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Cowichan First Nation


COWICHAN FIRST NATION is a Coast Salish group (see HALKOMELEM; SALISHAN FIRST NATIONS), the largest First Nations group in BC with a population close to 3,000. The Cowichan own 9 RESERVES along the COWICHAN R near DUNCAN on the east coast of VANCOUVER ISLAND. They also used to inhabit several summer villages near the mouth of the FRASER R on LULU ISLAND, where they went to fish. The name derives from Quw'utsum', meaning "warmed by the sun." On the outskirts of Duncan the Cowichan Native Village welcomes visitors wishing to learn about the history and culture of the Cowichan people.
Reading: Daniel P. Marshall, Those Who Fell From the Sky, 1999.