The Somena (or S’amuna’) are one of several
Hul̓q̓umín̓um̓-speaking
indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
living in the
Cowichan Valley-
Duncan region of
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest by ...
,
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
, Canada.
The Somena were one of seven tribes or nations that were forced to amalgamate into one
"band", named the
Cowichan Tribes
Cowichan Tribes ( hur, Quw’utsun) is the band government of the Cowichan, a group of Coast Salish peoples who live in the Cowichan Valley region on Vancouver Island. With over 3,800 registered members, it is the single largest First Nations ...
after their general location, the
Cowichan Valley and
Cowichan Bay
Cowichan Bay () is a bay and community located on the east coast of southern Vancouver Island near Duncan, in British Columbia. The mouth of the Cowichan River is near Cowichan Bay. Mount Tzouhalem and its hiking trails and ecological reserve sta ...
. The other peoples henceforth known as "the Cowichans" were the
Quamichan/Kw’amutsun (the largest cultural group),
Clemclemaluts (L’uml’umuluts),
Comiaken (Qwum’yiqun’),
Khenipsen (Hinupsum),
Kilpahlas (Tl’ulpalus), and
Koksilah (Hwulqwselu).
External links
Coast Salish
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