culminated in 1921 with the arrest of dozens of Kwakiutl for participating in a potlatch, one of the Indians’ most important rituals. In recent years, the Kwakiutl have worked hard to recover from this bitter experience. Through political action, they are now demanding that the Canadian government acknowledge their right to their homeland and its resource. And through cultural revitalization programs, they are instructing their children in the language, art, and ceremonies long cherished by their people.