Have you ever watched surfers bob in the froth at Sombrio beach? Or maybe you’ve closed out a day of finding sea stars and urchins like Easter eggs at Botanical Beach with a burger at the Port Renfrew Pub? Or maybe you forced all your friends to camp at the Pacheedaht Campground for your 21st birthday in the middle of a March downpour. … Okay, maybe that’s a solitary experience. But chances are, you’ve spent time at some point communing with the dark woods and rugged beachline beyond Sooke. Worshipped by wind, this breathtaking frayed edge where ocean meets earth is part of p̓aačiidʔaaʔtx (Pacheedaht) territory, which stretches from Sheringham Point to Bonilla Point and out to Swiftsure Bank.

P̓aačiidʔaaʔtx got their name from the sea foam that gathers on p’a:chi:da (San Juan River) They are the only Nuu-chah-nulth beneficiary Nation of the South Island Reciprocity Trust, with close relations to neighboring First Nations on southern Vancouver Island, including the Ditidaht and the Makah across the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Today, there are just under a hundred Pacheedaht members that live on reserve in Port Renfrew, at the “end of the road” before turning back in towards Cowichan. Pacheedaht takes care of their community, including hosting feasts, ensuring the passing on of traditional practices, and running an after-school youth program. With South Island Trust funds, p̓aačiidʔaaʔtx (Pacheedaht) Nation was able to purchase supplies to support the afterschool youth program, providing cultural, fun and age-appropriate activities to keep youth active and engaged in this remote village.