"People of the Water"

The Squaxin Island Reservation occupies most of a small island in Puget Sound, Squaxin Island, which lies south of Shelton. Tribal-owned lands extend from here to include the area of Kamilche, which is bisected by Highway 101. At the Kamilche exit on Highway 101 stands the tribe's growing casino, spa, resort and golf course complex, the Little Creek Casino and Resort.

The tribe is known for their elaborate hand-woven baskets and wood carvings as well as their rich cultural traditions. Historically, salmon and other foods from the rivers and waterways were the mainstay of their diet and central to their ceremonies. The western red cedar was also important. The cedar tree was steamed and bent into boxes, baskets, serving dishes, and eating utensils. Clothing, mats, furnishings, and rope were made from the bark.

Museum Library and Research Center

The Squaxin Island Tribe's Museum Library and Research Center, located in Kamilche, features exhibits and rare artifacts that tell the unique story of the people who have lived and prospered along the shores of the inland Salish Sea (Puget Sound) for untold centuries.

The museum is open to the public and considered one of the finest representations of traditional Native American culture in the Pacific Northwest. The musuem's Hall of the Seven Inlets provides a breathtaking look at the early life of the Squaxin Island Tribe, and a recent nearby archeological discovery and excavation is bringing 500-year-old tools and artifacts to the museum's "Home for Sacred Belongings."

The Squaxin Island Museum Library and Research Center maintains an official collaboration with the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture at the University of Washington in Seattle. The renown Burke Museum is the oldest public museum in Washington.

From The Squaxin Island Tribe page on our Blog:

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