Skokomish, also known as the Twana, are a Native American tribe in 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 that invoked a nomadic lifestyle during warmer times. However, during the winter they would settle down in a more permanent location.
Like many Northwest Coast indigenous peoples, the Skokomish rely heavily on fishing for their survival. The original name of the Skokomish is Twana and many people in the Skokomish tribe are moving back to calling themselves by that title. The name Skokomish is a Chinook Jargon-Lushootseed hybrid form and translates to "Strong People" (skookum + -mish for "people"). The Skokomish were the largest of nine different Twana tribes.
The Skokomish, or Twana language belongs to the Salishan family of Native American languages.
Reservation
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.
