Squaxin is the wrong name for Olympia’s Park

The Smithsonian’s Vol. 7 of North American Indians clearly states that there were no political groups in our area before the Stehchass  people.

Before the Treaty of 1854-55 there were some 50 groups calling this area home.  All of them had a winter home and many of them had a summer camp or shared hunting area.  Most of them were connected by marriage or common defense.  In order to negotiate with the groups, the government created tribal units and appointed chiefs and sub-chiefs to represent them.

I point out this assessment because of the move by the City of Olympia to change the name of Priest Point Park to Squaxin Park.

If the government document is right, then the Squaxin have no more naming rights to Priest Point Park than any other tribal group in the area.

If the City of Olympia must change the name of the park to represent the Native Americans who lived here prior to teh coming of the “white man”, than the appropriate name should be Stehchass Park.