Puyallup Tribe of Indians

What happened

The Puyallup Tribe's website tells its history from its own perspective. It says the Tribe's people lived in villages along the rivers and shores around the Puyallup River's mouth, and that in December 1854 Puyallup people were invited to Medicine Creek, where, as the Tribe tells it, they were met with documents asking them to sign away their lands. It says many of the X's on the Medicine Creek Treaty are believed to have been forced, if not forged. It says treaty renegotiations at the Fox Island Council in August 1856 expanded or relocated the reservations.

The page says the Tribe fought for fishing rights, leading to the Boldt Decision in 1974, and became a political force particularly since the 1990 Land Claims Settlement among the Tribe, local governments, Washington State and the United States.

The federal act behind the settlement is the Puyallup Tribe of Indians Settlement Act of 1989, Public Law 101-41, signed June 21, 1989 (103 Stat. 83). Its sections provide for resolution of tribal land claims, for the Interior Secretary to accept certain lands in trust for the Tribe, for standards to take more lands into trust, and for a one-time payment to each enrolled member plus a permanent trust fund.

The Tribe's current site lists Realty and Trust Services, a Heritage Division, historic preservation and a Land Acknowledgement page.

Good to know. The Tribe dates its land claims settlement to 1990; the federal act behind it was signed June 21, 1989.

Summarized with AI assistance from 5 sources and checked against their words; not yet reviewed by historians or by the nations. Report an error