The City of Lakewood was honored to partner with the Nisqually Indian Tribe for its 2025 Leschi Honor Walk, held Feb. 28 inside Fort Steilacoom Park.
The walk traveled the Nisqually Loop Trail, which will soon have interpretive sign markers installed to share the history of the land. The trail will speak to the importance of this area to the tribe and the indigenous people who used the prairie before settlers arrived.
Before walking, Mayor Jason Whalen welcomed tribal leaders and elders. They then spoke about Chief Leschi, his legacy and how he was wrongfully hung not far away from the park. They also spoke to the strength of the Nisqually People, their descendants and the importance of never forgetting the role the prairie lands played in the lives of Indigenous peoples who once roamed the land that now comprises part of Fort Steilacoom Park.
Later this year work will begin on the Nisqually Loop Trail project. The city is working closely with the tribe on this project to install several interpretive exhibits along the trail in the southeast area of the park. The exhibits will be located along a 1-mile trail and include Nisqually art, educational information and Lushootseed language. Construction is anticipated to occur late summer or early fall.
Suggestion: relocate the Leschi monument from its current location in a strip mall to a prominent place in the Park worthy of the man and his people’s history.
Will’s sentiment is laudable, but the existing monument engraving is site specific.
Suggest City defer to ideas of Nisqually Tribe for appropriate recognition, which I believe should include renaming Fort Steilacoom Park to Chief Leschi Park.
I encourage everyone interested, which should include the Mayor and City Council, City of Lakewood, Washington, if they have not, to read “The Bitter Waters of Medicine Creek,” by Richard Kluger, copy once furnished.
I fear many people walk past ‘the rock’ recognizing Chief Leschi, never realizing it’s significance, nor do they know anything about the man. I hope more information about him and his part in our history will be made available as part of this walk.