Hishok, Tseshaht Whaling, One With the Whale Spirit

This book entitled “Hishok - Tseshaht whaling; one with the whale spirit”, was researched and authored by Tseshaht First Nation. Since the beginning of time at the island of C`is?aa (sis-shaa), a place on what is known today as Benson Island one of the Broken Group Islands in central Barkley Sound where Kapkimiyis created our first Tseshaht ancestors, Nasiyato and Naasiathlim, that is when Kapkimyis’s traditional hishok teachings began, as a result the Tseshaht grew to become a strong nation with great whalers and providers.

Whaling was a highly prestigious activity and as such was restricted to Hawilth or King. After a successful hunt, the whale would be towed back to a main village such as C`is?aa, where traditional butchering took place on the beach at low tide. the blubber and meat from a hunted whale would be traditionally allocated only to the King and his crew.