The Skokomish are one of nine tribes of the Twana, a Native American people of western Washington state in the United States. The tribe lives along Hood Canal, a fjord-like inlet on the west side of the Kitsap Peninsula and the Puget Sound basin. Historically the Twana were hunters, fishers, and gatherers who had a nomadic lifestyle during the warmer months, while living in more permanent homes during the winter months.
Like many Northwest Coast indigenous peoples, the Skokomish rely heavily on fishing for their survival.
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The name "Skokomish" comes from the Twana sqʷuqʷóʔbəš, also spelled sqWuqWu'b3sH, and meaning "river people" or "people of the river".[1][2] [3] The Skokomish were one of the largest of the nine different Twana village communities that existed before about 1860. By their locations, the nine groups were the Dabop, Quilcene, Dosewallips, Duckabush, Hoodsport, Skokomish, Vance Creek, Tahuya, and Duhlelap communities.[4] Within these nine communities there were at least 33 settlements.[5]
The Skokomish, or Twana language belongs to the Salishan family of Native American languages.
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.