Wind, water, and ancient forests shape this place, but so do the people who have called it home for thousands of years. Long before surfboards, wooden boardwalks, or busy summers, Načiks (Tofino) has been (and continues to be) part of the living territory of the ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ (Tla-o-qui-aht) First Nation, one of the Nuučaan̓ułʔatḥ (Nuu-chah-nulth) Nations of the West Coast of Vancouver Island.
Načiks’ (Tofino’s) history is a story of stewardship, resilience, conflict, creativity, and connection to land and sea.
Early Roots: Načiks Before Settlement
Načiks sits within the traditional territory of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, part of the Nuu-chah-nulth Nations who have called this place home for millennia. “Nuu-chah-nulth” means “the people all along the mountains and the sea.” Their territory extends along the outer coast of Vancouver Island, from Port Alberni north toward Nootka Island and down into what we now know as Washington state.
Life in this region was closely tied to the ocean and forests. Canoe building, fishing, carving, singing, and trade were central to daily life, and many of these traditions continue today alongside modern community life.
In the video below, Saya Masso, Natural Resources Manager for Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks, shares the story of the Tla-o-qui-aht people: their way of life, their relationship with the land, the impacts of colonization, and the powerful work underway today to reclaim language and establish Tribal Parks.
First Contact: Trade, Tension, and Transformation
European arrival came late to this coast. Spanish explorer Juan Josef Pérez Hernández reached the area in 1774, followed by British captain James Cook in 1778. What followed was a lucrative (but often volatile) trade between European and American maritime traders and the Nuu-chah-nulth Nations.
Sea otter pelts were exchanged for firearms, tools, food, and alcohol. Influential leaders such as Chief Maquinna and Chief Wickanannish navigated these early encounters, balancing diplomacy, trade, and protection of their territories.
In 1854, the Tla-o-qui-aht Nation permitted British colonial agent William Banfield and his partners to establish a trading post on Čačatic (Clayoquot Island). This marked the beginning of permanent non-Indigenous settlement in the area.
From Lookout Point to Townsite
The area now known as Tofino was historically not a village site for Tla-o-qui-aht, but a strategic lookout point used to protect the village of Opitsaht across the sound.
The settlement was first called Clayoquot townsite, but confusion with the nearby village of Clayoquot led locals to adopt the name Tofino, derived from Tofino Inlet, which was named in 1792 after the Spanish cartographer Vincente Tofiño de San Miguel, who never actually visited the area.
The name became official in 1909 with the opening of the Tofino post office.
By the early 1900s, Tofino had its first store, a one-room schoolhouse, a wharf, a lifeboat station, and eventually a church. In 1932, Tofino was incorporated as a municipality.
A Century of Displacement and Resilience
While the early 1900s brought growth, the mid-century was marked by federal policies that tore at the social fabric of the coast.
- The Internment of Japanese Canadians: During the Second World War, Japanese Canadian residents were forcibly removed from coastal communities across British Columbia, including Tofino, under federal wartime policies. Families were displaced and separated from their homes, boats, and livelihoods, and many were prevented from returning long after the war ended. The loss of property, community, and stability left lasting impacts on individuals, families, and the social fabric of Tofino. This period remains a devastating and unresolved chapter in the town’s history.
- The Residential School System: Parallel to the town’s development, a much longer and more systemic trauma was unfolding. In 1900, the Christie Indian Residential School was established on Meares Island. It was part of a nationwide system created to forcibly remove Indigenous children from their families to erase their cultures. Many survivors have spoken of profound harm and childhoods marked by fear, loss, and silence. The impacts of the residential school system continue to ripple through families, communities, and generations today.
- A Moment of Reclamation: The legacy of Christie School is not just in the past; it is a living history. In 1971, the school moved to Tinwis beach, and when it finally closed in 1983, it was the last residential school to shut down in British Columbia. In October 2025, the remaining buildings on Meares Island were demolished in a ceremony witnessed by survivors. As Elder Cliff Atleo shared, the work is not about erasing history, but about cleansing and restoring the place; honoring the truth so healing can continue and future generations may move forward with greater care and understanding.
As the community began to grapple with these deep cultural shifts and the scars of displacement, the physical isolation that had defined life on the coast for centuries was also about to come to an end.
Roads In, and the World Arrives
Until the mid-20th century, Tofino could only be reached by boat, plane, or on foot. Everything changed with the construction of a logging road to Port Alberni in 1959. Originally gated and intended for industrial use, it wasn’t fully opened to the public until the 1960s, and not fully paved until 1972.
World War II also left its mark. A Royal Canadian Air Force base was built nearby in 1942 to defend the coast. Today, that site serves as Tofino’s airport.
As access improved, so did awareness of Tofino’s wild beauty. Visitors began arriving not just to fish or log, but to surf, explore, and stay. .
Environmental Awareness and Change
Logging expanded throughout the surrounding region as access to Tofino improved. By the late 1970s, concerns regarding old-growth forests, salmon habitat, and Indigenous land rights became more widespread.
In response to a 1979 logging proposal by MacMillan Bloedel, the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation took a historic step in 1984 by declaring the first Tribal Park, Wanačas Hiłḥuuʔis (Meares Island). This declaration led to blockades and a landmark 1985 court injunction that halted logging on the island indefinitely. These events served as the direct catalyst for the broader “War in the Woods“ protests of the early 1990s which drew national and international attention for being one of the largest acts of civil disobedience in Canadian history.
Over time, these events influenced forest management practices and contributed to the establishment of protected areas in Clayoquot Sound.
From Tuff City to Surf Town
Tourism arrived slowly at first. The Princess Maquinna steamship began bringing visitors in 1913, and local leaders officially began promoting tourism in 1947.
The opening of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve in 1970 changed everything. Surfing followed soon after, with Tofino’s first surf shop (Live to Surf) opening in 1984.
In 2010, Outside Magazine named Tofino the “Best Surf Town in North America.” Today, more than 40% of visitors come to surf, and tourism employs roughly two-thirds of the local workforce.
Yet even as tourism flourished, the community retained its independent spirit, earning the nickname “Tuff City.”
A UNESCO Biosphere and a Shared Future
In 2000, Clayoquot Sound was designated British Columbia’s first UNESCO Biosphere Region, recognizing the need to balance conservation, community well-being, and sustainable development.
In 2024, a landmark agreement permanently protected 77,000 hectares of forest in Clayoquot Sound: another major step forward for ecosystem protection led by Tla-o-qui-aht and Ahousaht First Nations.
Today, Načiks (Tofino) remains a small but vibrant community of around 2,500 residents, doubling seasonally as workers and visitors arrive from around the world during the summer.
Its future (like its past) continues to be closely tied to the health of the surrounding coastal ecosystems and the people who live, work, and visit here.
The ʔiisaak Pledge
The ʔiisaak pledge is a set of guiding principles rooted in Nuu-chah-nulth teachings. At its core, ʔiisaak means respect. Respect for the land, the water, the People, and the relationships that connect them.
The pledge calls on us to:
- Respect Natural Law and act in ways that honour the ecosystems that sustain life
- Speak truthfully and learn the full history of this place, including stories that were overlooked or misrepresented through colonial narratives
- Be generous, helpful, and committed to building strong, caring communities
- Leave lands and waters healthy and undisturbed for future generations
Together, these teachings remind us that visiting or living in Načiks (Tofino) comes with responsibility, not entitlement.
How will you carry this history forward with ʔiisaak as you explore Načiks (Tofino)?
The Canadian Encyclopedia. “Tofino.” The Canadian Encyclopedia, Historica Canada, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/tofino. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation. Welcome to the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation. Retrieved from https://www.tla-o-qui-aht.org/
Tourism Tofino. “Past & Present | About Tofino.” Tourism Tofino, tourismtofino.com/about-tofino/past-present. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
CBC News. “Christie Residential School near Tofino, B.C., demolished.” CBC News, October 10, 2025. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/christie-residential-school-tofino-demolished-9.6935001. Accessed January 20, 2026.
Mussett, Ben. “B.C.’s Last Residential School.” British Columbia: An Untold History. https://bcanuntoldhistory.knowledge.ca/1980/b-cs-last-residential-school. Accessed January 20, 2026.