Quinault
Quinault refers to a Native American tribe located at the mouth of the Quinault River in Washington State. Part of the Southwestern Coast Salish cultural group, the Quinault people historically relied on fishing, hunting, and gathering, with salmon being a dietary staple. They were skilled canoe builders, known for their ability to construct large ocean-going canoes for whaling. Traditionally arranged in large communal houses, their social structure included nobility, commoners, and enslaved individuals, with leaders chosen based on their wealth and ability to host potlatch ceremonies. The Quinault signed the Treaty of Olympia in 1855, which established a reservation that has since faced numerous challenges, including land allotment to non-Indians and economic struggles. In recent years, the Quinault Indian Nation has worked to address the impacts of climate change, including plans to relocate their village due to rising sea levels. Today, the Quinault government oversees various enterprises and community services while striving to preserve their cultural heritage and adapt to modern challenges.
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Quinault
- CATEGORY: Tribe
- CULTURE AREA: Northwest Coast
- LANGUAGE GROUP: Salishan
- PRIMARY LOCATION: Mouth of the Quinault River, Washington
- POPULATION SIZE: 2,354 (2010 US Census); 1,072 Quinault Reservation, WA (2021: ACS 5-Year Estimates Selected Population Data Profiles)
The name Quinault (sometimes spelled Quinaielt) is derived from kwi’ nail, the name of their largest historic settlement, located at the site of the present-day village of Taholah at the mouth of the Quinault River. The Quinault are one of several nations referred to as Southwestern Coast Salish and are part of the Salishan language family. Traditionally, the Quinault were primarily fishers and hunters and, to a lesser extent, gatherers. Salmon was the basic staple. The Quinault were excellent canoe builders, and in their large ocean-going canoes, they were the southernmost coastal Indigenous nation to hunt whales.
Like other Coast Salish tribes, the Quinault traditionally lived in large houses, holding from two to ten families, in about twenty villages. Social class was divided into enslaved peoples and free people, with the free divided into nobility and commoners. Nobility consisted of those with inherited status and wealth. The Quinault extensively traded and intermarried with neighboring nations in the Northwest Coast cultural area, and these regional networks also contributed to status. Commoners lacked these perquisites. Enslaved people were obtained in raids or through trade.
The village leader or chief was chosen by village members from among those males with enough wealth to ensure that some wealth could be distributed to others at potlatches. The potlatch, in turn, enhanced the leader’s prestige. The leader advised and mediated disputes but otherwise had no prescribed powers.
Religion focused on the acquisition of guardian spirits, which were necessary for a successful life. Particular spirits conveyed particular powers to their recipient (such as wealth or success at gambling, curing illness, or whaling). Other important mythical spirits were Misp, the creator and caretaker of the world, and Xwoni Xwoni, the trickster buffoon. Salmon were the focus of several taboos and ceremonies.
Whites had established trading settlements in the area by the early 1800s. In the early 1830s, a malaria epidemic reduced the Quinault population from 1,250 (in 1805) to 158 by 1857. In 1855, the Quinault signed the Treaty of Olympia with the United States. They kept a large reservation on the mouth of the Quinault River, where they were subject to the machinations of Whites to Christianize them and make them give up their traditional lifestyle and customs.
The reservation economy centered on fishing and government jobs but never provided sufficient employment. It was estimated in 1985 that 30 percent of the adults living there were unemployed. As a result, many left the reservation permanently to seek employment in urban locations. Beginning in 1907, and over the opposition of the Quinault, Congress authorized allotment of Quinault land to other nations, and eventually about a third of the Quinault reservation was owned by non-Indians. By the 1980s, the federally recognized Quinault Indian Nation was composed of the Quinault and descendants from six affiliated nations: the Queets, Quileute, Hoh, Chehalis, Chinook, and Cowlitz. In 1988, the Self-Governance Act (amended in 1991) authorized a greater degree of autonomy for the nation.
In the twenty-first century, the Quinault people continued to inhabit their ancestral homeland, with its reservation including over 208,000 acres and a coastline of twenty-three miles (thirty-seven kilometers). The Indigenous government operated divisions for administration, health and social services, community services, and natural resources. The Quinault Business Committee oversaw the nation’s enterprises, including a beach and maritime resort and casino, a seafood business, and timber harvesting. The Quinault Indian Nation took pride in being one of the largest employers in its county by the early 2000s.
However, one problem the nation faced was the potential loss of land, including many homes, due to rising sea levels caused by climate change. Climate change also seriously threatened the marine life the tribe long relied upon, such as salmon. By 2015, the nation had devised a potential plan to relocate the entire Taholah village to higher ground. In 2017, the plan included the relocation of more than 650 residents, and in 2021, the nation opened buildings to house essential programs—emergency management, Head Start, daycare, and senior programs—to begin the move. By 2023, the nation had started installing vital infrastructure in the new location, including sidewalks, streets, and utilities. The Quinault received some federal funding to help with the project. Plans were also in place to move a smaller village as well. The Quinault nation also continued projects for cultural revitalization, natural resource management, and economic development, including operating its Quinault Beach Resort and Casino and its fishing business, Quinault Pride Seafood.
Bibliography
"About the Quinault Indian Nation." Quinault Indian Nation, www.quinaultindiannation.com/164/About-the-Quinault-Indian-Nation. Accessed 27 Oct. 2024.
Ahearn, Ashley. "Facing Rising Waters, A Native Tribe Takes Its Plea to Paris Climate Talks." NPR, 1 Dec. 2015. www.knkx.org/2015-12-01/facing-rising-waters-a-native-tribe-takes-its-plea-to-paris-climate-talks. Accessed 27 Oct. 2024.
"Enterprises." Quinault Indian Nation, www.quinaultindiannation.com/101/Enterprises. Accessed 27 Oct. 2024.
Golden, Hallie. "For At Least a Decade Quinault Nation Has Tried To Escape the Rising Pacific. Time Is Running Out." AP News, 12 July 2024, apnews.com/article/tribe-quinault-sea-level-rise-climate-change-995a69656e77ff1825ec72fa07727478. Accessed 27 Oct. 2024.
"Quinault Indian Nation." Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, www.npaihb.org/member-tribes/quilnault-indian-nation/. Accessed 27 Oct. 2024.
"Quinault Indian Nation Plans for Village Relocation." US Climate Resilience Toolkit, 12 July 2024, toolkit.climate.gov/case-studies/quinault-indian-nation-plans-village-relocation. Accessed 27 Oct. 2024.
"2010 Census CPH-T-6. American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes in the United States and Puerto Rico: 2010." US Census Bureau. 8 Oct. 2021. www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/cph-series/cph-t/cph-t-6.html. Accessed 27 Oct. 2024.
"2021: ACS 5-Year Estimates Selected Population Data Profiles: Quinault Reservation." US Census Bureau, data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2020.P1?q=Quinault%20Reservation,%20WA. Accessed 27 Oct. 2024.