Swinomish people

Coordinates: 48°24′05″N 122°31′37″W / 48.4014°N 122.5270°W / 48.4014; -122.5270
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For other uses, see Swinomish (disambiguation).
Swinomish
swədəbš
Dr. Joe,[1] a Swinomish doctor, c. 1907
Total population
978[2]
Regions with significant populations
Fidalgo Island, Skagit County
Languages
English, historically Lushootseed
Religion
Indigenous folk religion, Christianity, incl. syncretic forms
Related ethnic groups
other Lushootseed-speaking peoples, esp. the Squinamish, Lower Skagit, and Kikiallus peoples

The Swinomish people (/ˈswɪnəmɪʃ/ SWIN-ə-mish;[3] Lushootseed: swədəbš[4]) are a Lushootseed-speaking people Indigenous to western Washington state.

The Tribe lives in the southeastern part of Fidalgo Island in northern Puget Sound, near the San Juan Islands, in Skagit County, Washington. Skagit County is located about 70 miles (110 km) north of Seattle

Swinomish people are enrolled in the federally recognized Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, also known as the Swinomish Tribe, which is headquartered in Swinomish Village, across the Swinomish Channel from La Conner.[5]

History[edit]

According to the 20th century Swinomish historian Martin J. Sampson, the Swinomish people descend from a group of Kikiallus people who left their village at what is now Utsalady to settle in Shelter Bay. After their establishment, they prospered and eventually became their own distinct group.[6]

Around 1830-1835, a major smallpox epidemic blazed through the villages of Skagit County, including the Swinomish.[7]

The Swinomish moved onto reservation lands after the signing of the Point Elliott Treaty in 1855.[8] Three Swinomish signed the treaty: Belole, Stodumkan, and Kelkahltsoot.[9]

Territory and land base[edit]

Historically, the Swinomish controlled much of Fidalgo Island. Their territory included the entire eastern half of Fidalgo Island down to Deception Pass, all of Whidbey Island above the northern half of Dugualla Bay, as well as a portion of Padilla Bay and the mainland north of the Skagit River extending about halfway to what is now Mount Vernon.[6]

After the 1855 treaty, the Swinomish were constrained to the Swinomish Reservation, alongside the other bands of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. They continue to exercise their sovereignty as a domestic dependent nation of the United States.

Villages[edit]

Like other Coast Salish peoples, the Swinomish traditionally built permanent villages along waterways, especially near fresh water outlets like rivers and creeks.[10]

One of the main villages of the Swinomish was located near the headwaters of Sullivan Slough, near today's La Conner. This village was fortified by deep ditches filled with sharp ironwood stakes surrounding the village. Its strategic value was further amplified by its location: it could only be reached by large war canoes at high tide. This village was decimated by smallpox, with only one surviving family. Many of the Swinomish today are descended from this family.[11]

List of known Swinomish villages
Name Anglicization Location Notes
Shelter Bay Oldest and main village[9]
Sullivan Slough Highly fortified village, many Swinomish today descended from its inhabitants[11]
Dugualla Bay Low class village[9]

Culture[edit]

The lifestyle of the Swinomish, like many Northwest Coast indigenous peoples, involves the fishing of salmon and collecting of shellfish. They reserved the right to fish and harvest in their usual and accustomed areas in the Point Elliott Treaty of 1855.[8]

The traditional fishing methods of the Swinomish included using traps that led fish from deep water into the shallows where they could be easily collected. This kind of trap was used by the Swinomish at Dugualla Bay, Turner Bay, along the North Fork of the Skagit River, and all along the Swinomish Channel.[9]

The primary watergoing vessel for much of Swinomish history has been the canoe. Although modern motorized watercraft are the mainly utilized vehicle now, canoes still carry a high degree of cultural significance and are used at cultural events.[citation needed] The Swinomish canoes are similar to those of other Coast Salish peoples. Saltwater canoes are traditionally decorated at the prow and can be up to fifty feet long.[12]

Religion[edit]

After colonization, many Swinomish converted to Christianity. One of the prominent denominations of the Swinomish was historically the Indian Shaker Church. A Shaker church was built on the Swinomish Reservation in 1939, but individuals practiced privately in their homes since 1910. Protestantism was introduced to the Swinomish in 1894 after the establishment of the Swinomish Day School, a boarding school operated by the federal government.[13]

Language[edit]

The language of the Swinomish is Lushootseed. Historically, the language was also known as "Skagit." According to their tradition, their language originated with the Kikiallus, from whence the Swinomish and other Skagit-speaking peoples migrated.[10]

In historic times, many also spoke Chinook Jargon, a trade language used for communication between settlers and Indigenous peoples in the 19th century.[10]

The Swinomish people speak a subdialect of the Northern dialect of the Lushootseed language.[14]

Society[edit]

Pre-colonial society[edit]

Like other Puget Sound societies, the Swinomish had a hierarchical society.

Native American Advocacy[edit]

The former Swinomish Chairman, Brian Cladoosby, was the 21st president of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI).[15]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Sampson 1972, p. 11.
  2. ^ "Swinomish Indian Tribal Community | NCAI". www.ncai.org. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  3. ^ Bright, William (2004). Native American Placenames of the United States. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 468. ISBN 978-0-8061-3598-4.
  4. ^ Bates, Hess & Hilbert 1994, p. 246.
  5. ^ Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. (retrieved July 28, 2009)
  6. ^ a b Sampson 1972, p. 27.
  7. ^ Sampson 1972, p. 1.
  8. ^ a b Mapes, Lynda V. "Swinomish are told to restrict shellfish." The Seattle Times. April 19, 2007 (retrieved July 28, 2009)
  9. ^ a b c d Sampson 1972, p. 28.
  10. ^ a b c Sampson 1972, p. 4.
  11. ^ a b Sampson 1972, p. 27-28.
  12. ^ Sampson 1972, p. 2.
  13. ^ Sampson 1972, p. 16-18.
  14. ^ Lushootseed Language (Whulshootseed, Puget Sound Salish). Native Languages of the Americas. (retrieved July 28, 2009)
  15. ^ "NCAI Leadership | NCAI".

Bibliography[edit]

External links[edit]

48°24′05″N 122°31′37″W / 48.4014°N 122.5270°W / 48.4014; -122.5270

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