SKOKOMISH (TRIBE)

'Skokomish', also known as the 'Twana', are a Native American tribe in western Washington state in the United States. The tribe lives along Hood Canal, the inland sea west of the Puget Sound. Historically the Twana were hunters, fishers, and gatherers that invoked a nomadic lifestyle during warmer times. then during the Winter they would settle down in a long term home environment. Like many Northwest Coast natives, the Skokomish rely heavily on fishing for their survival. The original name of the Skokomish is Twana and many people in the Skokomish tribe are moving back to calling themselves by that title. The name Skokomish is a Chinook Jargon-Lushootseed hybrid form and translates to "Big River People" (''skookum'' + ''-mish'' for "people"). The Skokomish were the largest of nine different Twana tribes.

Contents

Language

Reservation

References

External links

Language

Main articles: Twana language

The Skokomish or Twana language belongs to the Salishan family of Native American languages.

Reservation

The tribe moved onto the Skokomish Indian Reservation in the central part of modern-day Mason County, Washington near the Skokomish River around 1855. The reservation has a land area of 21.244 km² (8.2022 sq mi) and a 2000 census resident population of 730 persons. Its major community is Skokomish.

References

★ Skokomish Reservation, Washington United States Census Bureau

External links

★ Skokomish Tribal Nation homepage

★ Skokomish tribe history and culture page