Metro Parks Tacoma press release.
The award-winning Puget Sound Treaty War Panel series resumes with its final installment on Thursday, November 11. The panel, which features historians from the Muckleshoot, Nisqually, Puyallup, Steilacoom, and Squaxin Island Tribes, is free and will be hosted online.
The Puget Sound Treaty War (1855-1856) was an armed conflict between the U.S. Army, Washington Territorial volunteers and tribes involved in the Medicine Creek Treaty. The treaty, the first of several treaties negotiated by Governor Isaac Stevens in quick succession, sought the relocation of local tribes to reservations in exchange for cash payments and the preservation of hunting and fishing rights.
The War officially ended in 1856 but subsequent battles have continued – in fishing wars, boarding schools, land settlements and tribal sovereignty. Previous discussions have focused on the historical events surrounding the Treaty War. The final discussion in the series will focus on how the conflict continues to impact the Puget Sound region to this day. And organizers want to hear from you.
“The diverse perspectives on this panel have created a lot of value for our audiences,” said Fort Nisqually Living History Museum Events Coordinator, Elizabeth Rudrud. “We hope to add to this value by asking audiences to contribute directly to the scope of the conversation. We want to know what questions are out there.”
Attendees are asked to submit their questions on the lasting legacy of the Treaty War in advance of this program. Email submissions to: fortnisqually@tacomaparks.com.
Tickets for the panel discussion are FREE and can be found online at fortnisqually.org. Advance registration is required.
The Puget Sound Treaty War Panel series received the 2021 Award for Outstanding Achievement in Broadening Perspectives in Preservation from Tacoma Landmarks Preservation Commission Historic Preservation Office and is supported by the City of Tacoma. The panel series concludes with the November 11 event but will return in podcast form in 2022. More information can be found online at www.metroparkstacoma.org/fort-nisqually-indigenous-voices
