# Cape Sutil

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**Cape Sutil** is the [headland](/source/Headland) at the northernmost point of [Vancouver Island](/source/Vancouver_Island), in the [Canadian Province](/source/Provinces_of_Canada) of [British Columbia](/source/British_Columbia).

## Toponymy

Cape Sutil was named in 1792 by Spanish explorers [Dionisio Alcalá Galiano](/source/Dionisio_Alcal%C3%A1_Galiano) and [Cayetano Valdés y Flores](/source/Cayetano_Vald%C3%A9s_y_Flores) during their circumnavigation of Vancouver Island, done in partial cooperation with [George Vancouver](/source/George_Vancouver). The name refers to Galiano's [goleta](/source/Schooner), *[Sutil](/source/Sutil_(ship))*.[1] [2]

In 1860 or 1862 [George Henry Richards](/source/George_Henry_Richards) named the headland Cape Commerell. The name Sutil was restored by the Geographic Board of Canada in 1905 or 1906.[2]

## Geography

Cape Sutil is the northernmost point of Vancouver Island. It is located at the western end of [Goletas Channel](/source/Goletas_Channel) near [Hope Island](/source/Hope_Island_(British_Columbia)). The westernmost point of Hope Island, Mexicana Point, was named for Cayetano Valdés's vessel, *[Mexicana](/source/Mexicana_(ship))*.[3] Goletas Channel was also named by Galiano and Valdés in 1792.[4]

[BC Geographical Names](/source/BC_Geographical_Names) uses a line between Cape Sutil and [Cape Caution](/source/Cape_Caution) to separate [Queen Charlotte Sound](/source/Queen_Charlotte_Sound_(Canada)) and [Queen Charlotte Strait](/source/Queen_Charlotte_Strait).[5]

## History

[Nahwitti](/source/Nahwitti_(trading_site)) was a [Kwakwakaʼwakw](/source/Kwakwaka%CA%BCwakw) [First Nation](/source/First_Nations_in_Canada) village located just east of Cape Sutil. It was a major trading site during the [maritime fur trade](/source/Maritime_fur_trade) era of approximately 1790 to 1850. Today it is an [Indian reserve](/source/Indian_reserve) under the administration of the Kwakwakaʼwakw [Tlatlasikwala Nation](/source/Tlatlasikwala_Nation).

During the early 19th century Nahwitti was the principal town of the Nahwitti First Nation. It was one of the most popular sites for [Western](/source/Western_world) trading vessels on the [Pacific Northwest](/source/Pacific_Northwest) coast, and the primary point of contact with the Kwakwakaʼwakw peoples. Hundreds of trading vessels, mostly [British](/source/British_people) and [American](/source/Americans), visited during this time, mainly seeking [sea otter](/source/Sea_otter) skins to take to [China](/source/China), where they commanded a high price.[6][7]

In 1850–1851 the village of Nahwitti was shelled and burned to the ground twice by the [British Navy](/source/Royal_Navy). Most of the inhabitants fled to [Bull Harbour](/source/Bull_Harbour) on Hope Island.[8] The Nahwitti people called their new village on Hope Island "Meloopa". Many eventually relocated again to [Alert Bay](/source/Alert_Bay). The village site on Hope Island remains an Indian reserve called "Hope Island 1".[9] Near the original village, on Cape Sutil, is a reserve called "Nahwitti 4".[10]

## References

1. Akrigg, G.P. & Akrigg, Helen (2011). [*British Columbia Place Names*](https://books.google.com/books?id=AVQ5RZeAFCkC&pg=PA259). University of British Columbia Press. p. 259. ISBN 9780774841702. Retrieved 30 March 2023.

1. Malloy, Mary (1998). [*"Boston Men" on the Northwest Coast: The American Maritime Fur Trade 1788-1844*](https://books.google.com/books?id=MxgSAQAAIAAJ). Limestone Press. pp. 194–195, 187. ISBN 978-1-895901-18-4.

1. Gibson, James R. (1999). [*Otter Skins, Boston Ships and China Goods: The Maritime Fur Trade of the Northwest Coast, 1785-1841*](https://books.google.com/books?id=lrOpy39-OhMC&pg=PA207). McGill-Queen's Press. p. 207. ISBN 978-0-7735-2028-8. Retrieved 14 April 2020.

1. Bremner, Maria I. (2015). [*Cape Scott and the North Coast Trail: Hiking Vancouver Island's Wildest Coast*](https://books.google.com/books?id=ir-ECgAAQBAJ&pg=PT56). Harbour Publishing Company Limited. pp. 56, 129, 161. ISBN 978-1-55017-692-6. Retrieved 14 April 2020.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Cape Sutil](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Sutil) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Sutil?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.