Anahim Peak

Anahim Peak, also spelled Anaham, ʔAnaghim, or Anaheim, is a volcanic cone in the Anahim Volcanic Belt in British Columbia, Canada, located northwest of Anahim Lake and east of Tsitsutl Peak. It was formed when the North American Plate moved over a hotspot, similar to the one feeding the Hawaiian Islands, called the Anahim hotspot. It is one of the several volcanoes in the Anahim Volcanic Belt that stands out all by itself, rising from the Chilcotin Plateau, between the Rainbow Range and the Ilgachuz Range and near the headwaters of the Dean River.

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, or Tŝi-bis Gunlin Xadalgwenlh. The word bes 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.
The Nuxalk (ItNuxalkmc) name for Anahim Peak is Anuxim, meaning shining out, or shining on the inside. In the origin story of mount Nusq'lst, mount Anuxim is the father of Tl'isla, the wife of mount Nusq'lst.

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.