| Feature Type: | Island - Land area surrounded by water or marsh. |
| Status: | Official |
| Name Authority: | BC Geographical Names Office |
| Pronounced: | penALLA cut |
| Relative Location: | Just S of Thetis Island on E side of Stuart Channel, NE of Chemainus, Cowichan Land District |
| Latitude-Longitude: | 48°57'53"N, 123°38'49"W at the approximate centre of this feature. |
| Datum: | WGS84 |
| NTS Map: | 92B/13 |
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Origin Notes and History:
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Kuper Island adopted in the 6th Report of the Geographic Board of Canada, 30 June 1906, as labelled on British Admiralty Chart 579, 1863 et seq. Name changed to Penelakut Island 29 June 2010 to reflect traditional usage, as proposed by Penelakut Nation and agreed by other property owners (file V.1.38) Source: BC place name cards, files, correspondence and/or research by BC Chief Geographer/Geographical Names Office. |
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The traditional Halkomelem name was Puneluxtth, referring to the village on the northeast side of the island. Puneluxtth can be translated as "log half buried in the sand" or "cedar in the mud" and for many years has been spelled phonetically as Penelakut. Archaeological evidence suggests that the people of Peneluxtth had inhabited the island for 4500 to 9000 years before the arrival of Europeans. (September 2009 information from Penelakut Nation.) Source: included with note |