Indigenous peoples

We respectfully acknowledge the Native Peoples whose ancestral homelands we shall pass through today. As well, we acknowledge the diverse and vibrant Native communities who make their home along our route. As we pass through those Native Peoples' land today, we will honor their area as well as attempt to pronounce and translate the name of their people. As we travel from the shores of Puget Sound, along the Snohomish and Skykomish Rivers, through the Cascade Mountain foothills and along the Wenatchee River, we pass through the homelands of the Snohomish, Skykomish, Snoqualmie and Wenatchee Native American tribes. Indigenous people inhabited North America long before European governments sent explorers to claim the lands and their resources. Today, some 29 federally recognized Native American tribes live on reservations in Washington State.

The Tulalip Tribes, successors of the Snohomish, Skykomish, and Snoqualmie bands from the 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott, preserve ancestral lands and resources to uphold their cultural identity and sovereignty. With reverence for nature and ancestral values, they safeguard their environment, especially amidst challenges like climate change threatening traditional practices, including their relationship with the sacred salmon. Honoring their heritage through conservation efforts, they ensure future generations can continue to live in harmony with the land, drawing wisdom from traditional teachings and blending them with modern science to sustain their way of life and the natural world they deeply cherish. Historically, the region's diverse ecosystems provided for their ancestors' needs, from abundant forests to rich salmon runs. However, settlement and industrialization have altered the landscape, jeopardizing traditional lifeways. Climate change exacerbates these challenges, endangering resources vital to Tulalip's survival. Through the Tulalip Climate Change Adaptation Plan, the tribe seeks to safeguard its people, culture, and livelihoods for future generations by addressing the impacts of climate change on treaty-reserved lands and waters.

1. "People and Places" (n.d.). Retrieved from https://nr.tulaliptribes.com/Base/File/People_and_Places