The origin of the Wakashan Indigenous people is not specifically known, but they have ancestral connections to Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, according to linguistic and genetic studies. The exact timing of when the Wakashan Indigenous people arrived in British Columbia, Canada is not known, but it is believed to have been thousands of years ago, possibly around 10,000 years ago during the end of the last Ice Age when sea levels rose and created a land bridge between Asia and North America.

The Wakashan Indigenous people traditionally occupied the Pacific Northwest region of North America, specifically the coastal areas of present-day British Columbia, Canada. This includes the Nootka Sound, Clayoquot Sound, and the Barkley Sound.

The Wakashan Indigenous people were primarily coastal dwellers and relied on the resources of the ocean, forests, and rivers for their sustenance and livelihood. They hunted and fished for food, using nets, spears, hooks, and traps. They also gathered shellfish, seaweed, and berries. For materials, they used cedar trees to build their homes and canoes and wove baskets from cedar bark and spruce roots.

The Wakashan Indigenous people had both peaceful and hostile relationships with other Indigenous peoples in the Pacific Northwest region. They established trade networks and intermarried with neighboring nations, but also engaged in territorial conflicts and raids. The specific relationships varied among different Wakashan communities and neighboring nations.

The Wakashan Indigenous people spoke several different languages, including Nuu-chah-nulth, Makah, and Kwak'wala, which are part of the Wakashan language family. The languages varied among different Wakashan communities and had distinct dialects. The Wakashan Indigenous people did not have a written language. Their cultures and traditions were passed down orally from generation to generation.

The Wakashan Indigenous people have a rich artistic tradition that reflects their connection to the land and sea. Their art includes wooden masks and carvings, baskets and mats woven from natural fibers, and jewelry made from bone, shell, and dentalia. Their traditional art forms often feature stylized representations of animals and humans, and depict stories, myths, and spiritual beliefs. The art was used in ceremonies, dances, and other cultural events, and was also traded with neighboring nations.

Some Wakashan Indigenous communities had a form of slavery prior to contact with Europeans. In these societies, slaves were often war captives or people who had been acquired through trade or inheritance. The status and treatment of slaves varied among different Wakashan communities, with some having more restrictive systems and others having more lenient ones. After contact with Europeans, the practice of slavery declined as more people were taken as laborers or enslaved by outsiders.

The first recorded contact between the Wakashan Indigenous people and Europeans was in 1774 when Spanish explorer Juan José Pérez Hernández arrived in Nootka Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in present-day British Columbia, Canada. This was followed by visits from other European explorers, fur traders, and eventually settlers, leading to the displacement of many Wakashan communities and the impact of diseases brought by the Europeans.

The first recorded contact between Captain James Cook and the Wakashan Indigenous people was in 1778, during Cook's third and final voyage to the Pacific. He anchored in Nootka Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island and had interactions with the local Nuu-chah-nulth people. This was the first of several encounters between Cook and the Wakashan Indigenous people during his travels along the Pacific Northwest coast.