Acknowledgement of Land in America and Washington State

The land that we know as America, including Washington State, had over 500 thriving sovereign tribal nations. Each Tribal Nation had its own unique governmental structures, laws, language, traditions, ceremonies, and more. Many of these Nations are living and thriving today. At the birth of America, Tribal Nations were recognized as sovereign, and therefore law-binding treaty agreements were established to trade goods and services for tribal lands. Most treaties are still upheld to this day as the Supreme Law of the Land. The American Governments have a treaty responsibility to the Federally Recognized Tribal Nations and interact with these Nations on a government-to-government relationship.

Acknowledgement of Land in Jefferson County and City of Port Townsend

The land encompassed within Jefferson County is home to seven Federally Recognized Tribal Nations: Port Gamble S’Klallam, Jamestown S’Klallam, Lower Elwha Klallam, Quileute, Hoh, Quinault, and Skokomish. These Nations hunted and harvested on these lands and governed them from a spiritual perspective. These Nations believe that the Creator gave them the lands to steward—as we all take care of the land, the Creator and the land will take care of all People. While these Tribal Nations governed these lands, these tribes, and others as well, traveled through to reach other tribes for work, trading, and potlaches.

The land that we know as Port Townsend was once a thriving village of the nəxʷsƛ̕ay̕əm̕, or S’Klallam, People. The name of the S’Klallam village was called qatáy (“kuh-tai”), which was a word that originated from the Chimacum Tribe and was adopted by the S’Klallam. There are S’Klallam citizens that still reference Port Townsend by its original name to this day. The S’Klallam’s infamous chief, čičməhán (“cheech-muh-hann”), or Chetzemoka, was born in qatáy in 1808. His descendants are enrolled citizens of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe today.

We take a moment to acknowledge the land within America, Washington State, Jefferson County, and City of Port Townsend, and that we hold our work, events, and daily life on lands once belonged to Tribal Nations. This acknowledgement is a respect to the Tribal Nations and their histories. In partnership, we will steward the lands and peoples together.