Biography.guide
Home › People › Cumshewa
Portrait of Cumshewa

Cumshewa

b. 1750

18th-century leader of the Haida people

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Cumshewa

Born 1750.

Cumshewa, also Go'mshewah, Cummashawa, Cummashawaas, Cumchewas, and Gumshewa, was an important hereditary leader of the Haida people of Haida Gwaii on the North Coast of what is now British Columbia, Canada. His name is believed to be of either Kwak'wala or Heiltsuk (Bella Bella) origin, meaning "rich at the mouth of the river". He is mentioned by Captain George Dixon, who traded with him in 1787. In 1794, Cumshewa and his warriors massacred the crew of the American vessel Resolution.

Legacy Cumshewa is commemorated on modern maps of the archipelago by several places named for him, including Cumshewa Inlet, Cumshewa Mountain, Cumshewa Head (a point), Cumshewa Island, the Cumshewa Rocks, and the modern First Nations locality of Cumshewa (which is on the inlet of that name).

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Born
1750
Birth century

Frequently asked questions

Who was Cumshewa?

18th-century leader of the Haida people

When was Cumshewa born?

Cumshewa was born in 1750.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Cumshewa

· Wikidata: Q5194175

· DBpedia: Cumshewa

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Cumshewa. https://biography.guide/cumshewa/

MLA: "Cumshewa." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/cumshewa/.

Chicago: "Cumshewa." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/cumshewa/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:20 UTC