SNAW-NAW-AS
The Snaw-Naw-As Nation is located on the east coast of Vancouver Island, adjacent to the city of Lantzville, situated between Parksville and Nanaimo, in Nanoose Bay. Their name derives from the Halkomelem word “Naus,” meaning “inside looking out” reflecting the shape of Nanoose Bay. The traditional language is Hul’q’umi’num’, which is 1 of 3 branches of the Halkomelum dialect spoken from Nanoose to Oregon.
The Snaw-Naw-As Nation’s traditional territory included villages that dotted the areas in the mid-Island region of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.
Number of Members
269 (as of March, 2020)