Stillaguamish people

The Stillaguamish or Stillaquamish are a Native American tribe living in what is now the U.S. state of Washington. Its official name is The Stillaguamish Tribe of Washington. His villages were at the time of first contact with Europeans on the eponymous river and its tributaries between Skagit and Snohomish River. Today, most of whom live in Snohomish County.

Culturally, they are among the coastal Salish and maintain close relationships to the Skagit, Snohomish and Sauk - Suiattle. Marriage relationships existed with tribes in Oregon and California.

The name " Stillaguamish " is derived from a word which means river people, or people from the river.

History

Early History

The Stillaguamish were, like most coastal Salish, fixed only in winter. It can be detected at least 29 villages. During the warmer months they were in their traditional territory on hunting and fishing. This area encompassed by their tradition about 300,000 acres on the Stillaguamish River between Stanwood and Darrington east.

South-west of Darrington, a general meeting place was the Upper ( Upper ) Stillaguamish, the Lower ( Lower ) Stillaguamish gathered rather between Silvana, Trafton, Milltown, Hazel and Florence.

Samuel Hancock sailed together with Indians probably the first white man in 1850 Stillaguamish River and has been since it was believed that there were a warlike company, initially received hostile. Hancock saw that in the 300 - person village one of the chiefs struck a cross, from which can be derived contacts with missionaries. 1857 exercised the Jesuit Eugene Casimir Chirouse with them actually substantial influence. In 1850 they had only a few guns and knew no revolver. The women wore at that time still belt out the fibers of trees, which are called " Cedars ". The number of dogs was considered a measure of the wealth of a woman.

The men hunted mountain goats in the nearby Cascade Mountains and sold their skins to neighboring tribes or British, they visited in Victoria on Vancouver Iceland. However, their livelihood was the salmon, berries and roots and came to marine animals.

Their homes were plank houses, which were worn by totem poles. In them, several families lived together. Your light summer cottages were covered with plant fiber mats wooden frame.

Smallpox, assimilation, treaty with the U.S.

The first contacts with white people changed the way of life. So they began to grow potatoes, soon worked in whites in the harvest or in Roden.

The tribe consisted in 1853 of 150 to 200 people. Probably the figure was slightly above considerably higher, because many are likely to be like the 1853 smallpox epidemic rampant victim.

In the Treaty of Point Elliott, the Stillaguamish 1855 had to cede their land to the United States.

Struggle for recognition

On 8 January 1970, the Indian Claims Commission recognized that the tribe in 1855 his country had been robbed. As compensation for the loss of 58,600 acres of their traditional territory, they should receive compensation of $ 64,460. Less the payments already made $ 48,570 were paid for it.

The tribe, however, was neither recognized, nor did he possess a reserve. On October 27, 1976, he reached a status that came close to a tribe, and came to enjoy the rights to. The year before, on July 4, they were marched with reversed down national flag at the parade commemorating the founding of the state in order to draw attention to the lack of recognition. One of their leaders was Chief Esther Ross.

Current situation

By 1984 the strain 156 members. He runs at Jim Creek, a small fish factory, plus a casino. Every year in August there is the multi-day Stillaguamish Festival of the River since 1990.