At The Landing at Orcas, we believe that truly understanding the place you visit enhances the depth and meaning of your experience. When you choose our island hotel for your getaway, you’re not just visiting a beautiful destination—you’re stepping onto land with thousands of years of rich human history and cultural significance. The story of Orcas Island begins long before modern tourism, with indigenous Coast Salish peoples who lived in harmony with this remarkable landscape for countless generations. 

As stewards of this special place, we feel a profound responsibility to honor and share the indigenous heritage that forms the foundation of all Orcas Island activities and experiences today. Join us as we explore the deep connections between the Coast Salish peoples and the island we now call home—knowledge that will undoubtedly enrich your Orcas Island stays with us. 

The First Caretakers: Coast Salish Presence on Orcas Island 

Long before The Landing at Orcas welcomed its first guests, the island was home to Coast Salish peoples, primarily the Lummi, Samish, and Songhees Nations. Archaeological evidence suggests indigenous habitation dating back at least 5,000 years, with some scholars believing human presence may extend much further. 

These original inhabitants didn’t view the island as property to be owned but as a living entity with which they shared a reciprocal relationship. During your Orcas Island stays, you might notice how the island’s natural rhythms and resources shaped traditional life: 

• Seasonal Movements: Coast Salish communities developed sophisticated knowledge of the island’s seasonal patterns, moving between winter villages and summer camps to harmonize with natural abundance cycles. 

• Marine Expertise: The waters surrounding our island hotel were vital fishing grounds where indigenous peoples harvested salmon, halibut, shellfish, and other marine resources using sustainable techniques refined over millennia. 

• Forest Stewardship: The forests that visitors explore during Orcas Island activities today were carefully tended through controlled burns and selective harvesting to promote plant diversity and habitat health. 

• Spiritual Connection: Many natural features on the island held profound spiritual significance, with certain places considered powerful sites for vision quests, ceremonies, and connecting with ancestral knowledge. 

Language and Place Names: Echoes of Indigenous Presence 

The original name for Orcas Island in the Coast Salish language was “Sx̱ʷaqʷsən,” reflecting indigenous understanding of the island’s essence rather than commemorating a Spanish explorer (contrary to popular belief, “Orcas” derives from “Horcasitas,” not from the magnificent orcas that sometimes visit our waters). 

During your Orcas Island stays, you might notice that many place names across the archipelago reflect this dual naming history—Western names overlaid upon much older indigenous ones. At The Landing at Orcas, we believe acknowledging these original names honours the deep history of the land where our island hotel now stands. 

Cultural Practices and Knowledge Systems 

Coast Salish peoples developed sophisticated cultural practices intimately connected to island life. Their knowledge systems encompassed: 

• Artistic Traditions: The distinctive Coast Salish art style—characterized by crescents, trigons, and oval forms—visually expressed relationships between humans, animals, and spiritual forces. 

• Sustainable Resource Management: Indigenous harvesting practices ensured resource abundance for future generations—a value that aligns with The Landing’s own commitment to sustainability during your Orcas Island stays. 

• Oral Traditions: Elaborate storytelling traditions preserved historical knowledge, proper relationships with the natural world, and cultural values without written language. 

• Potlatch Ceremonies: These elaborate gift-giving ceremonies reinforced community bonds, redistributed wealth, established status, and commemorated important life events. 

Historical Challenges and Contemporary Presence 

The arrival of European settlers in the late 1700s and subsequent American expansion brought profound challenges to Coast Salish communities through disease, displacement, and cultural suppression. The 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott forced many indigenous peoples onto reservations, dramatically altering their relationship with ancestral lands including Orcas Island. 

Despite these historical traumas, Coast Salish culture endures. Today, tribal communities maintain connections to these ancestral places and work to preserve language, cultural practices, and traditional ecological knowledge. During your Orcas Island stays, you might have opportunities to appreciate contemporary Coast Salish art, attend cultural events with permission, or learn about ongoing indigenous stewardship initiatives. 

Honouring Indigenous Heritage During Your Stay at The Landing 

At our island hotel, we believe respectful acknowledgment of indigenous heritage enriches every visitor’s experience. We encourage guests to: 

• Learn Before Arriving: Before your Orcas Island stays, explore resources about Coast Salish history and culture to deepen your appreciation of the land’s first stewards. 

• Respectful Exploration: When enjoying Orcas Island activities like hiking or beachcombing, remember you’re walking through landscapes that hold cultural and spiritual significance dating back thousands of years. 

• Support Indigenous Businesses: Consider incorporating indigenous-owned businesses, galleries, or cultural experiences into your Orcas Island activities when appropriate and available. 

• Practice Cultural Respect: If you encounter cultural sites, archaeological remains, or indigenous ceremonies during your stay, observe appropriate protocols and boundaries.