Coast Salish Peoples
How Do Treaties Work?
A treaty is a formal, written agreement negotiated between countries or other political entities. On January 22,
1855, more than 2,000 people gathered in Mukilteo to witness a significant and historic moment for all tribes
in the surrounding area. On this day, 82 tribal representatives negotiated the Treaty of Point Elliott of 1855
with the United States government. Influential leaders such as Patkanim, S’hootst-hoot, Seattle, Goliah and
Chowitshoot signed the treaty, along with Territorial Governor Isaac I. Stevens and other government officials.
Treaties were intended to quiet the growing animosity between local native peoples
and white settlers; prevent wars between the two; and make land available for new
settlers. The Treaty of Point Elliott was one of six treaties executed in the Washington
Territory. The United States negotiated a treaty which ceded millions of acres of tribal
land in exchange for small tracts reserved for the First Nations for exclusive use and
occupation. The Treaty of Point Elliott established four reservations: Tulalip, Port
Madison, Lummi and Swinomish. As lands were ceded, Indian tribes were effectively
removed from lands that they had occupied since time immemorial.
The Treaty of Point Elliott reserved specific tribal rights that were not ceded to the
United States. An important provision tribal leaders insisted upon was the right to
continue to fish in all usual and accustomed grounds, and to hunt and gather on all
open and unclaimed lands. These “reserved rights” were rights that were essential to
tribal culture, subsistence and commerce. Reserved rights were not granted in the
treaty; rather, they were rights that tribes have always had that were protected by the
treaty. In addition to reserving reservation homelands and tribal rights, the treaty promised
education and medical care to the people. Under the United States Constitution, the treaty
is the supreme law of the land, and it is as legally binding today as it was the day it was
signed. The treaty continues to support the sovereign right of self-governance and the
protection of fish, animals, lands and waters upon which tribal culture depends.
Who are the Coast Salish People?
The Coast Salish people are First Nations people of the Puget Sound and Straits of
Juan de Fuca, known as the Salish Sea. This group is composed of many tribes in
Canada, Washington and Oregon, including the Tulalip tribes. Within the larger tribal
group of the Tulalip are the Snohomish, Snoqualmie and Skykomish tribes, and other
tribes and bands who signed the Treaty of Point Elliott. You’ll explore the history,
culture and people of the Tulalip tribes in particular in this section. Continue your
educational journey by visiting the Hibulb Cultural Center in Tulalip, Washington.
“This paper secures your fish…”
— Governor Stevens, Treaty of Point Elliott, 1855
Indian Reorganization Act
In 1934, the federal government passed the Indian Reorganization Act, also known
as the Wheeler-Howard Act, which restored self-government and the ability to
manage their lands to the tribes. The Tulalip people adopted their first constitution,
which declared that all the people living at Tulalip would be known as the Tulalip
tribes. The elders determined that adopting a constitution was the best way to
serve all of the people.
Sharing Their Wealth
A notable gathering of the Coast Salish people is
the potlatch, a type of gift-giving ceremony. Potlatch
is a word from the Chinook Jargon that means “to
give away.” It’s a time to share and to reaffirm their
relationships. These gatherings are about taking care
of their people and relatives far and near. This is a
time to practice one of their most valued
traditions: sharing. Their ancestors
prepared for potlatches year-round by
preserving extra food, making gifts and
practicing their songs and dances. When
winter set in, host families invited guests
to their village and honored them with
gifts. What types of gift-giving gatherings
do you and your family participate in?
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Three Tulalip elders circa 1910s
Image courtesy of The Hibulb Cultural Center Collections
What does it mean to be a “sovereign nation”?
Tribal sovereignty means that tribes have the
inherent right and responsibility to govern
themselves in the best interests of their own
citizens. Tribes are sovereign nations protecting
their natural resources, land and cultural integrity.
The United States deals with tribes just as
it does with other governments.
1914 Longhouse Gathering in Tulalip
Image courtesy of The Hibulb Cultural
Center Collections
