Skokomish people

The Skokomish, today more commonly called again Twana, are a living in the western part of the U.S. state of Washington Indian tribe. They speak a dialect of the south-western coastal Salish, Twana the dialect, but also share cultural characteristics with the tribes of the inland area.

The Skokomish were one of nine separate groups were connected by a common country, similar cultural characteristics and the Twana language. They are the original inhabitants of the villages on the Skokomish River and its north fork. Today they live along the Hood Canal, a fjord west of Puget Sound.

The name comes from the Skokomish Chinook and the Lushootseed and means " people of the Great River " ( skookum ( big river ), - mish ( people, people ) ). The name Twana probably means " people at the bottom " or " people at a Portage".

History

Traditional area

The land of Twana included an estuary and its catchment area, which is now known as Hood Canal, to the adjacent coastal strip. It included large parts of the present-day counties Jefferson, Mason and Kitsap on the east side of the Olympic Mountains. The Canal, which is more of a fjord, separated the Olympic from the Kitsap Peninsula in Puget Sound. The Twana lived in this fjord and its rivers in permanent winter villages. In spring, summer and autumn they roamed for fishing, hunting and gathering by the crisscrossed by rivers area.

Their hunting grounds extended westward to the Olympic Mountains, while out from the main village of the Sahewamish ( the present city of Shelton ) were limited to the south. The neighbors of the Twana in the east and southeast were the Klallam, the Squaxin and the Suquamish; the land of the Satsop they limited to the southwest.

The Twana consisted of nine groups, the Dabop, Quilcine, Dosewallips, Duckabush, Vance Creek, Hoodsport, Tahuya, Duhleap and the Skokomish, which not only provided the overarching name, but also constitute the largest group.

Society

In the large plank houses usually lived several related families, each of which occupied an area. The male head of the family was considered head of household and homeowner. The political structure was loose, but every village had a " first-class man " or leader, of the great influence exercised on Community Affairs. He could carry out joint hunts and took over the management in meetings with other communities. The village chief usually had a speaker who was known for his eloquence and his ability to organize public ceremonies. There was moreover a village crier, who aroused the congregation of the morning with news, gossip, advice and jokes.

The men hunted deer, elk and waterfowl, but other land animals. Your diet based on what was rather than the rule in the coastal Salish, on the meat of land animals, not fish. The women gathered clams, berries, mushrooms, roots, and other plants. Fishing, hunting and gathering was not only the food supply, but also provided them with skins, as well as the raw materials for blankets, baskets and braids of all kinds, for clothing and feathers. In summer, they concentrated their activities on the Channel coast, but their winter villages lay on the Skokomish River and its north fork. Land could not be bought or sold. But it was all aware that the Hood Canal, the " Twana territory " was. Pots and trawls were indeed considered the property of their manufacturer, but the permission to use was usually granted. Houses in the village or house groups but were clearly considered to be owned by the group that they had built.

Trade

They traded with tribes far to the north and south. Strands with Dentalium mussels served often as a form of currency. There were three main types of canoes, the largest were known as Chinook canoes. For the transport of extensive charges man band large canoes together like a raft. For salt water canoe trips were also fitted with Matt sailing. With the lively trade with food, clothing, baskets, weapons, etc. was also a constant exchange of traditions, languages ​​, songs and kinship relations with the Satsop, Squaxin, Suquamish, Klallam and other tribes.

Ceremonies and powers

The most important ceremonies were celebrations of Capture the first animals of the season, especially the first salmon and the first moose. The "First Salmon Ceremony " was held in honor of the first -caught salmon of the season. The fish was placed upstream of two elders, with the head to the village, then fried, and the whole village was involved in the consumption of the fish. After the meal they put the bones of the salmon back into the river, so that he could return to his people. There, the first salmon should report by the friendly treatment and the respect that he had met with the tribe. Similar ceremonies were related to the first moose of the year and other hunting animals.

Another important ceremony was the potlatch, which was practiced in most of the tribes of the Coastal Salish, but also further north. One of the best ways to increase his reputation for a man of the upper class, the event was a potlatch, in which he invited other communities to eat, she entertained with games, competitions, songs and dances and host distributed as many gifts as he afford could. The wealthier was the host, the more generous he was to give away. A potlatch could take days or weeks and was concluded with the distribution of goods, the host wore his power song before and the guests got food for the journey. Potlatches were usually held in the fall after the fishing, hunting and gathering season in the summer. But one often built their own potlatch house.

In all ceremonies, there was a special relationship with the supernatural guardian spirits. Each member of the community had the opportunity to prepare for a vision that would come in the beginning of the ripening period in childhood and adolescence. Older members of the community trained and prepared the young people for this ritual in which they will be alone, fasting, and would seek a vision. In this vision, a personal guardian spirit would ( the spiritual counterpart of a being from nature, often an animal ) disclose the seeker. He would describe his powers and abilities, and a magical vocals present, which the person concerned could sing to call the guardian spirit at the Winter ceremonies or in times of need.

Through these ceremonial songs and dances, along with its inherent skill, his talent and his good fortune, the person concerned would be to clearly understand what spiritual animal was his guardian spirit, but the Twana would never reveal this information directly. They believed that such a clear proclamation could jeopardize the relationship and could lead to loss of power or even death. Someone with a good and close relationship with the personal guardian spirit was strong and capable, who was without this relationship, or they are not used properly, which was weak and incapable.

Contacts with fur traders

Even the fur trade of the late 18th century seemed like a distant earthquake, because even without direct contact changed the economy, especially the trade, but also the armament and the distribution of power in the metropolitan area between California and Alaska. 1792 George Vancouver arrived in the territory of the later Seattle. Already this year were rampant among the tribes of the Northwest Coast, the first smallpox epidemics, of which the Skokomish were affected. It was the most serious epidemic of 1775.

Powerful become tribes from the north, where the fur traders had traded weapons for furs, came on the hunt for slaves in the south. The east of the Cascade Range surviving tribe of Yakima also robbed on Puget Sound and sold tribesmen of the Columbia River. The Suquamish Chief Kitsap even led an expedition along with other tribes to Vancouver Iceland to prevent the Cowichan from further attacks.

The Hudson 's Bay Company had 1827 Fort Langley, Fort Nisqually in 1833 to build at today's Dupont. First settlements of Americans originated in 1851 and 1852.

Reserve

On January 26, 1855, the United States and the Washington territory included the Treaty of Point-No - Point with the Skokomish, Twana, Klallam and Chimakum. As a result of this agreement settled the Skokomish in the location on the southwestern end of the Hood Canal Skokomish Indian Reservation to that lies in the core area of ​​the present-day Mason County near the Skokomish River. The reserve extends on both sides of the state highway U.S. 101 north of Shelton.

Many of the Klallam and Chimakum remaining after reserve establishment in their villages on the Hood Canal and the Puget Sound. 1870 forced the government to Klallam - chief to go to the reservation, but he let himself be buried in his traditional area, ie Chitsamakkan could be buried in the Masonic Cemetery in Port Townsend.

The reserve now covers 21.244 km ², and lived there in 2000, 730 people in the wider area over 1,200. Administrative center is the Skokomish. Many Skokomish also live in the villages of the area. By 1984 one 504 tribal members in 1989 there were 829

Shaker Church, struggle for land rights, self- government

The resulting at the Squaxin 1882 Indian Shaker Church Christian Fundamentals Association and Native American spirituality. From there, some Squaxin came to the Skokomish Reservation.

In 1900, a flood destroyed the mouth of the Skokomish. The following dike transformed the landscape, and for the Skokomish and their basic weaving sweetgrass ( fragrant sweetgrass ) disappeared. The fishing in the area of ​​tidal range was subject ever stronger restrictions so that these coastal fisheries declined sharply. Between 1926 and 1930, the city of Tacoma built two dams on the North Fork of the Skokomish, which destroyed a considerable part of the traditional sites or buried under water. In 1960, the Potlatch State Park was established - without any participation of the natives.

In 1938 the tribe by the Indian Reorganization Act was limited, governed by a Tribal Council, a tribal council. On June 30, 1961, the Skokomish for the 3558 km ² of land that had been taken from them in 1855 received a compensation of $ 373,577, without the earlier paid the sum of $ 53,383. 1973 paid the tribe any portion thereof, to any member of the tribe. Thus, each received $ 250, a total of 104,000.

Current Situation

The Skokomish - Tribal Council is the governing body of the tribe. It is based on Article III and VI of the Constitution, which were supplemented by statutes of the Skokomish Reservation in and recognized by the Second Secretary of the Interior on 23 February 1938. The Tribal Council consists of seven members who are elected on a staggered three -year intervals.

Of the 4986.97 acres, which includes the reserve today are 3,000 Trust land, which belongs to the tribe.

1965 succeeded in the acquisition of a fish factory, a fish farm was started in 1976. 1974 reached the tribe, the return of various fishing rights. In addition to the decline in logging a gas station with an attached store has proven to be a small source of income. In particular, the revival of traditional techniques has also proven economically consequential afterwards. Wood carvings and basketry are in high demand, which in turn promotes tourism.

On 5 October 2007 the tribe leased the waterfront Resort at Potlatch in order to go into larger scale in tourism can. This includes Birdwatching Tours, so bird watching.

In addition, maintains the stem at the Lucky Dog Casino. But such casinos are more of a mix of concert hall and restaurant, hotel and entertainment company, as a pure gambling site.

The Institute with the complicated name Skokomish Indian Tribe 's Tribal Historic Preservation Office ( THPO ) deals with the history and preservation of historical sources. Since the 70s, a program is run to the revival of the language. In addition to the Shaker Church and the Indian Pentecostal Church there is still a group that adheres to the traditional Tamanawas religion that finds followers especially among younger people.