Thunderbird’s Nest (T’iitsk’in Paawats) Protected Area was established in the spring of 2011 as a result of obligations detailed in the Maa-nulth First Nations Final Agreement. This protected area protects T’iitsk’in Paawats which is a sacred and spiritual place for the Uchucklesaht Tribe and the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations.
T’iitsk’in Paawats translates to “Thunderbird’s Nest” and is where the last remaining Thunderbird lives. Thunderbirds are creatures of tremendous importance to the Uchucklesaht Tribe and Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations. They control the rain and thunderstorms and they are connected to whales, whaling and whaling power. The protected area is a natural place of old growth forests without any permanent structures.
The T’iitsk’in Paawats is made up of creeks, bathing pools, waterfalls, archaeological sites and five named mountains:
Tuutuuchpiika (Thunder Mountain/Eldest Brother)Titskakuulth (Thunder Face Mountain)Uusajuu-is (Ritual Bathing Mountain)Uu-aatsuu (Second Eldest Brother Mountain)Kalthaatik (Youngest Brother Mountain)The spiritual sites within the T’iitski’in Paawats are places that Uchucklesaht people go to ‘osimich’, a process crucial to the proper preparation for persons seeking to cleanse themselves spiritually.