Suquamish in Seattle -
The Suquamish Tribe welcomes the many visitors arriving to our ancestral lands in Seattle, part of our traditional homeland that stretches across much of the Puget Sound.
As fans from around the world gather here this summer for the FIFA World Cup and other celebrations, we invite you to take a moment to recognize the deeper history of this place and the Native people who have called it home since time immemorial. Long before Seattle became a modern city, these shores, waterways and forests were part of the living homeland of the Suquamish people.
Today, the Suquamish Tribe remains deeply connected to Seattle through our history, culture, treaty rights, businesses, partnerships, and the many tribal members who live and work throughout the region.
Whether you are here for a match, a vacation, a ferry ride across the Sound or simply to explore the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, we welcome you warmly and hope your time here leaves you with a deeper understanding of the people and traditions that continue to shape this place.
Chief Seattle
Standing beside his father, a young Suquamish boy who would become known as Chief Seattle, witnessed the arrival of the first European explorers into Salish Sea.
Over the years, Chief Seattle became known for his leadership – both as a cunning warrior and a wise diplomat. His powerful 1854 speech, delivered near Pioneer Square, made headlines around the world sharing voice and values of the Suquamish Tribe.
A year later, he led tribal delegations signing the Treaty of Point Elliott. Town leaders were already calling the town (that was becoming a city) “Seattle” in his honor, and would formally adopt the name when the city government formed in 1869.
Seattle is buried in Suquamish on a hill overlooking the Salish Sea and across to the city that bears his name. Every third weekend in August, the Suquamish people honor his legacy as part of the Chief Seattle Days celebration, which is open to the public.
Treaty of Point Elliot
Signed in 1855, the treaty created the Port Madison Reservation for the Suquamish and Duwamish tribes, while ceding the land that is now Seattle and other vast areas of the Puget Sound region. The treaty affirmed Suquamish sovereignty as well as the right to hunt, fish, and gather in “usual and accustomed” areas, among other guarantees.
Dzidzilalich
In consultation with the Suquamish Tribal Council, the city of Seattle paid homage to the Native history of the Elliot Bay waterfront by adding Dzidzilalich as the honorary name of the new thoroughfare that’s part of the massive downtown waterfront redesign. Dzidzilalich means “little crossing-over place” in Lushootseed, the mother tongue of Suquamish and several other Coast Salish tribes.
ʔulułali
You can learn more about Suquamish history at ʔulułali, or “place of traveling by water” in Lushootseed. The Suquamish plaza that is part of Colman Dock, welcomes visitors with six interpretive boards throughout the ferry terminal.
Colman Dock
Look up! Suquamish Cultural Resources Director Kate Ahvakana led a team of Suquamish artists to create the three racing canoes suspended above the Colman Dock passenger terminal.
On the Boat
If you’re traveling by ferry to Bainbridge Island, keep an eye out for Tony Adams, a former Suquamish geoduck diver who now leads car deck operations during crossings for Washington State Ferries.
On the field
Because the World Cup games are being held on traditional Suquamish territory, Suquamish tribal police officers will be working alongside Seattle police providing security on the fi eld during all six matches in Seattle.
Seattle Stadium
For the World Cup, Lumen Field — the home of the Seattle Sounders and Super Bowl Champions Seahawks — has been rebranded Seattle Stadium. Suquamish tribal artist Danielle Morsettte was one of the lead designers for the Sounders’ Salish Sea kit uniform jerseys. Look for Morsette in official videos welcoming visitors to the World Cup games.
University of Washington
Suquamish Tribe Chairman Leonard Forsman is also the Chairman of the University of Washington’s Board of Regents. Forsman is also President of the Affi liated Tribes of the Northwest Indians and a Vice-President for the National Congress of American Indians. In addition to leadership roles in several state, regional, and national committees and organizations, he’s on the board of the Friends of Waterfront Park, where he helped guide the integration of Salish art and culture into Seattle’s new centerpiece Waterfront Park. Nigel Lawrence, a Suquamish Canoe Family skipper and former Tribal Council member, teaches classes on tribal history and modern tribal government and culture for UW, as well as Western Washington University.
Burke Museum
Suquamish Elder Betty Pasco co-curated the Northwest Native Art exhibit at the Burke. Several of Pasco’s works are also featured throughout the museum. A variety of Suquamish voices and artwork are featured in the Burke’s Culture is Living gallery as well.
Basket weave crosswalk
Suquamish tribal artists Peg Deam and Lori Olan created the basket weave crosswalk design located along Pine St. between 4th and 5th Ave.
Seattle Art Museum
Suquamish Tribal Elder Ed Carriere learned the art of basket making from his great-grandmother Julia Jacob, who grew up in Chief Seattle’s Old Man House. He is also a gifted carver and canoe builder and is the author of two books on traditional crafting and culture. Carriere’s works are showcased at the Seattle Art Museum, among a wide variety of other history and cultural centers. He continues to lecture and offers workshops in Seattle and across the region.
Waterfront Park
“When Chief Seattle gave his speech he talked about all this land being sacred to the people,” said Suquamish Tribe Chairman Leonard Forsman during opening ceremonies for the new 20-acre park last year. “So when we come down to the water here, remember that – we all have a responsibility to preserve these waters, this land, this area for future generations.”
Song & Dance
Suquamish Song & Dance helped bless Waterfront Park during grand opening ceremonies. The traditional singing, drumming, and dance group serve as official cultural ambassadors for the tribe at dozens of events in Seattle and across the region throughout the year.
Longhouse Frame
Tyleeander Purser helped install the three-block longhouse frame modeled after Chief Seattle’s massive 800-foot-long Old Man House that once stretched along the shores of Suquamish.
Father, Mother, and Son
As you walk along the Seattle Waterfront, pause for a moment to look into the eyes of Sholeesta, holding her infant son, the future Chief Seattle. Created by Suquamish master carver Randi Purser, whose work graces galleries throughout the region, the cedar carving is called Looking at all our Tomorrows.
On Bainbridge Island, Chief Seattle’s father Schweabe looks back across the water to wife and son from a 14-foot cedar pole companion carving by Purser. The two posts together, she says, “represent a young family looking to a future of change always with grace and dignity.”
Salmon Homecoming
Every year as salmon return to spawn, Suquamish Tribe welcomes Salish Sea canoe families ashore for the annual Salmon Homecoming festival, which also features Native artists and a powwow.
