Sammamish (tribe)
Encyclopedia
The Sammamish people were a Coast Salish
Native American
tribe in the Sammamish River
Valley in central King County, Washington
. Their name is variously translated as "meander dwellers"" or "willow people." They were also known to early European-American settlers as "Squak", "Simump", and "Squowh." They were closely related to the Duwamish, and have often been considered a Duwamish sub-group as part of the "People of the Large Lake" who lived near Lake Washington
. Like the Duwamish, the Sammamish originally spoke a southern dialect of Lushootseed
.
The largest Sammamish village was tlah-WAH-dees at the mouth of the Sammamish River, which at the time was between present-day Kenmore
and Bothell
, east of its present location at the southwest corner of Kenmore. The mouth of the river moved to the west after 1916, when Lake Washington was lowered nine feet by the United States Army Corps of Engineers
. A second Sammamish village with at least one longhouse
was located near what is now Issaquah
. When Europeans from the Hudson's Bay Company
arrived in the area in 1832, the Sammamish had several permanent and seasonal settlements along the length of the river, and numbered as many as 200.
In 1855, the United States government signed the Treaty of Point Elliott
with the putative leaders of most of the Puget Sound tribes, including Chief Seattle
of the Duwamish. The territorial governor moved to enforce the treaty by relocating the tribes named in the treaty, including the Sammamish. Many of the Sammamish, including a leader known as Sah-wich-ol-gadhw
, did not accept the validity of the treaty. Negotiations with Indian agent 'Doc' Maynard
were unsuccessful, and in 1856 some of the Sammamish joined in the Battle of Seattle, a raid on the White settler population. After this attack and the brief Puget Sound War
, the Sammamish relocated from the river valley to reservations named in the treaty, or to non-reservation lands. Local sawmill
owner and real estate developer Henry Yesler
, who had previously used local Indians as laborers, aided the removal and relocation. As with the relocation of other Northwest natives, the occupation of lands and the relocation of people was probably significantly enabled by a smallpox
plague in 1862 that may have killed as much as half of the remaining native population, as well as by the devastation from the effects of various previous epidemics.
After this relocation, descendants of the Sammamish dispersed into other tribes, including the Suquamish
, Snoqualmie
, and the people of the Tulalip
Reservation, and are generally considered members of those tribes.
Coast Salish
Coast Salish languages are a subgroup of the Salishan language family. These languages are spoken by First Nations or Native American peoples inhabiting the territory that is now the southwest coast of British Columbia around the Strait of Georgia and Washington state around Puget Sound...
Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribe in the Sammamish River
Sammamish River
The Sammamish River flows through north King County, Washington for about , draining Lake Sammamish into Lake Washington...
Valley in central King County, Washington
King County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....
. Their name is variously translated as "meander dwellers"" or "willow people." They were also known to early European-American settlers as "Squak", "Simump", and "Squowh." They were closely related to the Duwamish, and have often been considered a Duwamish sub-group as part of the "People of the Large Lake" who lived near Lake Washington
Lake Washington
Lake Washington is a large freshwater lake adjacent to the city of Seattle. It is the largest lake in King County and the second largest in the state of Washington, after Lake Chelan. It is bordered by the cities of Seattle on the west, Bellevue and Kirkland on the east, Renton on the south and...
. Like the Duwamish, the Sammamish originally spoke a southern dialect of Lushootseed
Lushootseed
Lushootseed is the language or dialect continuum of several SalishNative American groups of modern-day Washington state...
.
The largest Sammamish village was tlah-WAH-dees at the mouth of the Sammamish River, which at the time was between present-day Kenmore
Kenmore, Washington
Kenmore is a city in King County, Washington, United States, along the northernmost shores of Lake Washington...
and Bothell
Bothell, Washington
Bothell is a city located in King and Snohomish Counties in the state of Washington. It is part of the Seattle metropolitan area. The population was 33,505 as of the 2010 census...
, east of its present location at the southwest corner of Kenmore. The mouth of the river moved to the west after 1916, when Lake Washington was lowered nine feet by the United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
. A second Sammamish village with at least one longhouse
Native American long house
Longhouses were built by native peoples in various parts of North America, sometimes reaching over but generally around wide. The dominant theory is that walls were made of sharpened and fire-hardened poles driven into the ground and the roof consisted of leaves and grass...
was located near what is now Issaquah
Issaquah, Washington
Issaquah is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 30,434 at the 2010 census.Based on per capita income, Issaquah ranks 25th of 522 areas in the State of Washington to be ranked....
. When Europeans from the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
arrived in the area in 1832, the Sammamish had several permanent and seasonal settlements along the length of the river, and numbered as many as 200.
In 1855, the United States government signed the Treaty of Point Elliott
Treaty of Point Elliott
The Treaty of Point Elliott of 1855, or the Point Elliott Treaty,—also known as Treaty of Point Elliot / Point Elliott Treaty—is the lands settlement treaty between the United States government and the nominal Native American tribes of the greater Puget Sound region in the recently-formed...
with the putative leaders of most of the Puget Sound tribes, including Chief Seattle
Chief Seattle
Chief Seattle , was a Dkhw’Duw’Absh chief, also known as Sealth, Seathle, Seathl, or See-ahth. A prominent figure among his people, he pursued a path of accommodation to white settlers, forming a personal relationship with David Swinson "Doc" Maynard. Seattle, Washington was named after him...
of the Duwamish. The territorial governor moved to enforce the treaty by relocating the tribes named in the treaty, including the Sammamish. Many of the Sammamish, including a leader known as Sah-wich-ol-gadhw
Sah-wich-ol-gadhw
Sah-wich-ol-gadhw was a 19th century leader of the Willow People, an offshoot of the Duwamish tribe of Native Americans near Seattle, Washington. The people he led lived along the Sammammish River and lived nearest to the modern day suburb of Seattle, Bothell....
, did not accept the validity of the treaty. Negotiations with Indian agent 'Doc' Maynard
David Swinson Maynard
David Swinson "Doc" Maynard was an American pioneer and doctor, and one of Seattle's primary founders. He was an effective civic booster and, compared to other white settlers, a relative advocate of Native American rights...
were unsuccessful, and in 1856 some of the Sammamish joined in the Battle of Seattle, a raid on the White settler population. After this attack and the brief Puget Sound War
Puget Sound War
The Puget Sound War was an armed conflict that took place in the Puget Sound area of the state of Washington in 1855–56, between the United States Military, local militias and members of the Native American tribes of the Nisqually, Muckleshoot, Puyallup, and Klickitat...
, the Sammamish relocated from the river valley to reservations named in the treaty, or to non-reservation lands. Local sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
owner and real estate developer Henry Yesler
Henry Yesler
Henry L. Yesler was an entrepreneur considered to be Seattle, Washington's first economic father and first millionaire. He arrived in Seattle in 1852 and built a steam-powered sawmill, which provided numerous jobs for those early settlers and Duwamish tribe members...
, who had previously used local Indians as laborers, aided the removal and relocation. As with the relocation of other Northwest natives, the occupation of lands and the relocation of people was probably significantly enabled by a smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
plague in 1862 that may have killed as much as half of the remaining native population, as well as by the devastation from the effects of various previous epidemics.
After this relocation, descendants of the Sammamish dispersed into other tribes, including the Suquamish
Suquamish
The Suquamish are a Lushootseed-speaking Native American Tribe, located in present-day Washington in the United States.The Suquamish are a southern Coast Salish people; they spoke a dialect of Lushootseed, which belongs to the Salishan language family. Like many Northwest Coast natives, the...
, Snoqualmie
Snoqualmie (tribe)
The Snoqualmie Tribe is a tribal government of Coast Salish Native American peoples from the Snoqualmie Valley in east King and Snohomish Counties in Washington state. The Snoqualmie settled onto the Tulalip Reservation after signing the Point Elliott Treaty with the Washington Territory in 1855...
, and the people of the Tulalip
Tulalip
Tulalip is a group of Native American peoples from western Washington state in the United States. Today they are federally recognized as the Tulalip Tribes of the Tulalip Reservation.- History :...
Reservation, and are generally considered members of those tribes.