Beware Passage is a strait or channel in the Central Coast region of British Columbia, Canada, between Harbledown (SE) and Turnour Islands. It was named in 1860 by Captain Pender. [1]
The passage's waters and shores have various Indian reserves and communities of the Kwakwaka'wakw:
The Gwa'Sala-Nakwaxda'xw Nations are a union of two Kwakwaka'wakw peoples in a band government based on northern Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, whose main reserve community is near the town of Port Hardy in the Queen Charlotte Strait region of the Central Coast region of British Columbia, Canada. The band government is a member of the Kwakiutl District Council and, for treaty negotiation purposes, the Winalagalis Treaty Group which includes three other members of the Kwakiutl District Council.
Ḵwiḵwa̱sut'inux̱w Ha̱xwa'mis, formerly the Kwicksutaineuk-ah-kwa-mish First Nation is a First Nations band government based on northern Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, in the Queen Charlotte Strait region. It is a member of the Musgamagw Tsawataineuk Tribal Council, along with the ‘Namgis First Nation and the Tsawataineuk First Nation. The Kwikwasut'inuxw and Haxwa'mis are two of the many subgroups of the peoples known as Kwakwaka'wakw, which has two meanings: "smoke of the world" or "beach at the north side of the river."
Gilford Island is an island in British Columbia, Canada, between Tribune Channel and Knight Inlet. It has an area of 384 square kilometres (148 sq mi). Turnour Island is to its south, across Tribune Channel; and the entrance to Thompson Sound is to its east.
The Mamalilikulla Band is a First Nations band government based on northern Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. The home territory of the Mamalilikulla and Qwe-Qwa'Sot'Em groups of Kwakwaka'wakw was in the maze of islands and inlets of the eastern Queen Charlotte Strait region around the opening of Knight Inlet, mainly on Village Island, where their principal village Memkumlis is.
New Vancouver, also known as Tzatsisnukomi, T˜sadzis' nukwame' or t̕sa̱dzis'nukwa̱me'' in the Kwak'wala language, is a Kwakwaka'wakw community on Harbledown Island in the Queen Charlotte Strait region of the Central Coast of British Columbia, near the community of Alert Bay. New Vancouver is the main village of the Da'naxda'xw subgroup of the Kwakwaka'wakw peoples. New Vancouver is at Dead Point on the north end of Harbeldown Island, at the west end of Beware Passage.
The Tlowitsis Nation, formerly the Klowitsis Tribe, the Turnour Island Band and the Tlowitsis-Mumtagila First Nation, is the Indian Act band government of the Ławit'sis (Tlowitsis) tribe of the Kwakwaka'wakw peoples, located in the Queen Charlotte Strait-Johnstone Strait area in the Discovery Islands between Vancouver Island and the British Columbia mainland in Canada. Ławit'sis territory covers parts of northern Vancouver Island, Johnstone Strait, and adjoining inlets of the mainland. Kalugwis, on Turnour Island, was their principal community in times past, but the band's offices are in the city of Campbell River to the southeast. Hanatsa IR No. 6 on Port Neville is the most populated of the band's Indian reserves.
Harbledown Island is an island in the Central Coast region of British Columbia, Canada, located west of West Cracroft Island. It is at the west end of Johnstone Strait and lies at the eastern edge of the Queen Charlotte Strait region. Hanson Island is to its west, West Cracroft Island to the south and southeast, across Baronet Passage, and Turnour Island to the northwest, across Beware Passage.
Kalugwis, or Karlukwees or Qalogwis, is the principal community of the Tlowitsis Nation of the Kwakwaka'wakw peoples of the Johnstone Strait region of the South Coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is located on the south shore of Turnour Island facing Beware Passage and is within Karlukwees Indian Reserve No. 1, a.k.a. Karlukwees 1, 10.8 ha.
Turnour Island is an island in the Johnstone Strait region of the Central Coast of British Columbia, located between Gilford Island and West Cracroft Island. On the other side Canoe Passage on its northwest is Village Island, while to its south and southwest is Beware Passage, across from which is Harbledown Island. Gilford Island is to the north across Tribune Channel. Separating Turnour from West Cracroft is Clio Channel.
East Cracroft Island is an island in the Johnstone Strait region of the Central Coast region of British Columbia, Canada. It is the smaller of the two Cracroft Islands, and at low tide is really one island with its larger neighbour, West Cracroft Island. On the south side of the shallows that form an isthmus between them at low tide is Port Harvey, a short, wide inlet or bay. On its east shore is Keecekiltum Indian Reserve No. 2, which is under the governance of the Tlowitsis Nation of the Kwakwaka'wakw peoples. at 50°33′00″N126°16′00″W.
Village Island is an island in the Johnstone Strait region of the Central Coast region of British Columbia, Canada, located on the northwest side of Turnour Island.
Memkumlis or, officially Meem Quam Leese, Memkoomlish, Memqumlis, 'mimkumlis or Mi'mkwamlis, commonly known as Mamalilaculla, which is actually the name of the subgroup of the Kwakwaka'wakw whose home it is, is located on the west side of Village Island in the Johnstone Strait region of the Central Coast of British Columbia.
Eliot Passage is a marine waterway between Village Island (E) and Pearl Island (W) in the Johnstone Strait region of the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada, southwest of the opening of Knight Inlet. The Kwakwaka'wakw village of Memkumlis, also known as Mamalillaculla after the name of the group of Kwakwaka'wakw whose principal village it is, is on its eastern shore on Village Island.
Kye-yaa-la Indian Reserve No. 1, officially Kye-yaa-la 1, is an Indian reserve, comprising the whole of Sail Island and including three small islands, in Retreat Passage to the west of Gilford Island, and east of Bonwick Island in the Johnstone Strait region of the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada. The reserve is 9.6 ha. in size and is under the administration of the Kwikwasut'inuxw Haxwa'mis First Nation band government.
Kamano Island is an island in the Queen Charlotte Strait-Johnstone Strait region of the Central Coast of British Columbia, located east of Harbledown Island and between Turnour Island (N) and Village Island (S).
Small Island Indian Reserve No. 4, a.k.a. Small Island 4, is an Indian reserve of the Tlowitsis Nation located on Small Island in Beware Passage, south of Turnour Island, east of Harbledown Island, and west of West Cracroft Island.
Baronet Passage is a strait or channel in the Central Coast region of British Columbia, Canada, between Harbledown (N) and West Cracroft Islands (S). The Kwak'wala name for this body of water is Dàmliwas. It meets Beware Passage at its eastern end.
The Carey Group is a group of small islands in the Queen Charlotte Strait-Johnstone Strait region of the Central Coast of British Columbia, between Crease Island to the north-northwest and Harbledown Island to the south-southeast. It includes Ralph, Alder and Larsen Islands, and three small islands to the north of Larsen Island, including Madrona Island.
Compton Island is an island in the Queen Charlotte Strait-Johnstone Strait region of the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada, in Blackfish Sound to the east of Port McNeill All of it and three small adjacent islands comprise Compton Island Indian Reserve No. 6, a.k.a. Compton 6.
Drury inlet is an inlet in the Queen Charlotte Strait region of the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada, extending west from Wells Passage to the northwest of North Broughton Island, northwest of the town of Port Hardy. Branching off to the northeast from the north side of the head of the inlet is Actaeon Sound.
50°35′09″N126°32′27″W / 50.58583°N 126.54083°W