Thursday, January 27, 2011

A little bit about Snoqualmie Tribe

"Snoqualmie" means "moon" in Lushootseed (which is the language they speak), and so they often call themselves "people of the moon." Their current population is approximately 650, however they used to be the largest tribe in the Northwest with 4000 members. They made their living by hunting deer, elk, and other game animals, fishing for salmon and gathering berries and fruits for food and medicinal purposes.
In 1855, the chief of the Snoqualmie tribe signed the Point Elliott Treaty and ceded all of the tribe's land to the U.S. government. They were to move on to the Tulalip reservation, and most of the current Snoqualmie people still live there. They also lost federal recognition in 1953, and regained it only 10 years ago. The Snoqualmie Tribe is very poor, so because of that they opened a casino a couple years ago, and also make most of their annual budget off salmon bake sales at the Evergreen State Fair.

1 comment:

  1. It is always interesting to learn about the fascinating meanings behind a tribes names and rituals

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