Suquamish people
suq̓ʷabš | |
|---|---|
Suquamish territory in the mid-19th century | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Washington (United States) | |
| Languages | |
| English; historically Lushootseed | |
| Religion | |
| Traditional ethnic religion; Christianity (incl. syncretic forms) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Other Southern Coast Salish peoples, notably the Duwamish and Twana |
The Suquamish people (soo-KWAH-mish; Lushootseed: suq̓ʷabš /ˈsoqʼʷɑbʃ/) are a Southern Coast Salish people Indigenous to western Washington state. Historically, the Suquamish dominated much of northeastern Kitsap Peninsula, with their main village, dxʷsəq̓ʷəb, being located at what is today Suquamish, Washington. They are politically succeeded by the Suquamish Indian Tribe, a federally recognized Native American tribe that governs the Port Madison Indian Reservation.
The Suquamish were deeply affected by both smallpox epidemics and raids from more northern Indigenous peoples like the Cowichan and Lekwiltok in the 18th and 19th centuries. In the early 19th century, they were led by Kitsap, who met with George Vancouver's expedition in 1792. Around 1825, Kitsap led the Suquamish and other Indigenous peoples from Puget Sound in a region-spanning coalition against the Cowichan, who had long been targeting the region with slave raids, ultimately losing the battle but ending Cowichan raids in the future. After Kitsap's death, Challacum became the preeminent leader of the Suquamish, who continued Kitsap's policy of friendliness with European traders. Seattle led the Suquamish and Klallam in a major raid against the neighboring Chemakum, killing most of them. He would later become the leader of the Suquamish after Challacum, and was recognized as head chief of the Suquamish and other tribes during the treaty process of the Treaty of Point Elliott in 1855.
The Point Elliott treaty created the Port Madison reservation in their territory, on which the Suquamish continued to live. During this period, they faced cultural repression from the policies of assimilation of the United States government and changes in the traditional culture and social organization. Traditional Suquamish life was dominated by seasonal cycles of fishing, hunting and gathering, based from permanent winter villages. They maintained close ties with groups such as the Twana and Duwamish as they travelled to summer grounds, but fishing and canning industries in the 20th century threatened this lifestyle. In the 1960s, the Suquamish organized into the modern Suquamish Indian Tribe, which continues Suquamish political sovereignty today.