The Port Madison Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation in the U.S. state of Washington. The reservation is governed by the Suquamish Indian Tribe, a signatory to the Treaty of Point Elliott of 1855. They had 950 enrolled tribal citizens in 2012. Other Coast Salish peoples, including the Duwamish and Sammamish, also moved to the reservation. When the land was reserved by the Point Elliott Treaty, all land was held by Tribal members and designated for their sole use. However, a series of procedures designed to accommodate non-Indigenous land acquisition created a situation where the reservation is widely interspersed with non-Tribal ownership.

Economic development

None of the tribe's reservation is zoned for agriculture. In 2012, the tribe established a shellfish nursery on a floating dock, where they raise clams. Recent major acquisitions include White Horse Golf Club in 2010, placed into trust in March 2014; and 200 acres known as the Place of the Bear, in the Cowling Creek watershed, in November 2014.

Important sites

Completion of the Suquamish Museum in 2012 helped solidify Suquamish Village as a walkable cultural district which includes:

  • The grave of Chief Si'ahl, or Seattle, at the Suquamish Cemetery
  • Old Man House Park, the former site of Old Man House, the largest winter longhouse in the Salish Sea
  • The Suquamish Veterans Memorial, with honor poles depicting Chief Kitsap and Chief Seattle
  • The House of Awakened Culture, overlooking Port Madison
  • Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort, located near the Agate Pass bridge at Suquamish Way and Highway 305, is an events and entertainment destination, with 15,000 square feet of meeting space, a hotel with 183 rooms overlooking Agate Pass, and a showcase of Coast Salish art

Notable residents

  • Chief Seattle (Suquamish/Duwamish, ca. 1786–1866), military leader and diplomat

Notes

References

  • Port Madison Reservation, Washington United States Census Bureau
  • Suquamish Tribe of the Port Madison Indian Reservation, official website
  • Suquamish Museum, Suquamish, WA
  • Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort, Suquamish, WA