.gif)
Snoqualmie (tribe)
Encyclopedia
The Snoqualmie Tribe is a tribal government
of Coast Salish
Native American peoples from the Snoqualmie Valley
in east King
and Snohomish Counties
in Washington state. The Snoqualmie settled onto the Tulalip
Reservation after signing the Point Elliott Treaty with the Washington Territory
in 1855. At that time they were one of the largest tribes in the Puget Sound
region numbering around 4000. They have tried and failed on several occasions to secure a reservation on their ancestral lands along the Tolt River
(a tributary of the Snoqualmie River
). The tribe recently opened the Snoqualmie Casino. The casino has hosted numerous events in their ballroom, including a performance by Jessica Simpson
.
in 1953. In October 1999 the Bureau of Indian Affairs
once again granted recognition to the Snoqualmie.
The government consists of a tribal constitution and elected council.
Tribal sovereignty
Tribal sovereignty in the United States refers to the inherent authority of indigenous tribes to govern themselves within the borders of the United States of America. The federal government recognizes tribal nations as "domestic dependent nations" and has established a number of laws attempting to...
of Coast Salish
Coast Salish
Coast Salish languages are a subgroup of the Salishan language family. These languages are spoken by First Nations or Native American peoples inhabiting the territory that is now the southwest coast of British Columbia around the Strait of Georgia and Washington state around Puget Sound...
Native American peoples from the Snoqualmie Valley
Snoqualmie Valley
The Snoqualmie Valley is a farming and timber-producing region located along the Snoqualmie River in Western Washington, United States. The valley stretches from the confluence of the three forks of the river at North Bend to the confluence of the Snoqualmie River and the Skykomish River, forming...
in east King
King County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....
and Snohomish Counties
Snohomish County, Washington
Snohomish County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. It is named after the Snohomish tribe. Since 2000, the county's population has grown from 606,024 to 713,335 residents , making it one of the fastest-growing in the state, ranking third in overall population after King and...
in Washington state. The Snoqualmie settled onto the Tulalip
Tulalip
Tulalip is a group of Native American peoples from western Washington state in the United States. Today they are federally recognized as the Tulalip Tribes of the Tulalip Reservation.- History :...
Reservation after signing the Point Elliott Treaty with the Washington Territory
Washington Territory
The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 8, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington....
in 1855. At that time they were one of the largest tribes in the Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
region numbering around 4000. They have tried and failed on several occasions to secure a reservation on their ancestral lands along the Tolt River
Tolt River
The Tolt River is located in the western foothills of the Cascade Mountains in north central King County in the U.S. state of Washington. The river begins at the confluence of the North Fork Tolt and South Fork Tolt rivers. It flows southwest joining the Snoqualmie River near Carnation, Washington...
(a tributary of the Snoqualmie River
Snoqualmie River
The Snoqualmie River is a long river in King County and Snohomish County in the U.S. state of Washington. The river's three main tributaries are the North, Middle, and South Forks, which drain the west side of the Cascade Mountains near the town of North Bend and join near the town of Snoqualmie...
). The tribe recently opened the Snoqualmie Casino. The casino has hosted numerous events in their ballroom, including a performance by Jessica Simpson
Jessica Simpson
Jessica Ann Simpson is an American recording artist, actress, television personality, and fashion designer whose rise to fame began in 1999. Since that time, Simpson has achieved many recording milestones, starred in several television shows, movies, and commercials, launched a line of hair and...
.
Law enforcement
In 2008, the Snoqualmie Tribe Police Services was established to enforce tribal laws at the new Snoqualmie Casino in Snoqualmie, WA. In the summer of 2008 the department hired a Chief who was supposed to hire a force of up to six officers to patrol the Casino and the property in which it sits on. There is no actual reservation for the Snoqualmie Tribe, only property owned by the tribe itself. However in the spring of 2009 the tribe did not receive the funding they anticipated from the BIA, and disbanded the department. The tribe now contracts law enforcement out to the King County Sheriff's Office on a "calls for service" only basis. The Sheriff's Office does not actively patrol the casino, no one is assigned there, but the Sheriff's Office will respond to calls when needed and the tribe is billed per call for service.Recognition by the United States
The tribe lost federal recognitionNative American recognition in the United States
Native American recognition in the United States most often refers to the process of a tribe being recognized by the United States federal government, or to a person being granted membership to a federally recognized tribe. There are 565 federally recognized tribal governments in the United States...
in 1953. In October 1999 the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
once again granted recognition to the Snoqualmie.
Membership and government
According to one source, the Snoqualmie Tribe currently has approximately 597 members. Another source puts the membership at approximately 650 members.The government consists of a tribal constitution and elected council.