T'Sou-ke First Nation (formerly known as the T'Sou-ke Indian Band) is a band government whose reserve community is located on Vancouver Island, in the province of British Columbia, Canada. In February 2013, T'Sou-ke Nation had 251 registered members, The older anglicised version of the word, as well as the name of the town is Sooke. The latter may be from the Klallam form or a relic of an earlier Northern Straits pronunciation. The current Saanich () form is , pronounced .

Alternate anglicisations have included Soke, Sok, Tsohke, and Sock.

Language

The language of T'Sou-ke Nation was historically the T'Sou-ke dialect (; ) of the Northern Straits Salish language. Along with the T'Sou-ke, varieties of Northern Straits are spoken by the Lekwungen, Saanich (), Semiahmoo, Lummi, and Samish peoples.

Today, the T'Sou-ke teach the Saanich dialect. Gordon Planes, chief of T'Sou-ke Nation from 2007 to 2024 stated, "At one time all our people spoke the language and it was not English. It was , the language that we share with our neighbours at Scia'new and others around Victoria and Saanich."

History

The Sooke tribe of Straits Salishans were nearly annihilated in a combined attack of the Cowichans, Clallums and Nitinahts launched about 1848.

Health care services

T'Sou-ke Nation Health Centre, Medical professionals visit the community regularly.

Energy efficiency in homes

Energy-saving measures were also taken in the homes of community members, such as extra roof insulation, new appliances to replace obsolete ones, and energy-saving light bulbs.

In 2008, the Ladybug Garden and Greenhouse was started to harvest fresh produce and herbs for the community, as well as a means to preserve native plants and knowledge about how to find them.

Further citations

  • T'sou-ke Nation website