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Senanus Island


Senanus Island (48˚36'00" 123˚29'00" In Saanich Inlet, W of Hagan Bight, NW of Victoria). Senanus is an old name that appears in the first Vancouver I Pilot prepared by Capt George Richards in 1861. According to historians Helen and Philip Akrigg, it is a Saanich (Sencot’en) word meaning “chest” or “torso.” Apparently it was also the name of a well-known chief of the Tsartlip First Nation. Senamis is a variant spelling on some old maps. The island is a reserve and ancient burial ground for the Tsartlip people, who are part of the larger Wsanec (Saanich) group of First Nations.