THAT'S
THAT'S GONE ON NOW FOR ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY FIVE YEARS. >> WE SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THAT
WE ARE HERE ON DUWAMISH LANDS
AND EVERY TIME WE ACKNOWLEDGE
HOW OUR CITY GROWS WE MUST
REALIZE THAT ALL OF THAT GROWTH
CAME AT THE EXPENSE OF THE
FIRST INDIGENOUS PEOPLE.
>> CITY LEADERS OFTEN USE THAT
SCRIPT AS A PRELUDE TO
GATHERINGS AND EVENTS.
>> THEY PAUSE AND THEN MOVE ON
WITH THE SHOW.
FOR MANY DUWAMISH PEOPLE
INCLUDING JAMES RASMUSSEN, IT'S
NOT ENOUGH.
>> THAT'S NOT HELPING US AT
ALL.
I MEAN IT REALLY DOESN'T DO
ANYTHING FOR US AT ALL.
AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TELLING
A GHOST STORY.
I'M SORRY WE'RE BEYOND THAT.
TALK IS CHEAP.
EXACTLY.
HIS ANCESTORS FISHED THE
DUWAMISH RIVER FOR GENERATIONS
AND LIVED ALONG ITS BANKS.
>> THE STORY OF WHAT HAPPENED
TO THEM AFTER WHITE SETTLERS
MOVED IN IS MOTIVATION FOR
RASMUSSEN TO KEEP ADVOCATING
FOR HIS PEOPLE.
MY ANCESTORS WALK WITH ME.
THEY'RE HERE.
MY FAMILY IS HERE.
I KNOW THAT THE WRONGS STARTED
SHORTLY AFTER THE DUWAMISH MADE
WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS A DEAL
WITH THE AMERICAN SETTLERS WHO
WERE MOVING WEST.
THE DUWAMISH LEADER CHIEF SAL
THOUGHT SEATTLE SIGNED A TREATY
WITH THE U.S. GOVERNMENT IN
1855 GIVING UP THOUSANDS ACRES
OF LAND WHICH TODAY INCLUDES
MUCH OF KING COUNTY.
>> IN EXCHANGE THE U.S. WAS
SUPPOSED TO GUARANTEED THE
DUWAMISH HUNTING AND FISHING
RIGHTS AS WELL AS LAND ON A
RESERVATION.
>> NOT LONG AFTER THE INK DRIED
WHITE SETTLERS BLOCKED THE
FORMATION OF A NEW OMEISH
RESERVATION.
WHILE SEATTLE BOOMED.
CITY LEADERS TOLD THE DUWAMISH
GET OUT OF THE WAY FIRST LAWS
IN THE CITY OF SEATTLE THAT
WERE CREATED WHERE NO ONE ANY
PEOPLE COULD NOT OWN PROPERTY.
THAT'S RACISM.
AFTER SUNSET YOU BETTER NOT BE
IN THE CITY OR SHE'LL BE
ARRESTED FOR BEING AN INDIAN
FOR BEING FOR JUST BEING AN
INDIAN.
>> PEOPLE SETTLED SEATTLE IN
ORDER TO MAKE IT AN INDUSTRIAL
WORLD-CLASS CITY THAT WAS KNOW
EXPLICITLY THE INTENT FROM THE
BEGINNING.
DOESN'T MATTER WHO WAS HERE
FIRST.
IT DOES.
IT ABSOLUTELY DID NOT MATTER
WHO WAS HERE FIRST.
B.J. CUMMINGS WROTE THE RIVER
THAT MADE SEATTLE WHICH
CHRONICLES THE CITY'S FRAUGHT
HISTORY COLONIAL OCCUPATION
REQUIRES BY ITS NATURE A
WILLINGNESS AND EVEN ENTHUSIASM
FOR SUBJUGATING PEOPLE WHO ARE
ALREADY THERE.
>> THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE UNLESS
YOU CONSIDER THEM LESSER THAN
YOURSELF.
OR UNLESS YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF
MORE POWERFUL THAN THEM.
MY GRANDFATHER ALWAYS TOLD ME
YOU ARE DOING MUCH.
BE PROUD OF THAT.
THE OTHER THING HE WOULD TELL
YOU DON'T TELL A LOT OF OTHER
PEOPLE BECAUSE WHEN HE WAS
RAISED AND MY MOTHER WAS RAISED
THEY WERE BERATED BECAUSE THEY
WERE INDIAN PEOPLE.
>> INJUSTICE ECHOES TODAY THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT STILL DOES
NOT RECOGNIZE THE DUWAMISH AS A
TRIBE WHICH DENIES THEM FUNDING
FOR HOUSING, EDUCATION AND
HEALTH CARE.
THE GOVERNMENT ARGUES IN PART
THAT THE DUWAMISH WHO NUMBER
ROUGHLY 600 LACK A QUOTE
DISTINCT AMERICAN INDIAN
COMMUNITY.
>> WE SIGNED THE TREATY.
YOU KNOW WHAT'S WHAT'S
HAPPENING NOW IS AN ABOMINATION
OF LAW.
THE FACT THAT AS A COLONIAL
GOVERNMENT WE REFUSE TO EVEN
RECOGNIZE THAT THEY ARE STILL
HERE IS PERHAPS THE DEEPEST
OF THE CUTS.
DUWAMISH PEOPLE INVITED,
RECRUITED, SUPPORTED AND
ULTIMATELY SIDED REALLY WITH
THE SETTLERS HERE.
AND TODAY EXISTENCE.
>> BUT A GROWING NUMBER
OF PEOPLE ARE WAKING UP
REALIZING THAT DOING RIGHT BY
THE DUWAMISH WE SHOULD
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE HERE ON
DUWAMISH LANDS IS ABOUT MORE
THAN SIMPLY REPEATING KIND
WORDS.
>> WE MUST REALIZE THAT ALL
OF THAT GROWTH CAME AT THE
EXPENSE OF THE FIRST INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE.
>> FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S A
FUNDRAISING EFFORT CALLED REAL
RENT WHERE ANYONE CAN
VOLUNTARILY PAY A KIND OF RENT
INTO A FUND THAT GOES TO THE
DUWAMISH.
THE IDEA BEING WHERE ON THEIR
LAND LET'S PAY THEM FOR DONORS
CHOOSE HOW MUCH TO GIVE EACH
MONTH AND THE MONEY GOES TO A
NONPROFIT THAT SUPPORTS TRIBE
MEMBERS.
WE ARE OFFERING SCHOLARSHIPS
NOW TO DO OMEISH KIDS TO BE
ABLE GO TO SCHOOL.
>> THE DUKE OMEISH CONTINUE TO
PUSH FOR FEDERAL RECOGNITION.
>> IT'S A LONG TIRING PURSUIT
BUT SEATTLE'S FIRST PEOPLE
PERSEVERE.
WE'RE GETTING STRONGER.
WE KEEP FIGHTING.
YES.
YEAH.
YES. YEAH. YEAH.
YEAH. YEAH.