The coming of outsiders has been a difficult time for us. New diseases decimated our people. Government tried to control our lives with the Indian Act and Indian reserves. Many things were not done right. We recognize, however, that we have to move forward from the pain and indignities of the past.
We are still the owners of our territory, and the resources still sustain our people. We must be partners in making decisions on what happens here and in sharing the wealth that is generated. No longer will we be pushed aside in our place.
We are moving forward in this direction. In 1997 the Government of Canada commemorated Yuquot as a national historic site. The commemoration on the plaque, written in four languages – Mowachaht, English, French and Spanish – reads:
"To the Mowachaht-Muchalaht First Nations, Yuquot has always been the centre of their social, political and economic world. Whaling was a vital part of the life of the Mowachaht-Muchalaht, and of all the Nuu-chah-nulth peoples. Near here once stood the Whaler's Washing House, a unique ceremonial structure and the most significant monument to a purification ritual on the West Coast of North America. In the late 18th century, Yuquot became an important site of early contact between First Peoples and Europeans. Explorers and traders were attracted to this safe harbour, which they called Friendly Cove. As a result, Yuquot, also known as Nootka, developed into an important centre of trade and diplomacy, and it was briefly the site of Spain's only military establishment in present-day Canada. Yuquot became the focal point of the Nootka Sound Controversy of 1789–1794, when the rival interests of Great Britain and Spain brought those countries to the brink of war."
