The Duwamish and their tribulations

Just saw a presentation at SCC on the Duwamish tribe and some of their history. Here's a quick summary:

They occupied much of the greater Seattle area originally, from Des Moines to Everett, and from Issaquah to Elliott Bay. They greeted early white explorers and, later, settlers, but eventually were deemed to be taking up too much space. When Seattle began organizing, one of the first ordinances set forth in 1865, number five, to be exact, called for the "removal of the indians." This included not being allowed in the city past dark (despite being employed in the city in factories and such), and later led to the government ordering their longhouses burned. Many tribesmen refused to cooperate and suffered forced removal, the burning of their personal homes, and some were even shot.

As they were forced out of the city, many went back to their tribal villages along the Duwamish and Black Rivers. This proved futile, however, as progress continued. The construction of the Ballard Locks led to a 20-foot drop in the level of Lake Washington, which dried up the Black River, an historical home to the Duwamish tribe. Making things worse, there was great pressure to straighten the Duwamish River to give shipping traffic easier access. The effects of this were felt by the few stragglers and at least one couple starved to death one winter as they tried to maintain their lives on the riverbanks.

The tribe is still fighting for recognition by the government today, even though they won it under the Clinton administration, only to be overturned by the Bush administration.

Good presentation, very insightful, and a typical story of the Native American; courted, befriended, taken advantage of and then betrayed completely.