Puyallup
Puyallup is a Native American tribe located in the Puget Sound basin of Washington State, known for its rich cultural heritage as one of the Southern Coast Salish nations. The name "Puyallup" is derived from the Indigenous term for the Puyallup River, highlighting the tribe's deep connection to the land. Historically, the Puyallup engaged in hunting, fishing, and gathering, living in large wooden houses during the winter and moving to camps in the summer. Their society was structured into three classes: upper-class freemen, lower-class freemen, and enslaved individuals, with social status often determined by wealth and kinship ties.
In the mid-19th century, the Puyallup faced significant challenges due to the encroachment of settlers and diseases that drastically reduced their population. Despite these hardships, the tribe began to regain its footing in the 1960s, asserting greater control over its affairs and benefiting from legal decisions that reaffirmed their fishing rights. Today, the Puyallup Nation is actively engaged in economic development, including ventures in fisheries, gaming, and various businesses on their 28.5 square mile reservation near Tacoma. They also focus on cultural preservation, education, and healthcare for their members, while recently promoting the inclusion of their Indigenous language, Twulshootseed, in local signage.
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Puyallup
- CATEGORY: Tribe
- CULTURE AREA: Northwest Coast
- LANGUAGE GROUP: Salishan
- PRIMARY LOCATION: Puget Sound basin
- POPULATION SIZE: 2,543 (2010 US Census); 54,384 on Puyallup Reservation (2022: ACS 5-year Survey, US Census Bureau)
The name Puyallup comes from the Indigenous American name for the Puyallup River, sometimes written pwiya’lap. The Puyallup were one of several nations collectively called the Southern Coast Salish, living in the Puget Sound basin in the Northwest Coast cultural area. The Puyallup lived at the mouth of the Puyallup River and along the neighboring Washington coastline. There were twelve subdivisions and villages; the Steilacoom, for example, lived on Steilacoom Creek and the adjacent beach. The Puyallup were hunters, fishers, and gatherers.
The Puyallup lived in villages in the winter and camps in the summer. A village consisted of large wooden houses occupied by several families. Puyallup society was divided into three social classes: upper-class freeman, lower-class freeman, and enslaved people. Upper-class Puyallup were from well-known families, possessed wealth, and had the means to participate in certain ceremonies. The wealthiest male was usually the village leader. The lower class lacked these requisites, and enslaved people and their descendants were captives of war who were kept by wealthy enslavers. Each village was closely tied to neighboring villages through marriages between prominent families, kinship, mutual use of the same land, and joint participation in various ceremonies. In addition, individual status was determined partly by how well an individual was known in other villages. Within the freeman class was a group of professional warriors. They occasionally led raiding parties for enslaved people but were primarily called upon to defend their village from attack by outside nations, primarily the Laich-kwil-tach.
Guardian spirits were a central part of Puyallup life. Every individual ability and accomplishment (such as wealth, war, gambling, and hunting) was facilitated by the appropriate spirit. Training began in childhood so that by age eight, an Indigenous American child was able to seek out the appropriate guardian spirit, which came in a vision.
By the 1850s, Whites had established settlements on Puyallup land, and in 1854 and 1855, treaties set aside land for the Puyallup near Tacoma, Washington. Their involvement in the White economy (selling furs, fishing, and logging commercially, and working in hopyards) became extensive. Attempts to Christianize the Puyallup and minimize the influence of Indigenous customs were only partially successful. More critically, the Puyallup were economically exploited by Whites. This occurred on top of epidemics of smallpox and malaria in the 1850s that significantly reduced their population.
Puyallup fortunes were reversed, however, beginning in the mid-1960s. The population had increased significantly, and they were permitted greater control over their own affairs. The Boldt Decision from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in 1974 reaffirmed the early treaties guaranteeing Indigenous American fishing rights. Puyallup members became adept in business management; some established and learned to manage fisheries. They also formed an Indigenous government with a strong business orientation, which developed a network of stores, marinas, casinos, and restaurants on the reservation, which occupies 28.5 square miles around Tacoma.
The Puyallup Nation remained politically active in the fight for Indigenous rights and the preservation of its Indigenous culture. In 2024, the Tacoma City Council approved a plan to add the Puyallup Indigenous language, Twulshootseed, to local street signs. The nation also continued its economic development through ventures, such as a casino and a cannabis store. The Puyallup also continued to provide healthcare and education services to its members and participate in environmental stewardship.
Bibliography
Boorn, Ava. "Puyallup Tribe, City of Tacoma to Add Twulshootseed to Local Street Signs." South Sound, www.southsoundmag.com/travel-outdoor/puyallup-tribe-tacoma-twulshootseed-street-signs/article‗360a2896-873d-11ef-bb19-6702014adaf7.html. Accessed 27 Oct. 2024.
"Heritage Division." Puyallup Tribe, www.puyalluptribe-nsn.gov/about-our-tribe/heritage-division. Accessed 27 Oct. 2024.
"Member Services." Puyallup Tribe, www.puyalluptribe-nsn.gov/member-services. Accessed 27 Oct. 2024.
"Our Tribe." Puyallup Tribe, puyallup-tribe.com/ourtribe. Accessed 27 Oct. 2024.
Pritzker, Barry M. A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Peoples. Oxford UP, 2000.
"Puyallup." Four Directions Institute. Four Directions Press, 2005.
"Puyallup Reservation." Census Reporter, 2022, censusreporter.org/profiles/25200US3000R-puyallup-reservation. Accessed 27 Oct. 2024.