Maquinna

Mukwina (Known as "Chief Maquinna")

Chief of the Mowachaht Nuu-chah-nulth, Sovereign of Nootka Sound

Born c. 1750

Yuquot (Nootka Sound), Canada

Passed Away c. 1795 Yuquot, Canada

Lifespan 45 years old

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Notice / Correction

"Sovereign of the western waves whose diplomacy balanced the great powers of Europe."

Archival Overview

Paramount Mowachaht chief of Nootka Sound who controlled Pacific maritime fur trade routes and mediated between Spanish and British naval forces during the Nootka Crisis.

Biographical Record

Maquinna was the paramount chief of the Mowachaht people of the Nuu-chah-nulth nation on Vancouver Island. Centered at the historic whaling village of Yuquot (Friendly Cove), Maquinna commanded sea otter pelt commerce with European and American merchants.

During the imperial Nootka Crisis of 1790, which brought Britain and Spain to the brink of war, Maquinna acted as a consummate diplomat, hosting Captain George Vancouver and Spanish commandant Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra with magnificent feasts and gift-giving potlatches.

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Final Resting Place

Perpetual Memorial

Yuquot Ancestral Burial Ground
Friendly Cove (Nootka Island), Canada

                         GPS: 49.5933, -126.6186                    

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