ca. 1912. Puget Sound Camp - Skokomish. Photograph by Edward S. Curtis. Scanned from Asahel Curtis lantern slide. Original photograph published in "The North American Indian, v.9" Plate between pp. 48-49. TPL-8759

Indians of North America--Skokomish--1910-1920; Indians of North America--Shelters; Canoes;

ca. 1912. A mat shelter - Skokomish. Photograph by Edward S. Curtis. Scanned from Asahel Curtis lantern slide. Original photograph published in "The North American Indian, v.9" Plate appears between pp. 110 -111. The aboriginal name for the people occupying the region of Hood Canal on the Olympic Peninsula was the Twana. The largest community in this tribe was the Skokomish, the "Big River People." The Skokomish Reservation was created by the Point-No-Point treaty in 1855 and it encompasses almost 5,000 acres on the delta of the Skokomish River. During the winter months, the people resided in cedar plank houses. But during the other seasons, they resided in temporary, movable structures such as the one pictured, which they covered with woven mats. These structures could be moved from place to place during hunting and fishing seasons. The mats, hung on the framework of the structure, would keep out the wind and the rain. The mats were most commonly woven of cattail leaves or the inner bark of the cedar. Two women are picture outside of a structure, along with their canoe and woven baskets.

Indians of North America--Skokomish--1910-1920; Women--Indians of North America; Huts; Indians of North America--Shelters; Canoes; Baskets;

Image title: A typical Nez Percé. The North American Indian, v. 8, p. 4.

Indians of North America--Nez Percé--1910-1920; Men--Indians of North America; Indians of North America--Portraits;

Image title: Mat lodge - Yakima. The North American Indian, v. 7, p. 4.

Indians of North America--Yakima--1910-1920; Dwellings--Indians of North America;

Native American woman in cedar bark dress carrying basket behind her.

Native American woman with son and baby on horseback.

Two Native American children on horseback.

Native American woman on horseback with child, another child on trellis.

Two young Native American women on horseback.

Native American man in headdress on horseback.

These Native American girls were taking a sewing class at the Cushman Indian School on the Puyallup Reservation in June of 1918. The goal of Native American education from 1880-1920 was to assimilate the children into the dominant European culture, removing them from traditional Indian ways. One method was to remove them from their families and enroll them in government run boarding schools. By 1910, the Puyallup Indian School had become the Cushman Indian School, a large industrial boarding school, hosting over 350 students from the Northwest and Alaska. The school's focus was training the students for a place as a laborer in an industrialized America. During WWI the Red Cross entered into a partnership with schools to produce needed goods for the war torn countries. The girls in this photograph are probably sewing for the Red Cross. The boarding school closed in 1920. G39.1-163; TPL-2822

Cushman Indian School (Tacoma); Boarding schools--Puyallup Reservation; Sewing--1910-1920; Sewing machines--1910-1920;

Herbert Hoover, then Secretary of Commerce, signed the Indian "Pledge to the Mountain" to honor Mt. Rainier on the rooftop of the Hotel Winthrop on August 21, 1926. An unidentified Indian maiden helps to unroll the scroll. Mr. Hoover, who would later become the 31st President of the United States, was given the name Chief Coolee-Chuck ("Running Water"). The pledge was administered entirely in the Chinook language. In it, Mr. Hoover swore and promised by the Great Spirit of the Mountain to journey whenever possible to the "Mountain that was God" in order to breathe in the pure air, drink the sparkling waters, and gaze upon its wondrous beauties. He promised to acquaint himself with the lore of the red men and learn about the legends of the mountain's origins and sacredness. Should he violate this solemn obligation, he could foresee his wickiup burning, racehorses dying and coyotes devouring all his rabbits. Secretary Hoover was in Tacoma as a guest of the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce and addressed a large group of about 300 businessmen at the Hotel Winthrop on the "Future of Foreign Trade." This photograph was modified by the photographer: a clearer view of Mount Rainier was added, and the Brotherhood Bank's signage reversed and building itself extended upward. TPL-5447; G68.1-028 (TNT 8-21-26, p. 1)

Hoover, Herbert; Indians of North America--Tacoma--1920-1930; Document signings--Tacoma; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

Undated photograph of an elderly Native American with tribal markings. Tepees and other Native Americans in background. Boland Studios made a copy of this photograph on September 11, 1925.

Tipis; Indigenous peoples;

ca. 1886. Several long boats (Indian canoes) rest on the beach at about Fifth and Pacific in Tacoma in this photograph from the mid 1880s. Long boats could transport a whole family with supplies for a season of fishing. This group of boats is probably preparing to head upstream on the Puyallup River where members of the Puyallup tribe worked in the hop fields of the Puyallup Valley. The Puyallups are part of the Puget Sound Salish original peoples. They were hunters, gatherers and fishermen, although they inhabited permanent houses along the riverbanks and along the Sound. Salmon was their main food and figured strongly in their culture. Under the Treaty of Medicine Creek, the tribe ceded much of their territories but retained fishing rights. Rutter Collection TPL-564

Longboats--Tacoma--1890-1900; Indians of North America--Tacoma--1890-1900;

Back of Photo:
Ramona Bennett

Staff photo by Jerry Buck

Front of Photo:
Ramona Bennett shown with her daughter, Ee-Nuck-A-Mee, 7, is best known for her years of activism as Chairwomen of the Puyallup Tribe in Tacoma, Wash. Today, Ms. Bennett is Director of Family Services at the Seattle Indian Center where her job involves finding Indian foster homes for homeless Indian children.

Staff photo by Bruce Kellman

On July 31, 1936, promoter Rookie Lewis outdid himself by staging an authentic "Indian Wedding" as the evening's special attraction during his Walkathon (dance marathon) at the Century Ballroom in Fife. Chief White Eagle conducted the Native American wedding of So-To-Le-O and groom Qua-Le-Ales, with rites performed in sign language. Five different tribes participated in the wedding. The Walkathon was heavily attended by citizens of Tacoma and Seattle, since both cities had local ordinances forbidding such marathons. Approximately 30 people were pictured, first two rows were Native-Americans in costume, others may be some of the remaining participants in the Walkathon. Tribal blankets serve as backdrop. (T.Times 7-31-36, p. 4-article; 8-1-36, p. 5-article; www.historylink.org) (filed with Argentum)

Indians of North America--Clothing & dress; Weddings--Fife; Marathons--Fife;

Members of various Northwest Native American tribes gather in August of 1934 at Audoma Park, near Puyallup, for a round of the Indian bone game. The tribes have made their annual pilgrimage to the valley for the harvest of the hops. This park, owned and maintained by A.E. Applegate, is set aside for the exclusive use of the Native Americans although visitors are welcomed. During the bone game, two teams of 10-12, squatting on the floor, line up across from each other. One team has four small white bones. To the accompaniment of the pounding of sticks and tom-toms and the chanting of ancient songs, the team passes the bones rapidly from player to player. At a certain signal, the captain of the opposing team calls a halt and tries to guess which player has the bones. The ancient game is played for hours with a bright fire as the only light. (T. Times 8/30/1934, pg. 1+)

Indigenous peoples--Washington; Games; Gambling;

Native American mothers, each holding a baby wrapped in blanket, sit on a bench under a tree. They have travelled to the Puyallup Valley with other members of their tribes to pick hops. This is an ancient gathering for the Native Americans of Washington and British Columbia. The tribes represented are the Kowegians, Sheeshats and West Coast Tribes from Vancouver Island, Yakimas from Eastern Washington, Clallams, Neah Bays and Quillayutes from Port Angeles, Taholahs and Quinaults from Grays Harbor, Chahalises from farther inland, Skagits, Laconners, Snohomishes, and Lummis from the northern part of the state and the Puyallups and Nisquallys living in the valley. (T. Times 8-30-1934, pg. 1+)

Indians of North America; Mothers & children--Puyallup--1930-1940; Infants--Puyallup--1930-1940;

Two year old Marjorie Abraham Charlie kneels in the grass and straw next to a tent at the annual Native American gathering in Puyallup Valley at Audoma Park, two miles from Puyallup, for the hop picking season. The Native Americans tribes of Washington and British Columbia gathered annually at hop and berry picking time to socialize with each other and to help keep alive their ancient customs and games. (T. Times 8/30/1934, pg.1)

Charlie, Marjorie Abraham; Indians of North America; Migrant agricultural laborers--Puyallup--1930-1940; Migrant laborers--1930-1940; Hops; Girls--Puyallup--1930-1940;

Tepees and tents of 300 Native Americans were set up in a field in Washington D.C. The camp had been setup following a transcontinental motor trip called the Trial of Self-Determination. Sid Mills, a Nisqually tribal member said in an interview in D.C. that they were there to secure a future for Native Americans because currently there is none.

Back of Photo:
Indians, Nisqually

Back of Photo:
Indians, Nisqually

Back of Photo:
Indians, Nisqually

Nine people stand around a campfire.

Sid Mills and an unidentified tribal member fishing on the Nisqually River despite laws preventing fishing. Both tribal members were arrested after they dropped a net and sped upstream.

Back of Photo:
Indians, Nisqually
Photograph by Jerry Buck

Back of Photo:
Indians, Nisqually

Sid Mills and an unidentified tribal member fishing on the Nisqually River. Both were arrested after they dropped a net and sped upstream.

Back of Photo:
Indians, Nisqually
Photograph by Jerry Buck

Back of Photo:
Indians, Puyallup

A Native American girl was arrested along with forty other indigenous people during a second confrontation with police following a fire on a railroad bridge near a Puyallup Tribal fishing camp. The fire started after police and state officers raided the fishing camp earlier that morning, arresting twenty people. Police later returned to the camp with fire units and arrested everyone at the fishing camp. The camp was established by Puyallup tribal members to advocate for fishing rights and indigenous people from across the United States joined their protest. Picture taken by Tribune staff member Wayne Zimmerman.

Back of Photo:
Indians, Puyallup

Dan Thayer, a fisheries biologist for the Puyallup tribe helped to release 16,500 chum salmon from the tribe’s hatchery into a tributary of the Hylebos Creek in South King County.

Back of Photo:
Nets Salmon

Puyallup Tribal member Mike Turnipseed fished near the Burlington Northern Railroad bridge in defiance of a court order and warnings of arrest by Game and Fisheries department officers. Superior Court Judge Charles T. Wright modified a temporary restraining order preventing Game and Fisheries department officers from making arrests or seizing gill nets. Wright’s actions limited fishing to Frank’s Landing on the Nisqually and only allowed two Native Americans to fish there: Suzette Bridges Mills and William Frank Jr.

Back of Photo:
Indians, Puyallup
Bruce A. Kellman Photographer

Two people handle oars in a rowboat.