"::Skookum1 2nd note: about the above.  There's situations, again with Somena mentioned elsewhere, where the people and government are somewhat indeterminate and well as indistinguishable; in the Somena's case because they're not a ""legal"" government, but one of the ancient social divisions of the peoples of the Cowichan valley; what we might call a ""chieftaincy"" but that's an imposed concept (if you read the Somena page you'll see what I mean....I think).  Bottom line is, frankly, we're imposing a rational order based on our concepts (separate concepts) of ethnicity, language and government; in some First Nations culture that's a lot harder to do; so the Somena are NOT a First Nations government in the white man's way of thinking, or even in the thinking of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs (which is an organization of whiteman-system band governments and tribal councils created by the Indian Act, the reserve system, and Government Agents et al); but it would be touchy to exclude the Somena from equal status in a template, say, with their neighbours/kin the Quamichan.  All too confusing for a cultus whiteman at this hour of the night so I'm going to bed now.... 

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