The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-11-28
rHE sKOKOMIsH TREATY.
History OF the Rotations Between thu
Indians aud the Government.
Mvrnn Eella in Union Civ Tribune

History OF the Rotations Between the
Indians aud the Government
Myron Eells in Union City Tribune.
After Lord Vancouver and his party Wis
tied the Indians on Hoods canal in 1872,
probably no more white persons came here
for long time. When Fort Nisqually was
established in the thirties, by the Hudson
Bay Company, there was place for trade
until the Americans came. The United
States government. however. did nothing
officially with them until after Washington
was set of from Oregon in 1853. The next
year General L I. Stevens and Colonel M.
G. Simmons were appointed to make
treaties with the Indians on the
Sound. But one treaty was made thai year
and that was with the Puyallup, Nisqually
and confederate tribes in December. The
next January most Of the treaties were
made in this region; that with the eno-
homish, Lummi. Port Madison, Duwa-
mish and Swinomish Indians having been
made at Point Elliott. January ~, 1855;
that with the Twana, Skokomish, Clallam
and Chemakum Indians, January 26, 1855,
at Point No Point; that with the Makah
that with the Quiniault Indians at Olym-
The treaty at Point No Point was made
with the following bands or villages:
Hah-ta, (Port Townsend) SquahquaihtI,
Toh-qneen, Tsokhw, Yennis. Port An
geies) j hwa, Pishtst, Hun-nint, Klat-la-
wash. O-ke-ho, (Ho.ko) and also the Sko-
komish, To-an-hooch and Chemakums. OF
these, the Cnemakums. who lived near
Port Townsend, are. as q tribe, now ex-
tinct, q few individuals only being left,
who are merged in other tribes, their lam
guage having been en- irely different from
other Indians near them; the Skokomish
were q band of the Too-an-hooch (now
spelled TwAna) and the rest were bands
and villages of the Clallam tribe.
By the terms of this treaty the three
tribes coded to the United States the land
enclosed within the following boundaries:
Beginning on the Straits of Fuca at the
mouth of HoKo river. thence running
southeastwardly and southerly to the head
of the west branch of the satsop river;
down that branch to the main fork, thence
Hills; enthusiastically TO Wilkes portags
and in the same direction to Suquamish
Head; thence northerly through Admi-
rally inlet to the Straits of Fuca, thence
westwardly through the Straits 10 the place
of beginning.
Six sections of land, 3.840 acres, at the
head OF Hoods canal were reserved for the
Indians, on which no whites, except gov
eminent employees and missionaries we're
allowed to reside, but ii necessary, roads
might be run through it. compensation to
be made for damage done; the United
States reserving the right to place any
other tribe or band upon the reservation.
The right to fish at their usual grounds
and stations was secured to the Indians in
common with oil citizens of the United
States, and Of erecting temporary houses
for curing their fish; also the right to hunt
and gather roots and berrier on all open,
unclaimed lands though fish were not to
be taken from beds staked or cultivated
by citizens.
For this the government agreed to pay
the Indian sec, 900 in twenty annual pay
ments in diminishing installments. the
money to be used under the direction of
the president; also to pay 81, 900 to remove
the Indians to the reservation; and to es-
tablish general agency for Puget sound,
and provide blacksmith, carpenter and
farmer for tweffty years to instruct the
Indians. and also q physician. and to
support for twenty years an agricultural
and industrial school fpes to ali children
of said Indians. The right was reserved
tereets q ne territory and the welfare of
the means would be promoted by it, to re-
move the Indians to other suitable places
in the territory. by remunerating them for
their improvements and paying the expense
of their removal. The president also had the
right 10 cause the WnOio part or the feser-
walton or such other lands as might be se-
lected instead thereof. to be surveyed into
lots, and assign the same to individuals or
families, subject to the same regulations as
were provided in the sixth article of the
treaty with the Omahas. of 1854. This
article referred to stated that the land
should be patented to the individual In-
dian, upon condition that it should not be
leased for longer term than two years,
and should be exempt from levy,
sale or forfeiture, until q state con-
stitution should be formed and the
restrictions removed by the legislature,
that should any person absent or neglect
his allotment the president might cancel
his assignment; and that after all persons
or families should receive allotments, the
rest of the reservation might be sold under
such rules IS the president might pre-
scribe.
The Indians also agreed foreman friend
ly with the United States, and not to make
war with other Indians except in self-de-
tense; to pay for any depredations COM
mitted by any Of their number; to surren-
der offenders to the United States for pun
ishment; to free their slaves and not to
obtain others; not to trade outside of the
United States nor permit foreign indians
to reside in their midst. without the con-
sent of the superintendent or agent