The Squaxin Island Tribe

Squaxin Island Tribal members are direct descendants of the maritime people who lived and prospered along the shores and watersheds of South Puget Sound for untold centuries. The Tribe, comprised of seven bands that inhabited the headwaters of seven inlets, is known as the "People of the Water".

Their cultural prehistory is connected with the marine waters that flow in and out with the tidal changes. The tides brought abundant life to the shores of southern Puget Sound. In the oral history of the Squaxin Island Tribe are stories of great villages that once existed at the headwaters of the bays and inlets.

Kennedy Creek is one of seven inlets in South Puget Sound that comprised traditional homelands to the people of Squaxin Island.

Tribal History

By 1854, the seven bands negotiated reserved ancestral rights through the Medicine Creek Treaty. Out of thousands of square miles of land ceded to the U.S. Government, the small island, four and a half miles long and one-half mile wide, was retained as the main reservation area.

The Treaty was negotiated in Chinook Jargon, a trade language consisting of only 300 words, which was inadequate to convey complex issues. The neighboring tribes of Nisqually and Puyallup were also signatories to the Treaty of Medicine Creek. The Indian war of 1856-57 erupted after the tribes became fully aware of its terms. They fought to secure a more suitable landbase. When the war ended in 1857, a more traditional way of life was resumed, harvesting berries and roots such as camas during the summer and returning to the salmon runs in the fall.

Gradually Squaxin Island people began to leave the island to take up permanent residence near their original homes. By 1862 the number of island residents had dwindled to 50. Only four-year-round residents lived on the Island by 1959. Today there are no year-round residents, yet the Island is looked upon by tribal people as the bond that unites their past, present, and future generations.

To learn more about the Squaxin Island Tribe click on this link:
Squaxin Island Tribe. The Tribe is now the largest employer in Mason County with the Little Creek Hotel and Casino in addition to the other employment opportunities offered by various enterprises and for the tribe itself. The Tribe is expanding housing, has a new tribal center, a large daycare facility, and a world-famous museum – The Squaxin Island Museum and Learning Resource Center.

Tribal Administrative Structure

The Tribe held tribal council meetings in the early 1920's and has continued operating under the modern governance with a chairperson and six council representatives. Tribal Council meetings are held at least twice a month, and are open to all enrolled Tribal members. During these meetings, the Tribal Council establishes the laws, rules and regulations governing the Squaxin Island Reservation. They also make decisions and negotiate with other governmental agencies and organizations for the benefit of Tribal members and the environment.

The Executive and Deputy Executive Directors work to ensure all departments are performing their duties in accordance with the wishes of the Tribal Council and the General Body. The Tribe has been successful with tribal enterprises, natural resource harvest and management, cultural resource management, community development including community infrastructure, community and senior housing developments, and social services and educational programs.

Information provided courtesy of the Squaxin Island Tribe and the Squaxin Island Museum.