Twana facts for kids
The Twana are a group of nine different Coast Salish peoples. They lived in the northern part of the Puget Sound area. Today, most of these groups have either disappeared or joined other tribes.
The Skokomish are the main group of Twana who still exist. They proudly call themselves Twana today. The language they speak is also called Twana. It is very similar to the Lushootseed language.
Who Are the Twana People?
The Twana people were made up of nine smaller groups. Each group was named after the place where they lived. These groups included:
- Dabop
- Quilcene (whose name means "salt-water people")
- Dosewallips
- Duckabush
- Hoodsport
- Skokomish (also called Skoko'bsh)
- Vance Creek
- Tahuya
- Duhlelap (also called Tule'lalap)
Twana Settlements and Communities
By the year 1860, these nine Twana groups had a total of 33 different settlements. The Skokomish group was the largest among them.
Most of the people who are descendants of these Twana groups now live in one place. They are part of the Skokomish Tribal Nation. They live on the Skokomish Indian Reservation in Skokomish, Washington.
Why Did the Twana Move?
The Twana people were all moved to the Skokomish Reservation. This happened after a special agreement called the Point No Point Treaty was signed in 1855. This treaty changed where many Native American tribes lived.
