First People’s History

The area that is now the Hudson Biological Reserve was originally used by the Palouis (Palouse) tribe and was an important gathering place of Indigenous peoples from many different tribes (Scheuerman and Finley
2008, 13, Frey 2001, 27, Sprague 1998, 354). The tribes relied mostly on fishing and gathering native plants for food, medicine, and cultural practice. The diverse plant communities native to the Palouse Prairie were actively managed and depended on by Indigenous peoples, thus the biodiversity native to the Palouse Prairie is deeply tied to the cultural and spiritual well-being of Indigenous communities. Loss of native biodiversity destabilizes ecosystems but also brings a loss of Indigenous cultural prosperity. For more information about the cultural and ethnobotanical value of the Palouse Prairie, see Dr. Cleve Davis’s publication “The Palouse Prairie: A Vanishing Indigenous People’s Garden”. Also, see the Tribal Ceded Areas Map (USFWS).

Today, Washington is home to 29 federally recognized tribes, each with their own government. There are approximately 140,714 Native citizens in Washington state. For more information, visit the Washington Tribes Website.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF AMERICA’S FIRST PEOPLES

Washington State University acknowledges that its locations statewide are on the homelands of Native peoples, who have lived in this region from time immemorial. Currently, there are 42 tribes, 35 of which are federally recognized that share traditional homelands and waterways in what is now Washington State. Some of these are nations and confederacies that represent multiple tribes and bands. The University expresses its deepest respect for and gratitude towards these original and current caretakers of the region. As an academic community, we acknowledge our responsibility to establish and maintain relationships with these tribes and Native peoples, in support of tribal sovereignty and the inclusion of their voices in teaching, research, and programming. Washington State University established the Office of Tribal Relations and Native American Programs to guide us in our relationship with tribes and service to Native American students and communities. We also pledge that these relationships will consist of mutual trust, respect, and reciprocity.

As a land grant institution, we also recognize that the Morrill Act of 1862 established land-grant institutions by providing each state with “public” and federal lands, which are traced back to the disposition of Indigenous lands. In 1890, Washington State received 90,081 acres of Indigenous Lands designated to establish Washington State University (see data). Washington State University retains the majority of these lands to this day. We acknowledge that the disposition of Indigenous lands was often taken by coercive and violent acts and the disregard of treaties. For that, we extend our deepest apologies. We owe our deepest gratitude to the Native peoples of this region and maintain our commitment to reconciliation.

(left) approximate map of historic Indigenous territories at one time pre-colonization, while the next map shows the current extent of reservations throughout Washington State.
(right)Map of current tribal territories from Washingtontribes.org 
From their website: “Generations before the advance of the modern world, the lands of the Yakama extended in all directions along the Cascade Mountain Range to the Columbia River and beyond. We considered it land given in trust by the Creator for the use of the living and a heritage to be held and protected for unborn generations.”

Confederate Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation Website

“Generations before the advance of the modern world, the lands of the Yakama extended in all directions along the Cascade Mountain Range to the Columbia River and beyond. We considered it land given in trust by the Creator for the use of the living and a heritage to be held and protected for unborn generations.”

From their website: ‘OUR VISION: “To achieve true sovereignty by attaining self-sufficiency. We will preserve and enhance our traditional values by living and teaching the inherent principles of respect, honor, and integrity as embodied in our language and life-ways. We will develop strong leadership through education, accountability, experience, and positive reinforcement.”‘

Spokane Tribe Website

OUR VISION
“To achieve true sovereignty by attaining self-sufficiency. We will preserve and enhance our traditional values by living and teaching the inherent principles of respect, honor, and integrity as embodied in our language and lifeways. We will develop strong leadership through education, accountability, experience, and positive reinforcement.”

From their website: ‘WHO WE ARE: “The Nimiipuu people have always resided and subsisted on lands that included the present-day Nez Perce Reservation in north-central Idaho. Today, the Nez Perce Tribe is a federally recognized tribal nation with more than 3,500 citizens.”‘

Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) Tribe Website

“Who We Are
The Nimiipuu people have always resided and subsisted on lands that included the present-day Nez Perce Reservation in north-central Idaho. Today, the Nez Perce Tribe is a federally recognized tribal nation with more than 3,500 citizens.”

From their website: ‘The modern Coeur d’Alene Tribe is the sum of uncounted centuries of untold generations. In the tribe’s own ancient language, it is called Schitsu’umsh, meaning “Those who were found here” or “The discovered people”. In this remains a land abundant in beauty and resources, a legacy of leadership, and a lineage that continues from the time immemorial. The Coeur d’Alenes are who they always were and who they will always be.’

Coeur d’Alene Tribe Website

Schitsu’umsh
“The modern Coeur d’Alene Tribe is the sum of uncounted centuries of untold generations. In the tribe’s own ancient language, it is called Schitsu’umsh, meaning “Those who were found here” or “The discovered people”. In this remains a land abundant in beauty and resources, a legacy of leadership, and a lineage that continues from the time immemorial. The Coeur d’Alenes are who they always were and who they will always be.”