About: Snaw-Naw-As Nation
Who We Are – The People We Support
We are the descendants of Snaw-Naw-As Mustimuxw. We uphold our values, enjoy good governance, and high levels of well-being.
The Snaw-Naw-As is the name for our people, after the sole survivor of a battle in the 1800s. We’re located in Nanoose Bay, British Columbia. Our community, often known as the Nanoose First Nation, along with 18 other tribes in the Salish Sea, are Coast Salish people, and one of the most northern tribes on the east side of Vancouver Island. We speak Hul’q’umi’num’, which is one of three branches of the Halkomelum dialect spoken from Nanoose to Oregon.
Demographic:
There are five main families that make up the majority of community, the families of Tom Bob Sr., Wilson Bob, Dave Bob Sr., Leonard Edwards and Jim Bob. One elder remembers taking a head count in the 1960s of about 60 people living on our reserve. Today our population is just over 200.
Our Name:
Nanoose is the anglicized version of the word Snaw-Naw-As, as well as the name of one of our late family members, Nanoose Bob. Snaw-Naw-As is our traditional name, which comes from the word “Naus” which means “the way in the harbour”. There are many spelling variants of our name such as Snonoose, Sno-no-was, Nuas, and Nanooa and Snuwnuwus.
Our History – We Have Always Been Here
Most of Snaw-Naw-As history is told orally, through stories from relatives and friends. Carrie Reid, a relative from Qualicum First Nation, wrote 2 books about Qualicum and Snaw-Naw-As history. Her first book, titled “A Local History of SD69ish”, a book written for School District 69, compiles some of these stories to describe many precontact lifestyle practices and beliefs. In this book, Reid discusses a conversation with Alfred Recalma, a member of Qualicum First Nation, about our beginnings.
Searching for the creation stories of our people she was simply told “we have always been here”. Many non-indigenous people have spent time and money trying to prove or disprove this theory. Our explanation has always been offered to us freely and we will pass it on to you as well: we have always been here.
In her second book, “The Joint Indian Reserve Commission and District 69”, Reid highlights the creation of the Qualicum and Nanoose Indian Reserves in 1876 by providing a transcription of the original document, the Joint Reserve Commission, and includes pictures and a modern interpretation of this account. This resource is helpful in understanding how we lost our traditional lands in a transaction of appropriation by the Canadian Government.
Unceded Land
It Is important for all to understand that the Snaw-Naw-As people were forcibly removed from our ancestral land and that no treaty, or agreement was made between our community and the Canadian Government.
Healthy community government
Despite over 150 years of colonial pressure to assimilate, our people have built a healthy community government and a sustainable economic industry to provide opportunities for our people. We have continued to practice and pass on our ancestral knowledge and ways. We combine texts that discuss Coast Salish pre-contact lifestyle and the effects of colonialism on our culture with the robust oral history of our elders to arrive at an understanding of who we are that will help to steer our future.
Our Culture as a Nation
Our language. Hul’qu’mi’num is the ancestral language of the Snaw-Naw-As people. The colonial pressure to speak English has led to a decline in the use of our traditional language. There are some fluent speakers in our community but many are learning the language using language resources such as First Voices and local dictionaries and learning materials.
Commonly Used Words
Hay ch’qa – Thank you
Hay ce:pqa – Thank you (pl)
Uwu – No
Umut – sit down
I’ ch’ uw’ uy’al- Are you good?
O’siem - To honour guests
Sulqween - elders
Siyeye – friends
Shqwalaqwa – family
Munu- children
Mustimuxw – people
Uy - good
Uy’sqwalawun – good feelings
Uy’ netulh – good morning
Uy’skweyel – good day
Uy’snet – good night