Embedded Files
The Puyallup people lived here long before and during the colonization of the Americas and the westward expansion of the United States. We recognize these indigenous people of the Salish Sea, their displacement, dispossession, and continued presence. As we reflect on the past and move to the future, let us be reminded that our school district sits within the traditional lands of the Puyallup people. To honor our indigenous community members and neighbors, we are aspiring to be good stewards by:
celebrating those who came before us, who brought us together in this place at this time;
caring for this land so that those who come after us may also enjoy its gifts;
creating respectful, inclusive, anti-racist space;
nourishing our students' bodies, hearts and minds so they may become what they dream for themselves and continue the tradition of telling our collective story.
sx̌ʷəbabš (audio file)
"This sign honors the presence of the sx̌ʷəbabš People past, present, and future. Vashon and Maury Islands are in the traditional territory of the Puyallup Tribe, of which many descendants of the sx̌ʷəbabš are members. The sign was funded through the King County Alan M. Painter Grant Program.
Puyallup Tribe artist, Daniel Baptista was commissioned to create a yard sign to honor the sx̌ʷəbabš (Swift Water People)."
- Vashon Heritage Museum
Present Day
Present Day
The Puyallup Tribe of Indians and the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe both own property on Vashon which is used for gathering shellfish. The Puyallup Tribe has also partnered on archeological digs at Burton (1996) and on Maury Island (2010). The dig, Burton Acres Shell Midden, involved Roxanne Thayer's middle school classes (see the links posted in the monument section on the McMurray page). The dig on Maury was at the Fort Puyallup site.
A Dig on Maury Promises a Window into the Past by Natalie Johnson, Vashon-Maury Beachcomber, July 28, 2010
A Dig on Maury Unearths the Past by Natalie Johnson, Vashon-Maury Beachcomber, August 17, 2010
Puyallup Tribe of Indians
Puyallup Tribe of Indians
"A joint commitment between 13 area school districts and the Puyallup Tribe of Indians to coordinate, engage and support meaningful consultation on educational matters pertaining to tribal culture and history for the academic and social success of all students."
Shellfish gathering is the primary use of 8 parcels of land on Vashon Island. See pages 6, 8 and 17 in SECTION 2: PUYALLUP TRIBE ALL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN 2017-2022 EDITION PROFILE SECTION and Maury Island Tract Map
Please note that any use of the following Puyallup Tribe videos in exhibitions or programming should be approved by their education department. Please see contact information below.
Resources sent from Charlotte Basch, former Historic Education Coordinator,
Puyallup Tribe of Indians | Historic Preservation Department
Puyallup Tribe Historic Preservation Facebook page regularly posts photos and historic information
Muckleshoot Indian Tribe
Muckleshoot Indian Tribe
Clam beach on Vashon. See announcement on page 4 of Muckleshoot Monthly.
The Real Duwamish, Muckleshoot--Defending our Duwamish Heritage
We are Muckleshoot Resource List compiled by Lisa Wilson, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe
Additional Resources
Additional Resources
Maury Island Aquatic Reserve Plan, December 2014, pp. 8-9
Vashon Place Names with Native American Roots
Vashon Place Names with Native American Roots
Chautauqua (see information posted under Chautauqua Elementary School)
Shawnee (shaawanwa', shaawanwaki, ša·wano·ki , shaawanowi lenaweeki)
Language: Shawnee--Algonquin
Meaning: "southern people" or "southerner"
The Shawnee Tribe (Tribal government located in Oklahoma, history)
Tahlequah
Language: Cherokee (Tsalagi Gawonihisdi)--Iroquoian
Possible meanings: "grain" or "rice" (related words: teh li co and di li gua); "two is enough" or "just two" (related words: ta-li and ye-li-quu) The Meaning of Tahlequah by C. W. West (Tahlequah, OK)
Cherokee Nation (Tribal government located in Oklahoma, history )
From the Tacoma Daily Ledger, March 16, 1920, page 1: "Ferry Opens New Suburb"
"The name Clam Cove became extinct today and the cove was indexed in more classical terms when it became known that it had been christened Tahlequah. Miss Ethel Whitfield of Burton, 14-year old school girl, received the $50 prize offered by the Tacoma Commercial Club to the boy or girl suggesting the most appropriate name for the cove. Mayor C. M. Riddell presented the $50 prize to Miss Whitfield , who explained that the name which she had for the cove means "water view" and is taken from the vocabulary of an Oklahoma Indian tribe. " Note: Ms. Whitfield incorrectly stated the meaning of "Tahlequah" and clearly, none of the judges verified it's meaning. Another translation which is believed to be incorrect is "plains" as there is no word for "plains" in the Cherokee language.
The Past
The Past
"In the old days, in our aboriginal language, we were known as the spuyaləpabš, meaning 'generous and welcoming behavior to all people (friends and strangers) who enter our lands.'
Today we are known as the Puyallup Tribe of Indians. Our people lived here for thousands of years existing by the bountiful gifts provided by the Creator. Our Mother, Mount Tacoma, provided the water that supplied our salmon. We were fed by the abundance of natures gifts: Salmon, shellfish, wild game, roots and berries. The cedar trees provided our homes, utensils, clothing and transportation. All of these gifts are part of our rich cultural heritage we have today. Our environment was rich in the wealth of natural resources, providing all our needs, allowing us to live healthy, happy lives. There were no worries of where the next meal would come from, no rents to pay. There was the freedom to practice our religion, train our children, take care of our elders.
We are part of the Salish speaking people of the Pacific Northwest. Our particular dialect is called the "Lushootseed." Our relatives in the neighboring tribes all spoke the same stock language, but many had different dialects. Many were intimately related by marriage and we were connected by common religion observances, myths and traditions.
Our people lived in villages from the foothills of Mount Tacoma, along the rivers and creeks to the shores of Puget Sound. Our villages were scattered throughout the many islands, prairies and rich valley country of the Pacific Northwest. Historians often noted because of the abundance of salmon and shellfish that 'When the tides were out, the table was spread.'" from Puyallup Tribal History, http://www.puyallup-tribe.com/ourtribe/
Lucy Slagham Gerand (sx̌ʷəbabš)
Villages circa 1800
STEH-khoog'wl ('where one pushes a canoe over'). Puyallup. At the present day village of Portage on the narrow stretch of land connecting Maury and Vashon Islands. "...seven buildings [about 35’x50’] and about seven families in each." Part of the skwah-PAHBSH band. (1, 2)
tsoo-GWAH-lehlh. Puyallup. At the entrance to Quartermaster harbor on Maury Island. One large [50’x200’] building originally built as a fort. This village was begun by a single man, possibly a Skagit warrior, and populated by him through wives from neighboring groups. The fort was built to guard against retaliatory measures from nearby Duwamish. When this man grew old the village moved to Gig Harbor in the early-mid 1800s. Above the fort, further up the Harbor, were "...four small [30’x50’] houses..." People here were part of the skwah-PAHBSH band. (2, 3)
Possibly at the same location, in the inner harbor near the present-day town of Burton, were three pre-contact villages: koh-kohl-chehch, 'madrone', was an old village that had kitchen midden one feet deep in the early 1900s; the site has since washed away. kwee-LOOT, 'over there', was an even older village site and the scene of a famous mythical war with the Snake People. AHL-ahl-ehl ,'old houses' was a related site just below the the town of Burton. (1)
1. "Puget Sound Geography" by T. T. Waterman. Washington DC: National Anthropological Archives, mss.
2. Duwamish et al vs. United States of America, F-275. Washington DC: US Court of Claims, 1927.
3. The Puyallup-Nisqually by Marian W. Smith. New York: Columbia University Press, 1940.
Source: http://coastsalishmap.org/new_page_5.htm and http://coastsalishmap.org/start_page.htm
Treaty of Medicine Creek, 1854
Puget Sound Treaty War, Fort Nisqually Living History Museum
Native Peoples of Vashon Island
Destination Vashon: Native People, VashonHistory.com
Time and Again: Native People, VashonHistory.com
Native American Presence in the Federal Way Area
Vashon references: pp. 10, 24, 84, 87, 92, 98-99, 103, 146
Lucy Slagham Gerand (sx̌ʷəbabš), 1843-1929; Washington State Historical Society Collection
Explore Vashon Island Map
"Treaty trees," site of 1854 Medicine Creek Treaty, McAllister Creek, Thurston County, June 24, 1914
Courtesy Washington State Historical Society (1943.42.30562)
This website started as a project to highlight Native American artworks on our school property to support lesson planning and grew into a larger project to highlight Native American connections to Vashon from past to present. Dr. Stephanie Spencer interviewed former staff members, Native artists, and local experts for this project. Special thanks to Susan Hanson, Skip Green, Doug Kloke, Sue Shotridge, Louis Larsen, Duane Pasco, Marvin Oliver, Brigette Ellis, Larry & Donna Ahvakana, Mike Kirk, Esther Morrison, Lance Morgan, Randy Blauvelt, Shelley Means, Charlotte Basch, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, Lisa Wilson, Madrienne White, the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and Deb Franson.
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