Anahim Peak
Name
The Carrier (Dakelh) name for Anahim Peak is Bes But'a, meaning "obsidian peak." To the Tsilhqot'in Nation, the mountain is called Bis Nadiʔah (also meaning "obsidian peak"), or Tŝi-bis Gunlin Xadalgwenlh ("mountain where there is obsidian stone"). The word bes (bis in Tŝilhqot’in) is anglicised as "beece", another word for obsidian and also an early designation for this mountain. The name Anahim is that of Chief Anahim, a leader of the Tsilhqot'in people in the mid-19th Century.
Area and history
Anahim Peak was a significant source of obsidian for the Nuxalk, Tsilhqot'in, and Dakelh peoples. Obsidian was desirable because extremely sharp arrowheads and cutting knives could be made from it. It was also used for jewellery. Anahim obsidian was traded widely all over the BC Interior and up and down the Coast from Bella Coola. Red ochre was used in paint and decoration was also taken from this area. Anahim Peak is not far from the small community of Anahim Lake.
See also
- List of volcanoes of Canada
- Anahim hotspot
- Anahim Volcanic Belt
- Volcanism in Canada
- Anahim (disambiguation)