Puyallup

Treaty of December 26, 1854

On December 26, 1854, Governor Isaac I. Stevens and representatives of various Native American tribes in Washington Territory signed a treaty at Medicine Creek. The agreement involved the tribes ceding their land to the United States while reserving certain tracts for their use. It established rights to fishing, hunting, and cultivation, along with financial compensation from the U.S. to support the tribes’ transition and education. The treaty also included provisions for maintaining peace, prohibiting the sale of liquor, and the abolition of slavery among tribe members.

Puyallup Indians

The Puyallup Indians, part of the Nisqually dialectic group within the Salishan linguistic family, reside at the mouth of the Puyallup River and surrounding coastal areas. Their notable villages include Eshaktlabsh, Kalkalak, and Puyallup, among others. The 1937 U.S. Office of Indian Affairs recorded a population of 322 Puyallup individuals. Their legacy endures through various geographical features, including the Puyallup River, an Indian reservation, a glacier, and the town of Puyallup in Pierce County.

Puyallup Tribe

The Puyallup Tribe, a significant Salish group located along the Puyallup River and Commencement Bay in Washington, derives its name from the Nisqualli term for the river’s mouth, or possibly from the word meaning “shadow,” due to their forested environment. In 1854, the tribe ceded its lands to the United States through the Medicine Creek Treaty, agreeing to relocate to a designated reservation near Shenahnam Creek. As of 1901, the Puyallup population on the reservation stood at 536, declining to 469 by 1909.