Twana
The Twana are a Native American tribe belonging to the Coast Salish culture, primarily located in the Puget Sound region of Washington. Historically, the Twana were organized into nine distinct communities and were characterized by a patrilocal and patrilineal social structure. They lived in permanent winter villages and engaged in specialized maritime and land hunting practices, which were deeply intertwined with their cultural rituals. The population of the Twana has diminished over time, with only the Skokomish community remaining today, which serves as a contemporary representation of the Twana heritage. As of the 2020 US Census, there were 717 individuals identified as Skokomish, although this figure does not fully capture the broader Twana identity and its descendants. The tribe has seen revitalization efforts in response to changing federal policies, focusing on the preservation of cultural values and treaty rights. The Skokomish Indian Tribe also operates economic ventures, such as the Lucky Dog Casino, contributing to their community's development and sovereignty. Overall, the Twana have a rich history marked by significant cultural practices and ongoing efforts to maintain their identity in a modern context.
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Twana
- CATEGORY: Tribe
- CULTURE AREA: Northwest Coast
- LANGUAGE GROUP: Salishan (Twana)
- PRIMARY LOCATION: Washington
- POPULATION SIZE: 717 (2020 US Decennial Census; "Skokomish Alone")
The patrilocal and patrilineal Twana, which once comprised nine communities of Coast Salish peoples, lived in permanent winter villages in the region of Puget Sound. Both maritime and land hunting were specialized in technology and associated with rituals. The socially stratified Twana people maintained their positions through birth, redistribution of wealth, and certain physical and religious attributes.
George Vancouver explored Puget Sound and Hood Canal in 1792. In 1827, the Hudson’s Bay Company established Fort Langley on the Fraser River, which became a major trading post. The Indian Shaker Church influenced the Twana people in the early 1830s. In 1910, there were only sixty-one Twanas.
Of the nine Twana peoples—the Dabop, Quilcene, Dosewallips, Duckabush, Hoodsport, Skokomish, Vance Creek, Tahuya, and Duhlelap—only the Skokomish remain, though the contemporary Skokomish Indigenous group includes descendants of other communities. The Skokomish Reservation, established in 1855, had a population of 723 in 2020, not all of whom were of Skokomish descent. In addition, that number did not include all off-reservation Twana or recognize those of varying blood degrees from other groups. The Southern Coast Salish Indigenous nations have experienced considerable socioeconomic, political, and cultural revitalization because of changes in federal legislation and policies, particularly in Indigenous American sovereignty and fishing rights. In the mid-2020s, the mission of the Skokomish stated a commitment to its promotion as a sovereign nation through the preservation of its traditional values and the treaty rights of the Twana peoples.
Bibliography
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"Twana/Skokomish." Native Land Digital, 31 July 2022, native-land.ca/maps/territories/twana-skokomish. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.
“2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171).” US Census Bureau, data.census.gov/table?q=Skokomish+Reservation+CCD,+Mason+County,+Washington. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.