COWICHAN INDIANS IN CANADA

THE COWICHAN INDIANS HAVE OWNED AND OCCUPIED THEIR TERRITORY FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDIES SAY THEY HAVE BEEN HERE FOR AT LEAST 4500 YEARS. THEIR FOLKLORE SAYS THEY HAVE BEEN THERE SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL. MOST OF THE MEMBERS HAVE BEEN EVOLVED INTO MODERN SOCIETY, BUT OUR CULTURAL PRACTICES AND TRADITIONS HAVE BEEN CARRIED ON FOR GENERATIONS AND ARE STILL WOVEN INTO THEIR CULTURE TODAY.

PRIOR TO EUROPEAN CONTACT THERE SOCIETY CENTERED ON HOME VILLAGES ALONG THE COWICHAN AND KOKSILAH RIVERS. THEIR ANCESTORS TRAVELED TO SMALLER CAMPS TO PROCURE FISH, HUNT MAMMALS, OR COLLECT PLANTS OR GO TO A CEREMONIAL LOCATION. THEIR TERRITORY COVERED THE ENTIRE COWICHAN VALLEY. THEY TRAVELED ON WATER IN HAND MADE CANOES.

EACH YEAR THEY RELIED GREATLY ON SALMON. THE DISTRIBUTION OF RESOURCES WAS MANAGED BY ELDERS THROUGH USE OF FISH WEIRS. THE WEIRS ALLOWED FISH TO REACH THEIR SPAWNING BEDS ALL OF THEIR RESOURCES WERE MANAGED FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. OUR ANCESTORS TOUCHED THE LANDS LIGHTLY. THEIR ANCESTOR'S SITES THAT WERE SACRED TO THEM AND USED THEM CEREMONIALLY.HAVE LITTLE EVIDENCE AS THEY RESPECTED THE EARTH. THEY HAD ABOUT 15,000 FOLKS AND WERE THE MOST POWERFUL ON THE SOUTHERN COAST OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. EACH SUMMER THEY TRAVELED WITH RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS TO CATCH SOCKEYE SALMON. THEY BUILT A LARGE SUMMER VILLAGE NEAR THE MOUTH OF THEIR RIVER. THEIR HOMES WERE MADE OF PLANK OF BOUND TOGETHER WITH LEATHER STRIPS. THEY COULD BE MOVED FROM CAMP TO CAMP.

THEY WERE ANCHORED IN THEIR FAMILIES. WE ARE RELATED TO FRIENDS THROUGH TRADITIONAL TERRITORY. THE CHILDREN WOULD LISTEN TO THE ELDERS WHEN READY. THE BASIS OF THEIR SOCIETY WAS THE HOUSEHOLD WITH SEVERAL RELATED FAMILIES IN A LONGHOUSE. EACH VILLAGE HAD A HEREDITARY CHIEF. THEY WERE ROOTED IN SPIRITUALITY, AND RITES WHICH ARE PRACTICED TODAY. SOME CHILDREN WERE SELECTED AS HISTORIANS TO PASS DOWN HISTORY.

THEIR TRADITIONAL HISTORY IS THAT EACH FIRST ANCESTOR FELL FROM THE SKY TO THE EARTH AT VARIOUS PLACES. ONE FIRST ANCESTOR FELL FROM THE SKY TO THE COWICHAN LANDS HAD SPECIAL POWERS. HE BROUGHT IMPORTANT KNOWLEDGE FOR THEIR SURVIVAL. THEY TAUGHT THEM HOW TO BUILD FISH WEIRS. THIS MYTH PURPORTS TO ACCOUNT FOR THE ORIGIN OF THE RACE. HE ALSO TAUGHT THEM HOW TO CATCH DEER. THE ANCESTORS GAVE THEM THEIR CEREMONIES AND SPIRITUAL PRACTICES. MANY OF THEIR HISTORIES TELL OF MORAL AND AND CULTURAL TEACHINGS.

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