Deed of Trust: Two Cultures Overcome Prejudices to Improve Community Relations
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January/February 2006
By Joyanna Laughlin
Disagreements about Old Man House Park have continued into the twenty-first century. At a public hearing in 2001, non-native residents argued against putting a tribal housing project near the park. Soon after that, the nearby grave of Chief Seattle—a nineteenth-century Suquamish and Duwamish leader—was desecrated, possibly as a threat against the project. In response to these disturbing events, tribal people and non-native community members such as neighborhood resident Sarah Ruth van Gelder, formed SON. In 2003, the Suquamish tribe invited SON—co-chaired by van Gelder and George—to participate in efforts to return Old Man House Park to the Suquamish people. “SON members and the tribe wanted to listen to the real concerns of the residents,” van Gelder says. “The tribe was wise in creating meetings where anyone with opinions or questions could be heard,” George adds.
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Drawing on more than 400 public comments, a joint committee of the tribe and community residents drafted a comprehensive park-management plan and began a letter-writing campaign and a petition drive. They enlisted support from park commissioners, politicians, tribal leaders, and church and civic groups. “This was the right thing to do,” says van Gelder. “The Suquamish people have taken their future into their own hands.”
By working together, Suquamish tribal members and the non-tribal community developed mutual respect and created hope for the future. Says George, “This land represents the beginning of the restoration and ownership of the Indian Red Road [Native American spiritual path and practice]—those things that allowed Indians to be vital.
Visit the Suquamish Olalla Neighbors' website to learn more about SON’s efforts.
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