Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce Destination ... - Keep Trees

Suquamish
Suquamish, a community located within Kitsap County on the Port
Madison Indian Reservation just a few miles south of Kingston, is home to the Suquamish tribe, a sovereign nation.
The name Suquamish originated from the tribe’s winter village site called “d’suq’wub,” which means “place of clear
water.” Suquamish is easily reached via good roads and is near the Bainbridge Island ferry and Kingston ferry docks.
In the past Suquamish was a vacation get-away with small weekend fi shing cabins along the waterfront. Today, the
community is composed of privately owned property and tribal trust property.
Chief Sealth, a powerful Native American
leader of the northwest, is buried at the Suquamish
Memorial Cemetery. The City of Seattle takes its
name from Chief Sealth. Sealth, a great orator and
peacekeeper, was instrumental in preserving the
culture of the Suquamish people during the treaty
negotiations in the 1850s. To communicate the
tribe’s concern regarding the relationship between
its people and the earth, Chief Sealth spoke these
famous words during the treaty accords:
“Every part of this country is sacred to my
people. Every hillside, every valley, every plain and
grove has been hallowed by some fond memory or
some sad experience of my Tribe. Even the rocks,
which seem to lie dumb as they swelter in the sun
along the silent shore in solemn grandeur thrill with
memories of past events connected with the fate of
my people, the very dust under your feet responds
more lovingly to our footsteps than to yours,
because it is the ashes of our ancestors, and our bare feet
are conscious of the sympathetic touch, for the soil is rich
with the life of our kindred.”
This historic speech, additional history, and exhibits of
Suquamish, the Suquamish Tribe, and the Port Madison
Indian Reservation can be found at the Suquamish
Museum, 15838 Sandy Hook Road, Poulsbo, WA.
The community of Suquamish is home to some of
Kitsap Peninsula’s most eye-catching views. The area looks
across Puget Sound to the City of Seattle, the Cascade
Mountain range, and south to Mt. Rainier. Nearby, tourists
can visit Grover’s Creek Fish Hatchery, the Suquamish
Museum, Old Man House Park, and the gravesite of Chief
Sealth. In these times, the Suquamish Tribe features the
Suquamish Clearwater Casino, with “Vegas-style gaming,
bingo, world-class entertainment.” The casino includes
four dining options and hosts a waterfront resort. A free
shuttle operates between the casino and the ferry docks
at Kingston and Bainbridge.
Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce 16 Destination Guide and Membership Directory 2009