Hkusam (settlement) adopted 6 November 1952 on 92K. Form of name changed to Hkusam (locality) 29 November 1984.

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

Port Kusam Post Office was opened 1 March 1899 at Lot 495, Sayward District. Renamed Sayward Post Office 1 December 1911, taking the name of the surrounding Land District, and relocated south to the more populated valley, Sec 29, Tp3.

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

Translation: "having fat or oil". The name has also been written Husam, xwasam, xusam and Koosam, and referred to both the [First Nation] settlement and the Salmon River. The settlement was utilized by the Hahamatsees/Walitsama, Lekwiltok and the Island Comox [K'omoks]. Another name for the location was Nuglumps.

Source: Museum at Campbell River (spring 2001)

The Salmon River area, including Hkusam, is said to have originally been occupied by Coast Salish speakers and Hkusam is identified by Duff (1965: 86) as an Island Comox place-name. The name referred to both the village and the Salmon River (Kennedy and Bouchard 1983:167). By the mid 1800's the residents of Hkusam were identified as Lekwiltok rather than Coast Salish. Whether the change represents population replacement or intermarriage is uncertain. IR #1 Salmon River, was alotted in 1879 to the Hahamatsees, who lived there until around 1920 when many members of this community relocated to Comox. The reserve was later transferred to the Comox Indian band [K'omoks First Nation is now the preferred name].

Source: Museum at Campbell River (spring 2001)

Published references to this site (including maps): Boas, Franz, "Geographical Names of the Kwakiutl Indians" Columbia University Contributions to Anthropology 20, New York, 1934 (15/151); Dawson, George, "Notes and Observations on the Kwakiool People of the Northern Part of Vancouver Island and Adjacent Coasts" Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada, 1887; Galois, Robert, "Kwakwaka'wakw Settlements, 1775 - 1920: A geographical analysis and Gazeteer" UBC Press, Vancouver, 1994 (Ha 3); Kennedy, Dorothy and Randy Bouchard, "Sliammon Life, Sliammon Lands" Talonbooks, Vancouver, 1983; and Mauze, Marie, "Les Fils de Wakai. Une Histoire des Indiens Lekwiltoq" Editions Recherche sur les Civilisations, Paris, 1992.

Source: Museum at Campbell River (spring 2001)