Suquamish << suh KWAH mish >> are a Native American people of what is now northwestern Washington state, in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. The city of Seattle, Washington, is named for a Suquamish chief. The Suquamish belong to a larger group known as Coastal Salish (see Salish ). The Coastal Salish share similar cultural and religious traditions. The name Suquamish means people of the clear salt water in their native language. The name refers to their traditional homelands around Puget Sound.
The Suquamish traditionally fished for cod and other ocean fish aboard large dugout canoes carved from cedar logs. They traveled to nearby rivers to harvest salmon. Other important foods included shellfish, berries, and roots. Men also hunted deer and duck. The Suquamish lived in small villages of cedar plank houses. They made fine baskets of cedar roots. The baskets were woven so tightly that they could be used for cooking and to store water.
The British explorer George Vancouver first met the Suquamish in 1792. American settlers began moving into the region in the early 1800’s. In 1855, the Suquamish signed the Treaty of Point Elliott. The treaty ceded (gave away) Suquamish lands to the United States. The Suquamish agreed to live on a reservation in Point Madison, Washington. A reservation is land set aside for a tribe by treaty. The reservation has its own government and provides many public services.
In 1854, the Suquamish Chief Seattle gave a speech in his native language to a large audience. A journalist published his recollection of the speech in a Seattle newspaper in 1887. This published speech included a passionate plea for all people to live in harmony with nature. Later versions of the speech further emphasized this theme. The speech became a popular source of inspiration for the conservation movement of the late 1970’s. However, historians question the accuracy of the published speech. They point out that Seattle’s original speech was not in English and was never written down.
