The Face on the Tree

This interesting artifact was on a tree in the Cathedral Grove, located in the MacMillan Provincial Park on Vancouver Island. Although, the origin of this artifact was not indicated, if were not from the First Nation people, it would have been removed.

In British Columbia, those people who can trace their ancestry back to the original inhabitants of North America are collectively referred to a the First Nations. On Vancouver Island there are 53 First Nations. Quoting from the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance:

The First Nations of BC refer to those people that can trace their ancestry to the aboriginal people that inhabited the land prior to the arrival of Europeans and Americans in the late 18th century. Based on 2001 census figures, aboriginal people (living on and off reserve) number 43, 420 or 6.8% of the estimated population on Vancouver Island.
(Source: mcf.gov.bc.ca/regions/vi/profile.htm)

Among the major indigenous languages, the dialects primarily spoken by First Nations on Vancouver Island stem from the Salishan and Wakashan language families.

There are 53 First Nations on Vancouver Island which equates to almost 20% of the provincial First Nations and about 6% of the national total.

 If you are interested in pursuing this topic, see also First Nation and Aboriginal Organization on Vancouver Island.