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{{Expand German|Swinomish|date=March 2018}}
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{{For|the federally-recognized tribe|Swinomish Indian Tribal Community}}{{Other uses|Swinomish (disambiguation)}}{{Infobox ethnic group
[[File:La Conner, WA - Swinomish Channel 03.jpg|thumb|260px|[[La Conner, Washington]], Swinomish Channel]]
| group = Swinomish
The '''Swinomish people''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|w|ɪ|n|ə|m|ɪ|ʃ}} {{respell|SWIN|ə|mish}}<ref name="Bright2004">{{cite book|last=Bright|first=William|authorlink=William Bright|title=Native American Placenames of the United States|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5XfxzCm1qa4C&pg=PA468|year=2004|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|isbn=978-0-8061-3598-4|page=468}}</ref> are an historically [[Lushootseed language|Lushootseed]]-speaking [[Native Americans of the United States|Native American]] [[people]] in western [[Washington (state)|Washington]] state in the [[United States]]. 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 {{convert|70|mi|km}} north of [[Seattle]].
| native_name = {{lang|lut|swədəbš|}}
| native_name_lang = lut
| image = "Dr. Joseph," chief medecine (i.e. medicine) man of the Swinomish Reservation - Photo by O.J. Wingren., La Conner, Wash. LCCN2015645623 (cropped).jpg
| image_caption = Dr. Joe,{{sfn|Sampson|1972|p=11}} a Swinomish doctor, c. 1907
| population = approx. 1,439<ref>{{cite web |title=Community |url=https://swinomish-nsn.gov/community.aspx |website=Swinomish Indian Tribal Community |publisher=Swinomish Indian Tribal Community |access-date=23 July 2024}}</ref>
| regions = [[Fidalgo Island]], [[Skagit County]]
| languages = [[English Language|English]], historically [[Lushootseed]]
| religions = Indigenous folk religion, [[Christianity]], incl. [[Religious syncretism|syncretic forms]]
| related_groups = other [[List of Lushootseed-speaking peoples|Lushootseed-speaking peoples]], esp. the [[Squinamish people|Squinamish]], [[Lower Skagit]], and [[Kikiallus people|Kikiallus]] peoples
}}
The '''Swinomish''' '''people''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|w|ɪ|n|ə|m|ɪ|ʃ}} {{respell|SWIN|ə|mish}};<ref name="Bright2004">{{cite book|last=Bright|first=William|authorlink=William Bright|title=Native American Placenames of the United States|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5XfxzCm1qa4C&pg=PA468|year=2004|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|isbn=978-0-8061-3598-4|page=468}}</ref> {{Langx|lut|swədəbš|translit=swuh-DUBSH}}{{Sfn|Bates|Hess|Hilbert|1994|p=246}}) are a [[Lushootseed]]-speaking people Indigenous to western [[Washington (state)|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 {{convert|70|mi|km}} north of [[Seattle]]
Swinomish people are enrolled in the [[Federally recognized tribe|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, Washington|La Conner]].<ref>[http://www.swinomish-nsn.gov/ Swinomish Indian Tribal Community.] (retrieved 28 July 2009)</ref>


Swinomish people are enrolled in the [[Federally recognized tribe|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, Washington|La Conner]].<ref>[http://www.swinomish-nsn.gov/ Swinomish Indian Tribal Community.] (retrieved July 28, 2009)</ref>
==Language==
The Swinomish people speak a dialect of the [[Salishan]] [[Lushootseed]] language.<ref>[http://www.native-languages.org/lushootseed.htm Lushootseed Language (Whulshootseed, Puget Sound Salish).] ''Native Languages of the Americas.'' (retrieved 28 July 2009)</ref>


== Classification ==
==Culture==
The Swinomish are a Southern Coast Salish people. The Southern Coast Salish includes the many [[List of Lushootseed-speaking peoples|Lushootseed-speaking peoples]] as well as the [[Twana]].{{Sfn|Suttles|Lane|1990|p=487}}
[[File:A skate from the Swinomish tribal fishtrap, Tulalip Indian Agency, Washington, 1938 - NARA - 519174.tif|thumb|A skate from the Swinomish fishtrap, Tulalip Indian Agency, Washington, 1938]]

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.<ref name=lvm/>
The Swinomish are closely related to their historical neighbors, including the [[Squinamish]],{{Sfn|Ruby|Brown|Collins|1990|p=332}} [[Lower Skagit]], and [[Kikiallus people|Kikiallus]] peoples. In the early colonial period, whites believed that the Swinomish were a part of the Lower Skagit, however, they were separate and distinct peoples.{{Sfn|Ruby|Brown|Collins|1990|p=331}}


==History==
==History==
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, Washington|Utsalady]] to settle in Shelter Bay. After their establishment, they prospered and eventually became their own distinct group.{{Sfn|Sampson|1972|p=27}} Alternatively, another origin story states that the Swinomish are descended from a noble's son who gained a powerful [[spirit power]], and he and his wife became the ancestor of all peoples.{{Sfn|Ruby|Brown|Collins|1990|p=331}}
The Swinomish moved onto reservation lands after the signing of the [[Point Elliott Treaty]] in 1855.<ref name=lvm>Mapes, Lynda V. [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003672493_toxins19m.html "Swinomish are told to restrict shellfish."] ''The Seattle Times.'' 19 April 2007 (retrieved 28 July 2009)</ref>
The Swinomish police department was the second in the U.S.--and the first in Washington State—to be state-accredited.<ref>https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/news/native-news/10-things-you-should-know-about-the-swinomish-tribe/</ref>


Around 1830-1835, a major smallpox epidemic blazed through the villages of Skagit County, including the Swinomish.{{Sfn|Sampson|1972|p=1}} The epidemics reduced the Swinomish populations by up to 80%, according to some estimations. Around 1855, the U.S. government recorded the Swinomish population to be around 150-200 people.{{Sfn|Ruby|Brown|Collins|1990|p=332}}
==Native American Advocacy==


In 1855, the Swinomish were party to the [[Treaty of Point Elliott]]. Under the treaty, the [[Swinomish Reservation]] was established, and the Swinomish were required to remove to it.{{Sfn|Ruby|Brown|Collins|1990|p=332}}<ref name="lvm">{{Cite web |last=Mapes |first=Linda V. |date=2007-04-19 |title=Swinomish are told to restrict shellfish |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/swinomish-are-told-to-restrict-shellfish/ |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=[[The Seattle Times]] |language=en-US}}</ref> Three Swinomish signed the treaty: Belole, Stodumkan, and Kelkahltsoot.{{Sfn|Sampson|1972|p=28}} The U.S. Government hoped that the Swinomish would turn to farming once the reservation was established. By 1884, about three-fourths of the Swinomish were logging, farming, and milling.{{Sfn|Ruby|Brown|Collins|2010|p=333}}
The current Swinomish Chairman, Brian Cladoosby, is the 21st president of the National Conference of American Indians (NCAI).<ref>http://www.ncai.org/about-ncai/ncai-leadership</ref>


Throughout the 1860s, many Swinomish left their homelands, scattering around Puget Sound in search of work. On the reservation, there were clashes between settlers and Swinomish regarding the boundaries of their lands.{{Sfn|Ruby|Brown|Collins|2010|p=333}}
==See also==
* [[Swinomish Indians of the Swinomish Reservation of Washington]]


== Territory and land base ==
==Notes==
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.{{Sfn|Sampson|1972|p=27}}

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.{{Sfn|Ruby|Brown|Collins|1990|p=332-333}}

=== Villages ===
Like other Coast Salish peoples, the Swinomish traditionally built permanent villages along waterways, especially near fresh water outlets like rivers and creeks.{{Sfn|Sampson|1972|p=4}} Villages were independent from one another, but nominally connected to the other Swinomish villages through kinship ties and shared customs and language.{{Sfn|Ruby|Brown|Collins|1990|p=332}}

One of the main villages of the Swinomish was located near the headwaters of Sullivan Slough, near today's [[La Conner, Washington|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.{{Sfn|Sampson|1972|p=27-28}}
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"
|+List of known Swinomish villages
!Name
!Anglicization(s)
!Location
!Notes
|-
|
|Qalequt
|near [[Whitney, Washington|Whitney]]<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Smith |first=Marian W. |author-link=Marian Smith |date=1941 |title=The Coast Salish of Puget Sound |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/662952?read-now=1&oauth_data=eyJlbWFpbCI6InBlcnN1c2pjcDFAZ21haWwuY29tIiwiaW5zdGl0dXRpb25JZHMiOltdfQ&seq=12 |journal=American Anthropologist |volume=43 |issue=2 |pages=208 |via=JSTOR}}</ref>
|
|-
|
|
|Three miles from La Conner, on Swinomish Slough<ref name=":1" />
|
|-
|{{Langx|lut|sdiʔus|label=none}}{{Sfn|Hilbert|Miller|Zahir|2001|p=348}}{{Sfn|Suttles|Lane|1990|p=486}}
|Snee Oosh
|[[Snee Oosh, Washington|Snee Oosh]], near Lone Tree Point<ref name=":1" />
|
|-
|
|
|Shelter Bay
|Oldest and main village{{Sfn|Sampson|1972|p=28}}
|-
|
|
|Sullivan Slough<ref name=":1" />
|Highly fortified village, many Swinomish today descended from its inhabitants{{Sfn|Sampson|1972|p=27-28}}
|-
|
|Dugualla
|Dugualla Bay
|Low class village{{Sfn|Sampson|1972|p=28}}
|}

==Culture==

=== Lifestyle ===
The lifestyle of the Swinomish, like other [[Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast|Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast]], is highly reliant on the usage of marine resources, such as [[salmon]] fishing and [[shellfish]] gathering. They reserved the right to fish and harvest in their usual and accustomed areas in the Point Elliott Treaty of 1855.<ref name="lvm" /> The Swinomish are highly reliant on their marine resources. In pre-colonial times, as much as 70% percent of their food came from marine resources.{{Sfn|Ruby|Brown|Collins|1990|p=332}} 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.{{Sfn|Sampson|1972|p=28}}

Today, the Swinomish continue to be involved heavily in the fishing industry. Although some usage of traditional fishing methods continues, the majority of fishing is commercial. Through the Swinomish Tribe, they have been engaged in conflicts with the federal government over fishing rights. Most Swinomish are dependent on fishing, farm labor, or lumbering as income. Others make their income as craftspeople, selling Native arts and crafts.{{Sfn|Ruby|Brown|Collins|2010|p=335}}

The Swinomish traditionally used [[Clam garden|clam gardens]] to farm clams. In 2022, the Swinomish Tribe built the first clam garden in the United States in 200 years.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ryan |first=John |date=2022-09-03 |title=Swinomish Tribe builds modern clam garden, reviving practice |url=https://apnews.com/article/canada-british-columbia-seattle-39270aedccc4218e179453f2cc9513c4 |access-date=2024-05-16 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref>

The Swinomish also traditionally gathered berries and roots, and, after the introduction of potatoes, they became part of the Swinomish diet.{{Sfn|Ruby|Brown|Collins|1990|p=332}}

In pre-colonial times, the Swinomish were semi-migratory. In the summer, Swinomish people travelled to fishing and gathering sites near their villages.{{Sfn|Ruby|Brown|Collins|1990|p=332}}

By 1883, much of the population of the Swinomish Reservation had turned to logging, milling, and farming. Around three-fourths had made the switch, with the remainder still living engaged in traditional subsistence patterns.{{Sfn|Ruby|Brown|Collins|2010|p=333}}

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|date=May 2024}} 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.{{Sfn|Sampson|1972|p=2}}

=== Religion ===
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 [[American Indian boarding schools|boarding school]] operated by the federal government.{{Sfn|Sampson|1972|p=16-18}}

Today, most members of the Swinomish Tribe are [[Catholic Church|Catholic]].{{Sfn|Ruby|Brown|Collins|2010|p=335}}

=== Language ===
The language of the Swinomish is Lushootseed.{{Sfn|Ruby|Brown|Collins|1990|p=332}} 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.{{Sfn|Sampson|1972|p=4}}

In historic times, many also spoke [[Chinook Jargon]], a trade language used for communication between settlers and Indigenous peoples in the 19th century.{{Sfn|Sampson|1972|p=4}}

The Swinomish people speak a subdialect of the Northern dialect of the [[Lushootseed]] language.<ref name=":0">[http://www.native-languages.org/lushootseed.htm Lushootseed Language (Whulshootseed, Puget Sound Salish).] ''Native Languages of the Americas.'' (retrieved July 28, 2009)</ref>

== Society ==

=== Pre-colonial society ===
Traditional Swinomish society was organized on the village and family level. Each village was composed of several families and their leaders, who had a certain standing among others of the village due to their material wealth and social prestige. However, none of these important members of a village had complete control over the rest of the village.{{Sfn|Ruby|Brown|Collins|1990|p=332}}

==Notable Swinomish==

* [[Brian Cladoosby]], former chairman of the Swinomish Tribe and 21st president of the [[National Congress of American Indians]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ncai.org/about-ncai/ncai-leadership|title = NCAI Leadership &#124; NCAI}}</ref>
* [[Matika Wilbur]], Tulalip citizen, educator, and photographer<ref>{{cite web |title=Matika Wilbur (Swinomish and Tulalip) |url=https://photoville.nyc/people/matika-wilbur-swinomish-and-tulalip/ |access-date=22 July 2024 |website=Photoville Festival |publisher=Photoville}}</ref>
{{Gallery
|File:La Conner, WA - Swinomish Channel 03.jpg
|[[La Conner, Washington]]
|File:A skate from the Swinomish tribal fishtrap, Tulalip Indian Agency, Washington, 1938 - NARA - 519174.tif
|A skate from the Swinomish fishtrap, Tulalip Indian Agency, Washington, 1938
|align=center}}
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===

* {{cite book |last1=Bates |first1=Dawn |title=Lushootseed Dictionary |last2=Hess |first2=Thom |last3=Hilbert |first3=Vi |author-link3=Vi Hilbert |publisher=[[University of Washington Press]] |year=1994 |isbn=978-0-295-97323-4 |location=Seattle |pages= |oclc=29877333}}
* {{Cite book |last=Hilbert |first=Vi |author-link=Vi Hilbert |title=sdaʔdaʔ gʷəɬ dibəɬ ləšucid ʔacaciɬtalbixʷ - Puget Sound Geography |last2=Miller |first2=Jay |last3=Zahir |first3=Zalmai |publisher=Lushootseed Press |others=Original Manuscript from [[T.T. Waterman]] |year=2001 |isbn=979-8750945764 |location= |pages= |language=en}}
* {{Cite book |last=Sampson |first=Martin J. |title=Indians of Skagit County |publisher=Skagit County Historical Society |year=1972 |edition=3rd |location=Mount Vernon |publication-date=}}
* {{Cite book |last=Suttles |first=Wayne |author-link=Wayne Suttles |title=Southern Coast Salish |last2=Lane |first2=Barbara |publisher=Smithsonian Institution |year=1990 |isbn=0-16-020390-2 |series=Handbook of North American Indians |volume=7 |pages=485-502}}
* {{Cite book |last=Ruby |first=Robert H. |url=https://archive.org/details/guidetoindiantri0000ruby_d7g1/ |title=A Guide to the Indian Tribes of the Pacific Northwest |last2=Brown |first2=John A. |last3=Collins |first3=Cary C. |publisher=[[University of Oklahoma Press]] |year=2010 |isbn=9780806124797 |edition=3rd |series=Civilization of the American Indian |volume=173 |location=Norman}}


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.swinomish.org/ Swinomish Indian Tribal Community], official website
*{{CathEncy|wstitle=Swinomish Indians}}
*{{CathEncy|wstitle=Swinomish Indians}}
*{{commons category-inline}}
*{{official|http://www.swinomish.org/ }}
*[http://www.marchpointmovie.com/ ''March Point'' (2008)], a film about the Swinomish Reservation
*[http://www.marchpointmovie.com/ ''March Point'' (2008)], a film about the Swinomish Reservation
*[https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/marchpoint/ ''March Point'' page], from Independent Lens site
*[https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/marchpoint/ ''March Point'' page], from Independent Lens site
*[http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1577.html "Swinomish Indian Tribe"], a brief history at u-s-history.com
*[http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1577.html "Swinomish Indian Tribe"], a brief history at u-s-history.com
{{Lushootseed navbox}}{{Coast Salish}}

{{Coast Salish}}
{{Skagit County, Washington}}
{{Skagit County, Washington}}


{{coord|48.4014|N|122.5270|W|source:wikidata|display=title}}
{{coord|48.4014|N|122.5270|W|source:wikidata|display=title}}

{{authority control}}


[[Category:Native American tribes in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Native American tribes in Washington (state)]]

Latest revision as of 11:51, 12 October 2024

For the federally-recognized tribe, see Swinomish Indian Tribal Community.
For other uses, see Swinomish (disambiguation).
Swinomish
swədəbš
Dr. Joe,[1] a Swinomish doctor, c. 1907
Total population
approx. 1,439[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] [swədəbš] Error: {{Langx}}: transliteration of latn script (help)[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]

Classification

[edit]

The Swinomish are a Southern Coast Salish people. The Southern Coast Salish includes the many Lushootseed-speaking peoples as well as the Twana.[6]

The Swinomish are closely related to their historical neighbors, including the Squinamish,[7] Lower Skagit, and Kikiallus peoples. In the early colonial period, whites believed that the Swinomish were a part of the Lower Skagit, however, they were separate and distinct peoples.[8]

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.[9] Alternatively, another origin story states that the Swinomish are descended from a noble's son who gained a powerful spirit power, and he and his wife became the ancestor of all peoples.[8]

Around 1830-1835, a major smallpox epidemic blazed through the villages of Skagit County, including the Swinomish.[10] The epidemics reduced the Swinomish populations by up to 80%, according to some estimations. Around 1855, the U.S. government recorded the Swinomish population to be around 150-200 people.[7]

In 1855, the Swinomish were party to the Treaty of Point Elliott. Under the treaty, the Swinomish Reservation was established, and the Swinomish were required to remove to it.[7][11] Three Swinomish signed the treaty: Belole, Stodumkan, and Kelkahltsoot.[12] The U.S. Government hoped that the Swinomish would turn to farming once the reservation was established. By 1884, about three-fourths of the Swinomish were logging, farming, and milling.[13]

Throughout the 1860s, many Swinomish left their homelands, scattering around Puget Sound in search of work. On the reservation, there were clashes between settlers and Swinomish regarding the boundaries of their lands.[13]

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.[9]

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.[14]

Villages

[edit]

Like other Coast Salish peoples, the Swinomish traditionally built permanent villages along waterways, especially near fresh water outlets like rivers and creeks.[15] Villages were independent from one another, but nominally connected to the other Swinomish villages through kinship ties and shared customs and language.[7]

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.[16]

List of known Swinomish villages
Name Anglicization(s) Location Notes
Qalequt near Whitney[17]
Three miles from La Conner, on Swinomish Slough[17]
sdiʔus[18][19] Snee Oosh Snee Oosh, near Lone Tree Point[17]
Shelter Bay Oldest and main village[12]
Sullivan Slough[17] Highly fortified village, many Swinomish today descended from its inhabitants[16]
Dugualla Dugualla Bay Low class village[12]

Culture

[edit]

Lifestyle

[edit]

The lifestyle of the Swinomish, like other Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast, is highly reliant on the usage of marine resources, such as salmon fishing and shellfish gathering. They reserved the right to fish and harvest in their usual and accustomed areas in the Point Elliott Treaty of 1855.[11] The Swinomish are highly reliant on their marine resources. In pre-colonial times, as much as 70% percent of their food came from marine resources.[7] 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.[12]

Today, the Swinomish continue to be involved heavily in the fishing industry. Although some usage of traditional fishing methods continues, the majority of fishing is commercial. Through the Swinomish Tribe, they have been engaged in conflicts with the federal government over fishing rights. Most Swinomish are dependent on fishing, farm labor, or lumbering as income. Others make their income as craftspeople, selling Native arts and crafts.[20]

The Swinomish traditionally used clam gardens to farm clams. In 2022, the Swinomish Tribe built the first clam garden in the United States in 200 years.[21]

The Swinomish also traditionally gathered berries and roots, and, after the introduction of potatoes, they became part of the Swinomish diet.[7]

In pre-colonial times, the Swinomish were semi-migratory. In the summer, Swinomish people travelled to fishing and gathering sites near their villages.[7]

By 1883, much of the population of the Swinomish Reservation had turned to logging, milling, and farming. Around three-fourths had made the switch, with the remainder still living engaged in traditional subsistence patterns.[13]

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.[22]

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.[23]

Today, most members of the Swinomish Tribe are Catholic.[20]

Language

[edit]

The language of the Swinomish is Lushootseed.[7] 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.[15]

In historic times, many also spoke Chinook Jargon, a trade language used for communication between settlers and Indigenous peoples in the 19th century.[15]

The Swinomish people speak a subdialect of the Northern dialect of the Lushootseed language.[24]

Society

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Pre-colonial society

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Traditional Swinomish society was organized on the village and family level. Each village was composed of several families and their leaders, who had a certain standing among others of the village due to their material wealth and social prestige. However, none of these important members of a village had complete control over the rest of the village.[7]

Notable Swinomish

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References

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  1. ^ Sampson 1972, p. 11.
  2. ^ "Community". Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  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. ^ Suttles & Lane 1990, p. 487.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Ruby, Brown & Collins 1990, p. 332.
  8. ^ a b Ruby, Brown & Collins 1990, p. 331.
  9. ^ a b Sampson 1972, p. 27.
  10. ^ Sampson 1972, p. 1.
  11. ^ a b Mapes, Linda V. (April 19, 2007). "Swinomish are told to restrict shellfish". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  12. ^ a b c d Sampson 1972, p. 28.
  13. ^ a b c Ruby, Brown & Collins 2010, p. 333.
  14. ^ Ruby, Brown & Collins 1990, p. 332-333.
  15. ^ a b c Sampson 1972, p. 4.
  16. ^ a b Sampson 1972, p. 27-28.
  17. ^ a b c d Smith, Marian W. (1941). "The Coast Salish of Puget Sound". American Anthropologist. 43 (2): 208 – via JSTOR.
  18. ^ Hilbert, Miller & Zahir 2001, p. 348.
  19. ^ Suttles & Lane 1990, p. 486.
  20. ^ a b Ruby, Brown & Collins 2010, p. 335.
  21. ^ Ryan, John (September 3, 2022). "Swinomish Tribe builds modern clam garden, reviving practice". AP News. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  22. ^ Sampson 1972, p. 2.
  23. ^ Sampson 1972, p. 16-18.
  24. ^ Lushootseed Language (Whulshootseed, Puget Sound Salish). Native Languages of the Americas. (retrieved July 28, 2009)
  25. ^ "NCAI Leadership | NCAI".
  26. ^ "Matika Wilbur (Swinomish and Tulalip)". Photoville Festival. Photoville. Retrieved July 22, 2024.

Bibliography

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

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