Cowichan Region
Map
The Cowichan region is located on southern Vancouver Island, and has its easterly shores in the Strait of Georgia, and its westerly shores in the Pacific Ocean. In it are a number of landmarks mentioned in the despatches, including Cowichan Lake, River, Head, and Bay; as well, the region's western reach encompasses Nitinat Lake, and to the southeast, Malahat Ridge.
The region is named after the most populous Coast Salish Nation in British Columbia, the Quw'utsun', whose tribes include the Comeakin, Quamichan, Clemclemaluts, Khenipsen, Kilpaulus, Somena, and Koksilah Nations. The Quw'utsun' have inhabited many parts of southern British Columbia, and the Puget Sound, for over four-thousand years.1
The despatches list a variety of names for Cowichan, which include “Cowitchin”, “Cowetchin”, “Cowegin”, “Cowetchen”, and others. The map link, above, denotes the Cowichan Valley Regional District, which incorporated as such in 1967.2
The Cowichan District was mapped as part of Pemberton’s surveys of the southern Vancouver Island during the 1850s, which can be seen on this map and another, both from 1859.
  • 1. Columbia River, Cowichan Tribes: History.
  • 2. Cowichan Valley Regional District, BC Geographical Names Information System.
Mentions of this place in the documents
The Colonial Despatches Team. Cowichan Region. The Colonial Despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871, Edition 2.0, ed. The Colonial Despatches Team. Victoria, B.C.: University of Victoria. https://bcgenesis.uvic.ca/cowichan_region.html.

Last modified: 2020-03-30 13:22:16 -0700 (Mon, 30 Mar 2020) (SVN revision: 4193)