The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, also known as the Swinomish Tribe, is a federally recognized Tribe located on Puget Sound in Washington."Who We Are."
''Swinomish Indian Tribal Community.'' Retrieved 15 Sept 2013. They are an Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest that includes the Central and

Coast Salish peoples The Coast Salish is a group of ethnically and linguistically related Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, living in the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. They speak one of the Coa ...

who lived in the Samish and Skagit River valleys, nearby coasts, and islands. The Tribe's population includes

Swinomish The Swinomish are an historically Lushootseed-speaking Native American people in western Washington state in the United States. The Tribe lives in the southeastern part of Fidalgo Island in northern Puget Sound, near the San Juan Islands, i ...

, Lower Skagit, Upper Skagit, Kikiallus, and Samish peoples.

Reservation

The Swinomish Reservation is located on Puget Sound, on the southeastern side of Fidalgo Island in Skagit County, Washington. It was established in 1855 by the

Treaty of Point Elliot The Treaty of Point Elliott of 1855, or the Point Elliott Treaty,—also known as Treaty of Point Elliot (with one ''t'') / Point Elliott Treaty—is the lands settlement treaty between the United States government and the Native American tribes ...

. The

reservation __NOTOC__ Reservation may refer to: Places Types of places: * Indian reservation, in the United States * Military base, often called reservations * Nature reserve Government and law * Reservation (law), a caveat to a treaty * Reservation in India, ...

is 15 square miles in area, including 7,450 acres of upland and 2,900 acres of tidelands. According to the 2000 census, the resident population of 2,664 persons, with 23 percent being of full Native American ancestry. Prominent sites on the Swinomish Reservation include: * Swadabs Park, on Swinomish Channel: The park features three pavilions resembling woven cedar hats, interpretive panels, and a native plant garden. The park was developed for the 2011 Canoe Journey/Paddle to Swinomish. Canoe races also take place here in the channel. * Kukutali Preserve: the first Tribal State Park in the history of the United States to be co-owned and jointly managed by a federally recognized Native Nation and a state government. The preserve is entirely on the Swinomish Reservation and encompasses 83 acres spanning three islands, with more than two miles of natural shoreline, and is adjacent to 38 acres of Swinomish-owned tidelands.

Government

The Tribe's headquarters is in

Swinomish Village The Swinomish are an historically Lushootseed-speaking Native American people in western Washington state in the United States. The Tribe lives in the southeastern part of Fidalgo Island in northern Puget Sound, near the San Juan Islands, in ...

. The Tribe drafted its constitution and by-laws in 1936, following the

Indian Reorganization Act The Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) of June 18, 1934, or the Wheeler–Howard Act, was U.S. federal legislation that dealt with the status of American Indians in the United States. It was the centerpiece of what has been often called the "Indian ...

, which encouraged Tribes to re-establish self-government. Swinomish is governed by a democratically elected, 11-member Senate; members serve staggered five-year-terms. Senate officers in 2015 are: * Chairman: Brian Cladoosby * Vice chairman: Brian Porter * Treasurer: Barbara James * Secretary: Sophie Bailey. Cladoosby has served as chairman since 1997, succeeding Robert W. Joe, who was elected chairman in 1978. In October 2015, Cladoosby was elected to a second term as president of the National Congress of American Indians, the fourth Native American leader from Washington state to serve in that position. Craig Bill, Swinomish, is director of the Governor's Office of Indian Affairs. Janie Beasley, Swinomish, is a member of the La Conner School Board. The Swinomish Medical Center provides healthcare services for local Native Americans. Opened in 2000, the clinic building also houses a fitness center and diabetes program."Swinomish Tribe."
''Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board.'' Retrieved 16 Sept 2013. A dental clinic is located nearby.

Culture

English is commonly spoken by Tribal members. Some elders speak

(also known as Skagit), a Lushootseed language that is part of the

Central Salish language The Salishan (also Salish) languages are a family of languages of the Pacific Northwest in North America (the Canadian province of British Columbia and the American states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana). They are characterised by ag ...

family. Some also spoke Samish, another Central Salish language. The Swinomish traditionally cultivated clam gardens and are reviving the practice to build climate resilience. Global warming and its effects, such as ocean acidification, affect the development of shells of marine animals vital to Swinomish food supply. As such, the Swinomish consider Indigenous health indicators a metric of climate change.

Economic development

The Swinomish Tribe owns and operates the Swinomish Casino & Lodge, overlooking Padilla Bay; Swinomish Golf Links, nearby on Highway 20; Swinomish RV Park, on Swinomish Channel; Swinomish Fish Co., which processes and cans salmon marketed worldwide under the "Native Catch" label; and two Chevron stations and convenient stores."Swinomish Casino & Lodge."
''500 Nations.'' Retrieved 16 Sept 2013.

Notes

References

* Pritzker, Barry M. ''A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Peoples''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. .

External links

Swinomish Indian Tribal Community
official website {{authority control Coast Salish governments Native American tribes in Washington (state) Geography of Skagit County, Washington Federally recognized tribes in the United States Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast