In the SENĆOŦEN language, the word T’Sou-ke is the name of the Stickleback fish that live in the estuary of the river. Exposure to Europeans through the Hudson’s Bay Company saw the name changed first to Soke and then Sooke. That English name is now common and is used for many things including the name of our neighbouring town, the river and basin, the main road.
The two T’Sou-ke reserves are on 67 hectares (165 acres) around the Sooke Basin on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The reserves were allotted by the Joint Reserve Commission in 1877.
Most community members live on the southern 41-hectare reserve while the many administration offices are on the 26-acre reserve along the main road between Sooke and Victoria.
The total registered T’Sou-ke population was 251 as of February 2013.
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