Quw’utsun Mustimuhw

Based on Cowichan Tribes’ oral history, the Quw’utsun Mustimuhw (Cowichan Peoples) have a strong attachment to S’amunu. “Since time immemorial, Cowichan Tribes has had a connection to the Somenos Marsh, Lake and Creek. At the time of European contact there were several thousand people living at two Cowichan villages associated with the Marsh – S’amunu and Kwa’mutsun. The S’amunu (Somenos) Village lined the west side of Somenos Watershed, including the present location of the Forest Discovery Centre, and according to Cowichan Elders, was 7,000 people strong prior to the epidemics of the mid- 1800s. The Kwa’mutsun (Quamichan) Village lined Somenos Creek extending to the confluence with the Cowichan River. Near the headwaters of Somenos Creek is an ancient burial site known as Ye’yumnuts. These villages benefited from the ready supply of coho and chum salmon that could be harvested even in the off-season during high water levels.” - Oral History, Cowichan Tribes