Adopted 30 June 1910 on 92L/7 as listed in the 1910 Gazetteer. In lieu of original paperwork this was resubmitted 17 December 1932 as listed in Gazetteers (1920, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1924, 1930) and as appears on Reference Map 2C "Vancouver Island - Northerly" (1919, 1929). Likely named in association with Nimpkish Lake.

Source: BC place name cards & correspondence, and/or research by BC Chief Geographer & Geographical Names Office staff.

The transformer Q!a'neqelak married the daughter of Gwa'nalalis at Whulk, and Gwa'nalalis was later transformed into the river gwa'ne [the Nimpkish River] (Boas 1934:24).

Source: Museum at Campbell River (spring 2001)

The ‘Namgis or Nimpkish people, whose traditional territory coincides largely with the boundaries of the Nimpkish River watershed, are a branch of the Kwakwaka’wakw First Nation. Captain George Vancouver visited their principal village, Xwalkw, located at the mouth of the river in 1792 and called it Cheslakee’s after the paramount chief at that time. In 1880, the ‘Namgis moved to Cormorant Island, where their community adjacent to Alert Bay, is today called ‘Yalis. The traditional name of the Nimpkish River, Gwa’ni, honours a ‘Namgis creation myth, in which Kaniki’lakw, the Transformer, changes his father-in-law, Gwa’nalalis, into a salmon-rich river so that he can provide food for his descendants forever. ‘Namgis has been translated as “those who are one when they come together”.

Source: Scott, Andrew; "The Encyclopedia of Raincoast Place Names"; Harbour Publishing, Madeira Park, 2009.

Headwaters at 50 01 - 126 14 on 92L/1.

Source: Canadian Geographical Names Database, Ottawa

Named after the band that lives here, in band in turn taking its name from the Kwakwala name for a mythical monster that looked like a halibut, was of immense size, and had been known to draw canoes under water. This monster was also believed to cause the powerful tide-rip off the mouth of this river. (BC First Nations website, September 2001: www.aaf.gov.bc.ca/nations)

Source: BC place name cards & correspondence, and/or research by BC Chief Geographer & Geographical Names Office staff.