Samish Indian Tribe
View of Fidalgo Island
|
|
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (1,000) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 United States ( Washington) |
|
| Languages | |
| Samish, English | |
| Religion | |
| Traditional | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Lummi, Saanich, Semiahmoo, Songhees, and Sooke peoples |
The Samish Indian Nation is a Coast Salish nation. It is a signatory to the Treaty of Point Elliott and has a government-to-government relationship with the United States of America. The Samish are a Northern Straits branch of Central Coast Salish peoples. The Samish Nation is headquartered in Anacortes, Fidalgo Island, in Washington, north of Puget Sound.
Other Samish people are enrolled in the Lummi Nation and the Swinomish Tribe.
The Washington state ferry Samish, dedicated in summer 2015, is named for the Samish Nation.
Through cooperative agreements and cultural exchanges fostered by the Samish Nation, numerous ancestral objects have been returned to Samish, among them a house post from the last longhouse on Guemes Island (Burke Museum); a canoe believed to date from before 1810 (San Juan Island Historical Museum); and 11 baskets, four hats, two cattail mats, two weaving shuttles, two mesh sticks used in making nets, a wooden serving dish, a wooden water bucket, a piece of twine, and a stone hammer (Karshner Museum and Center for Culture and Arts).
Samish master carver William Bailey (Tsul-ton) leads the Beaver Lodge Carving Circle, where Samish people can learn carving and other traditional arts. Language program coordinator George Adams (Syélpxen) teaches the Samish language and leads a language camp. The Nation hosts Camp Samish on Samish Island every summer. Regularly-scheduled classes give Samish people the opportunity to learn basket making, hat making, and other cedar work. The Samish Canoe Family participates in the annual Canoe Journey and, with the Swinomish Canoe Family, presents a cultural day that is open to the public at Deception Pass State Park.
The Samish Nation's historical territory includes west Fidalgo Island, Guemes Island, Samish Island, Lopez Island, and southeast San Juan Island. A 19th century promise of a reservation was not fulfilled, but the Samish Nation has been building a land base since the 1990s. The Samish Nation now owns more than 200 acres, including 78 acres held in trust at Campbell Lake on Fidalgo Island. Other lands: Fidalgo Bay Resort; Huckleberry Island, which was granted to Samish by the State of Washington with the provision that it remain open for public use; additional acreage on Campbell Lake; agricultural land on Thomas Creek; a proposed commercial-development site on Highway 20 and Thompson Road in Anacortes; the Samish Nation administration complex on Commercial Avenue in downtown Anacortes; Samish Longhouse preschool and child care center; the Samish Health and Human Services building and property on Commercial Avenue in downtown Anacortes; and uplands and oyster beds on Mud Bay on Lopez Island.
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Wikipedia