The Duwamish Tribe (as they refer to themselves on their website: www.duwamishtribe.org) were among the first people to inhabit the Pacific Northwest. Their leader in the 19th century was in fact the namesake for the very city in which the University of Washington is located. Chief Seattle (also known as Chief Sealth) greeted the first white settlers in 1851 and helped them survive in this region by providing guidance and technology such as canoes. The Duwamish are at least partially to thank for the unique and productive city of Seattle that their land has become; yet the Federal government is ignoring this First Nation, and fails to recognize them as a tribe.
In 2001, the Duwamish gained federal recognition as a tribe for only a second. As soon as President George W. Bush took office, their recognition was retracted. The reasoning the government uses is that the Duwamish do not have a continuous history, a “fact” which is easily undermined. The Bush Administration even went so far as to declare them “extinct”. These First People have place-based knowledge that extends through a number of significant eras in Washington’s history. They have passed down information from generation to generation which even covers the most recent Ice Age, and the accuracy of this information has been validated by radiocarbon-dating of ancient artifacts discovered in the area. The Duwamish have great pride in their heritage. Their website proclaims, “We have never left our homeland”. They have centuries of knowledge regarding all of the animals, plants, landscapes, and waterways of this region.
In the summer of 2009, Duwamish leaders again attempted to gain federal recognition as they instigated a bill titled “Duwamish Tribal Recognition Act”. This bill continues to be ignored by Congress, and the Duwamish have yet to gain the recognition they have always deserved. If they were to be recognized as a tribe, the Duwamish would receive funding that could go towards housing, tribal government, education, health care, and cultural programs. They would also gain fishing rights and would be authorized to open a casino, which would bring in further money. Without this funding, the Duwamish are struggling to remain an independent and prominent culture. They do have a number of projects underway currently, however. One of their most recent accomplishments is the opening of the Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center, the first longhouse built in Seattle since they were burned down to build the city. Overlooking the Duwamish River, this traditional longhouse serves as a symbol of the rich culture and history of this First Nation. The next step is for the federal government to finally recognize these people as the true founders of Seattle, a community that lived in, learned from, and maintained the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
-Rachel Wolk
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