(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Indians 101: American Indians and the creation of Washington State in 1889 [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2024-06-06 When the United States reorganized its government by adopting a constitution in 1787, American Indian tribes were recognized as sovereign nations. This meant that dealing with the tribes was to be handled by the federal government rather than the various state governments. As territories, particularly those in the west, became states, Indian tribes retained their sovereignty and were supposed to be immune from state laws. In 1889, Congress passed a federal Enabling Act which required Washington to hold constitutional conventions as a prerequisite of statehood. The federal act declared: “That the people inhabiting said proposed states do agree and declare that they forever disclaim all right and title to all lands owned or held by any Indian or Indian tribes; and that until the title thereto shall have been extinguished by the United States, the same shall be and remain subject to the disposition of the United States and said Indian lands shall remain under the absolute jurisdiction and control of the congress of the United States.” In becoming a state, Washington gave both the tribes within the state and the federal government assurances that it would not interfere with the rights of Indians. Article 26 of the Washington state constitution declares that “all Indian land shall remain under the absolute jurisdiction and control of the Congress of the United States.” According to the Lewis Army Museum, the official end of Indian Wars in Washington came in 1889 when Washington became a state. At this time the Washington Militia, which would eventually become the Washington National Guard, was formed, and began to work and train with Regular U.S. Army units. Indian Religions Christianity was seen by the United States as the primary force for “civilizing” Indians, and the American policy was to force Indians to become Christians. This included the banning of native religions, punishing those who participated in Indian ceremonies, and requiring attendance at Christian church services. Christianity required Indians to cut their hair, to live in houses, to speak English, to wear European style clothes, and to have only one spouse at a time. In 1884, the United States outlawed “pagan” ceremonies. Indians who were found guilty of participating in traditional religious ceremonies could be imprisoned for 30 days. These restrictions were seen as important steps in the destruction of the Indian way of life. In response to the forced assimilation, there arose in many Indian nations prophets and visionaries who advocated a return to traditional ways. In Washington, one of these prophets was the Sanpoil prophet Skolaskin (also known as Kolaskin). Anthropologist Paula Pryce, in her book ‘Keeping the Lakes’ Way’: Reburial and the Re-Creation of a Moral World among an Invisible People, reports: “Kolaskin appears to combine shamanistic ideas of death, resurrection, and prophecy and winter ceremonial practices along with Christian rituals such as Sunday prayer meetings and an avoidance of work, dancing, or gambling during the Sabbath.” Kolaskin’s teachings were opposed by the government, Catholic missionaries, the Sinkiuse chief Moses, and the Nez Perce Chief Joseph. Robert Ruby and John Brown, in their biography of Skolaskin in the Encyclopedia of North American Indians, report: “Although he was anathema to the Roman Catholic Church, which considered him a devilish pagan, Skolaskin used song, prayer, hand bells, and other symbols of Catholic worship in his church house.” In 1889, the Sanpoil prophet Skolaskin was arrested and imprisoned on Alcatraz Island. He was seen as an obstacle to the assimilation of the Indians on the Colville Reservation. The Indian agent recommended that Skolaskin be banished from the reservation so that he could not have influence on his followers in interfering with government actions on the reservation. As with other religious crimes, there was, of course, no trial. Reservations An 1889 executive order established the 837-acre Quileute reservation on the coast of Washington north of Grays Harbor. Under the terms of the 1855 treaty, they were to have moved to the Quinault reservation, but they refused to do so, preferring to remain on their own land. Linguistically, the Quileute language belongs to the Chimakuan language family and is, therefore, related to Chemakum. Glottochronology indicates that these two languages split apart about 2,100 years ago. More Nineteenth-Century Washington Histories Indians 201: Skolaskin, a Sanpoil Prophet Indians 201: Sealth (Seattle), Suquamish/Duwamish Leader Indians 101: Chief Leschi's trial Indians 201: An Indian victory in Eastern Washington in 1858 Indians 101: The 1855 Battle at Connell's Prairie, Washington Indians 101: The 1856 Battle of Seattle Indians 301: The Puget Sound War Indians 101: American Indians and the creation of Washington Territory in 1853 [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/6/6/2244714/-Indians-101-American-Indians-and-the-creation-of-Washington-State-in-1889?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/