The Coast Salish Tribe
by Herb Rice

To the Salish people, of the Cowichan region, the Salmon was life itself. Readily available in the fall and springtime, salmon were caught in "Weirs" or gated control fences that went across the Cowichan River. These weirs also insured that enough salmon went upriver to maintain the continuous return of the salmon. In local lore, the salmon were a gift to the people and as long as their bones were returned to the river, the salmon would return annually. Some Elders were known to place salmon roe in the river at the spawning grounds for fertilization because they had so much respect for the life the salmon gave up for their existence.

The Cowichan People of the Coast Salish tribal grouping are a very proud and resourceful people. Long before the coming of ‘Europeans, the Cowichan People used the inner bark of the Cedar tree mixed with the wool from the mountain goat and the hair from a small long-haired dog bred for this purpose to weave blankets and clothing. These woven blankets would take up to 2 years to make and were considered "high honor". Those people who were held in high regard, either the leadership or the elders wore them. These blankets were considered as a show of wealth when worn or “given away”.