Chief Seattle
Seattle | |
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siʔaɬ | |
Suquamish & Duwamish leader | |
Personal details | |
Born | c. 1780~1786 Doc Maynard |
Children | 8, including Princess Angeline |
Parents |
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Known for |
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Nicknames |
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Seattle (c. 1780~86 – June 7, 1866;
Name
The name Seattle is an anglicization of his name in his native Lushootseed language, siʔaɬ.[3] According to Upper Skagit elder Vi Hilbert, his name was traditionally pronounced siʔaƛ̕. After his baptism in 1852, he gained the baptismal name of Noah Seattle.[4]
In English, his name is often also spelled Si'ahl, Sealth, Seathl or See-ahth as an attempt to be more accurate to the Lushootseed pronunciation. There is no "th" sound in the Lushootseed language.[4]
Life
Youth
Seattle was born between 1780 and 1786 to Schweabe, a
Seattle grew up speaking both the Duwamish and Suquamish dialects of
Seattle claimed that, as a boy, he met the HMS Discovery and the HMS Chatham under the command of George Vancouver.[1][2] Seattle later would visit Fort Nisqually to trade with the Hudson's Bay Company, returning many times as he aged. It is possible that these events taking place in his formative years encouraged his fascination with Europeans and their culture.[4]
At some time during his youth, Seattle participated in a traditional coming-of-age ceremony called a vision quest (Lushootseed: ʔalacut). His nobility was affirmed by the reception of a powerful spirit power, the Thunderbird.[6][2] In the traditional religion of the peoples of southern Puget Sound, having a strong spirit power is a symbol of strength, purity, and prestige.[9]
Seattle married into Duwamish families from t̕uʔəlalʔtxʷ, a highly-important village at the mouth of the Duwamish River, where he took several wives, as expected from a man of his status. He would go on to have several children, the most famous being
A feared Suquamish warrior
As Seattle aged, he earned a reputation as a leader and a strong warrior. In his early 20s, Seattle participated in a coalition war against the
By 1833, he had become known to the staff of Fort Nisqually as Le Gros, 'the big guy'. He was seen as an intelligent and formidable leader, owing to his strong voice and towering physique, standing nearly six feet (1.8 m) tall. Francis Herron, the Chief Trader at the fort, considered him important and dangerous, and requested him to sign a treaty forswearing murder. In 1837, however, Seattle murdered a Skykomish shaman. The new Chief Trader, William Kittson, hoped that he would be killed by the Suquamish, however they continued to value him as a leader.[6]
In 1841, Seattle led a raid on the village of ʔilalqʷuʔ, located near modern-day Auburn at the former confluence of the Green and White rivers. The raid was in retaliation for a murder committed by someone from the village, and it crippled the village. Later, in 1847, he was part of the leadership of the Suquamish war against the Chemakum, who were decimated and effectively wiped out following the war. However, one of his sons was killed in battle with the Chemakum, leading Seattle to seek baptism into the Catholic Church around 1848. Seattle was probably baptized by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Olympia, where he chose the baptismal name of Noah after the prophet of the same name.[6]
Friendship with American settlers
After the death of his son and his conversion to Christianity, Seattle began to seek cooperation with American settlers, retiring from fighting. He welcomed pioneers, inviting them to settle and trade with his people. Seattle began seeking out contacts with businessmen and community leaders, and gained a reputation as a "friend of the whites" among settlers.[4][6] Seattle and the Duwamish helped many early American settlers, guiding them along the Duwamish River and its tributaries, providing them with safe transportation, and helped clear forests for the cultivation of crops, and provided labor in early sawmills and farms.[1]
Seattle was eventually contacted by Isaac Stevens, the first Territorial Governor of Washington Territory, who recognized Seattle's prominence among his people. Seattle would go on to be the first signature on the 1855 Treaty of Point Elliot for the Suquamish and Duwamish peoples, authorizing the cession of roughly 2.5 million acres of land to the United States.[4][6]
The unpopular treaties caused the Duwamish to renounce Seattle's leadership. Alongside many other tribes, the Duwamish participated in the Puget Sound War, a part of the broader Yakima Indian War. Despite this, Seattle remained a firm supporter of the Americans in the conflict, providing them valuable military intelligence.[6] Seattle warned the American settlers of the impending attack, and brought as many people as he could away from the fighting to the Port Madison reservation.[4] After the war's conclusion with the defeat of Native forces, Seattle tried to help his people regain their footing and sought clemency for the Native leaders in the war, such as Leschi.[6] One reason for the war was the unratified treaty and illegal enforcement, so Seattle continuously advocated for the final ratification of the treaties.[4][6] He also tried to stop slave murder and curtail the influence of alcohol on the Port Madison Reservation, and continued to try to resolve disputes elsewhere.[6]
Seattle continued to seek relationships with American settlers, eventually gaining relationships with Doc Maynard, William De Shaw, and George Meigs, who all helped Seattle further his goals in helping the local Native and Settler populations. Despite his friendships with the Americans, Seattle was forced to leave the city which bore his name in 1865, after the Town of Seattle Ordinance No. 5 banned all Native Americans from the town unless housed and employed by a white settler. Seattle then moved to the Suquamish Reservation, but continued to visit the city often both to visit his American friends and gathering with other Native Americans in temporary waterfront campsites.[6]
The Suquamish people with whom Seattle eventually settled with continued to take care of Seattle and recognized him as their leader until his death, bringing him food and water to his house.[4] Seattle died June 7, 1866, on the Port Madison Reservation, after suffering from a brief, yet severe, fever.[4][6][11] His funeral was conducted with both Catholic and Suquamish traditions, and he was buried on the Port Madison Reservation. Although he was mourned locally on the reservation and by his friend and sawmill owner George Meigs, no other pioneers of the city of Seattle attended his funeral, and no newspaper covered the event. However, years after his death, in 1890, some early Seattle historians and pioneers visited his gravesite, adding a stone marker to the grave.[4]
Chief Seattle's speech
This section's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. (March 2024) |
The speech or "letter" attributed to Chief Seattle has been widely cited as a "powerful, bittersweet plea for respect of Native American rights and environmental values".[12] But this document, which has achieved widespread fame thanks to its promotion in the
Legacy
As Seattle was a highly famous to both early pioneers and modern residents, as well as a constant figure in the mythos of Seattle's founding, Chief Seattle's legacy has been preserved in many ways. Seattle's grave site, at the Suquamish Tribal Cemetery,[14] has been turned into a monument to him and his life. In 1890, a group of Seattle pioneers led by Arthur Denny set up the monument over his grave, with the inscription "SEATTLE Chief of the Suqampsh and Allied Tribes, Died June 7, 1866. The Firm Friend of the Whites, and for Him the City of Seattle was Named by Its Founders." On the reverse is the inscription "Baptismal name, Noah Sealth, Age probably 80 years."[8] The site was restored and a native sculpture added in 1976 and again in 2011.[citation needed]
Several of Seattle's descendants also gained fame in their own right. Kikisoblu, also known as Angeline, was his most famous child and well-known to the denizens of early Seattle, where she lived until her death in 1896. His son Jim became the leader of the Suquamish for a time, but was unpopular and was replaced in favor of a prominent leader of the Catholic Suquamish community, Jacob Wahalchu.[4] A Duwamish grandniece of his, Rebecca Lena Graham, is also notable for her successful inheritance claim following the Graham v. Matthias, 63 F. 523 (1894) case.[citation needed]
Two statues of Seattle were created in his honor by James A. Wehn. A bronze bust, located in Pioneer Square, was made in 1909, and a full statue, located in the Denny Triangle, was made in 1912.[4]
The city of Seattle, and numerous other institutions relating to the city, are named after him. Other things are named after Seattle as well, including:
- Chief Sealth Trail in southern Seattle[15]
- A B-17E Flying Fortress, SN# 41-2656 named Chief Seattle, a so-called "presentation aircraft", was funded by bonds purchased by the citizens of Seattle. Flying with the 435th Bombardment Squadron out of Port Moresby, it was lost with its 10-man crew on August 14, 1942.[16][17]
- MV Chief Seattle, one of the four fireboats operated by the Seattle Fire Department
- MV Sealth, an Issaquah-class ferryboat operated by Washington State Ferries.
- Camp Sealth, a non-profit summer camp operated by the American youth organization Camp Fire
Several festivals and holidays are celebrated in his honor. The Suquamish Tribe hosts a festival in the third year of August called "Chief Seattle Days."[
Soundgarden, a Seattle rock band, covered the Black Sabbath song, "Into the Void" replacing the lyrics with the words from what was incorrectly alleged to be Chief Seattle's speech.
See also
- Duwamish Tribe
- Suquamish people
- Battle of Seattle (1856)
- History of Seattle before 1900
- Chief Sealth International High School
- Suquamish Museum and Cultural Center
Notes
- ^ also spelled Sholitza
- ^ Now the Green River
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Chief Si'ahl". Duwamish Tribe. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Chief Seattle". Suquamish Tribe. Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- OCLC 29877333.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Watson, Greg Kenneth (January 18, 2003). "Chief Seattle (Seattle, Chief Noah [born Si?al 178?-1866])". HistoryLink. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ Hilbert, Miller & Zahir 2001, p. 48-49, 199.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Buerge, David M. "Chief Seattle and Chief Joseph: From Indians to Icons". University of Washington. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ISBN 979-8750945764.
- ^ a b c Denny, Emily Inez (1899). Blazing the Way, or, True Stories, Songs, and Sketches of Puget Sound and Other Pioneers. Seattle: Rainier Printing Company (published 1909).
- LCCN 73-82360.
- ISBN 978-1632171351
- ISBN 978-1-5187-4949-0.
- ^ "Chief Seattle's Speech". HistoryLink. 2001. Retrieved July 1, 2007.
- ISBN 9780803709638)
- ^ "Suquamish Culture". Suquamish Tribe. Retrieved July 1, 2007.
- ^ "Chief Sealth Trail". TrailLink. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
- ISBN 9780306817151. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
- ^ Gene Eric Salecker (2001). Fortress Against the Sun. Da Capo Press. 978-1580970495.
- ^ "The Church Year" (PDF). Renewing Worship. January 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 8, 2006. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
Further reading
- Lakw'alas (Thomas R. Speer), The Life of Seattle, 'Chief Seattle', Duwamish Tribal Services board of directors, for the Duwamish Tribe, July 22, 2004.
- ISBN 0-295-95846-4.
- William C. ("Bill") Speidel, Doc Maynard, The Man Who Invented Seattle, Nettle Creek Publishing Company, Seattle, 1978.
- Chief Seattle bio, Chief Seattle Arts, accessed online 2009-02-23.
- The Suquamish Museum (1985). The Eyes of Chief Seattle. Suquamish, WA: Suquamish Museum.
- Jefferson, Warren (2001). The World of Chief Seattle, How Can One Sell the Air?. Summertown, TN: Native Voices. p. 127. ISBN 1-57067-095-1.
- Fox, Emily (December 11, 2017). "A rare move by Chief Seattle changed the future of the city". KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio. KUOW-FM.
External links
- Suquamish Museum & Cultural Center
- Chief Seattle and Chief Joseph: From Indians to Icons - University of Washington Library
- Chief Seattle grave (The Traveling Twins videoclip)
- Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. 1900. .