 The northern portion of the island is part of Discovery Island Indian Reserve 3, under the control of the Songhees First Nation.Discovery island was named in 1846 by surveyors in honour of HMS "Discovery", the ship used by 18th-century British Explorer Captain George Vancouver to chart the coastline of British Columbia between 1792 and 1794 (see the Vancouver Expedition).The adjacent Chatham Islands were named after his escort ship, HMS "Chatham".