Much of the discussion of Native American tribes in the U.S. is often in the context of their interactions with European colonizers during and after “discovery” and the U.S. and Americans since the formation of the United States. In other words, mainstream history and contemporary political discourse are predominately Eurocentric. In the case of the Quileute Tribe, mainstream media coverage and the overall public awareness of the tribe was essentially non-existent prior to the misrepresentation of the tribe’s creation story in the Twilight Saga. As I have discussed previously, Twilight’s creator, Stephanie Meyer, committed a gross injustice by using and manipulating the Quileute Tribe’s creation story without even consulting the tribe. Quileute elder Chris Morganroth spoke of this in a speech at a Native Storytelling Festival in 2012. The media attention brought by the films did provide the tribe with a platform to push for land rights (PBS NewsHour). However, that doesn’t erase the wrongness of the immoral act of stealing an important aspect of another’s culture and manipulating it into mainstream mythology for personal gain. While the Twilight Saga is very much “in the past,” similar to European colonization, the impacts are still present today. Over the course of this blog, I have struggled to find information about the tribe that is unrelated to the Twilight movies. In a single Google search, many of the results of the Quileute Tribe are associated with the Twilight Saga. In understanding the very Eurocentric nature of mainstream media and the implications of a predominately Eurocentric view of the world, I have focused my research on the perspectives of and information provided by members of the Quileute Tribe. Additionally, my primary source for this blog has been the Quileute Tribe via their official website.

It’s my view that much of mainstream history, contemporary media coverage and political conversation largely fails to wholeheartedly acknowledge the sovereignty of Native American tribes. Regarding many issues regarding land and treaty rights, past and present, the U.S. government has also failed to acknowledge the sovereignty of tribes. For example, in 1938 President Franklin D. Roosevelt turned a portion of the Quileute Tribe’s “ancestral lands” into Olympic National Park (Jimc). As provided by Jimc from The Spokesman, “Quileute tribal members note that Roosevelt never came near La Push before deciding to turn their ancestral lands into a park […] The federal government laid claim to Thunder Field, an area along the river the tribe regards as sacred, and other areas the Quileutes believe are theirs”.

While the tribe did cede much of their land to the United States government in The Treaty of Olympia in 1856 (“Treaty of Olympia”), it’s important to note the extreme disadvantage of Native American Tribes in comparison to the United States in the past and present. While treaties are considered the supreme law of the land under the U.S. Constitution, and thus it would be reasonable for the U.S. to exercise its ‘ownership’ of ceded lands without consulting tribes, this argument loses ground when considering the U.S. government’s continued violation of treaties with Native American tribes. For example, under the Treaty of Olympia, the tribe ceded much of their land in exchange for U.S. recognition of their right to fish “all usual and accustomed grounds and stations” (“Treaty of Olympia”). However, their fishing activities in areas they are entitled to fish in under this treaty are still regulated by the United States. For example, the tribe is not allowed to fish for commercial purposes at Olympic National Park, however, they are permitted to harvest invertebrates (e.g. clams and mussels) “for subsistence and ceremonial purposes” (“Fisheries Management”). It’s important to note that U.S. regulation of the Quileute Tribe’s fishing is not just a violation of their fishing rights and the Treaty of Olympia (and thus, a violation of the sanctity of treaties) but it is also a violation of the tribe’s sovereignty. By signing the treaty with the Quileute Tribe, the U.S. was both agreeing to respect and fulfill the terms of the treaty and officially acknowledging and legitimizing (in the eyes of the U.S. government) the sovereignty of the tribe.

Regarding the land rights of the Quileute Tribe, the tribe did receive some recognition in 2006 when tribal leaders met with the Park Service and U.S. Representative Norm Dicks to discuss their land rights (Timc). However, since land rights pertain to the Treaty of Olympia, it would have been much more appropriate and efficient for the United States government to negotiate with the tribe. While the Quileute Tribe was well within their rights to push to regain ceded lands, the issue was especially important to the tribe due to the geographical location of their reservation. Consequential of their low-ground location, the tribe is especially vulnerable to floods and tsunamis (Jimc). While land rights are important to the tribe, addressing the Treaty of Olympia was not important to the U.S. government. It wasn’t until the media attention received by the Quileute Tribe following the success of the Twilight Saga that the tribe was able to regain some of their ceded land located in Olympic National Park (PBS NewsHour). While the Quileute Tribe eventually succeeded in their efforts to regain some of their lost lands, the Quileute Tribes, like many tribes in the U.S., continue to struggle to have their rights and sovereignty acknowledged by the U.S. government. Regardless, the Quileute and countless other tribes continue to fight for their rights and the betterment of their people and all, particularly through economic and environmental efforts. In other words, they are not people existing only in the past or in their interactions with the U.S., regardless of the level of acknowledgment of their culture, history and contemporary activities by mainstream media and the U.S. government.

References

Morganroth, Chris. Native Storytelling Festival: The Real Story Of the Quileute Wolves,

SmithsonianNMAI, YouTube, 12 Mar. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmfbQRclFf8.

“FISHERIES MANAGEMENT.” Quileute Nation, https://quileutenation.org/natural-resources/fisheries-management/

PBS NewsHour, Penn-Charles, Anne. “How ‘Twilight’ Stardom Helped the Quileute Tribe Regain Land,” YouTube, 15 July 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=i46BSmYhC-w.

Jimc. “Quileute Tribe fights for ancestral land, safety.” The Spokesman. Oct 9, 2011.

Visit.

“THE TREATY OF OLYMPIA, JAN. 6, 1856,” Quileute Nation. Visit

As provided by the Quileute Tribe: “Ever since the original United States vs Washington decision of 1974, a case which has been continually refined with proceedings since such time, Quileute and other treaty tribes of Western Washington have been recognized as co-managers of the fishery resource with the state” (“Natural Resources”). In fulfilling their managerial role, the Quileute tribe engages in projects monitoring and managing the salmon and halibut (among other fish populations) and crab populations (“Natural Resources”). In exercising their fishing rights, the tribe harvests clams, mussels and other invertebrates from the beaches of Olympic National Park (“Natural Resources”). While they are not permitted to fish commercially in those areas, because the beaches fall under the tribe’s “Usual and Accustomed area[s],” they are able to harvest the marine life described above for “subsistence and ceremonial purposes” (“Natural Resources”). The tribe works with state and local governments on a number of issues. For instance, as part of their work managing the salmon and other fish populations and their habitats, ensuring and monitoring water quality, among other environmentally-focused projects, the Quileute tribe often works with U.S. and state agencies like the U.S. Forest Service and Washington Department of Natural Resources (“Natural Resources”). Additionally, as provided by the Quileute Tribe: “[…]recently Quileute and other Pacific Coast treaty tribes, with the state of Washington, created an Interagency Policy Council to directly discuss with the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary issues impacting tribal resources within Sanctuary boundaries” (“Natural Resources”). In this regard, the Quileute tribe is engaged in a multilateral effort with other tribes and the state of Washington in order to address their concerns, particularly in regards to the environment and tribal resources.

However, there is still inequity when it comes to fishing rights within the geographical boundaries of the United States. As addressed by the Quileute tribe: “United States vs. Washington has limited tribal treaty fishing to particular geographic areas on the coast, while non-tribal fishers can access the entire coastline within US jurisdiction” (“Natural Resources”).  Therefore, there are disparities regarding fishing rights and access to fishing areas between native and non-native people in the United States. In this regard, the fishing rights of the Quileute tribe infringed upon by the United States. By limiting their access to fishing zones, the U.S. is also inhibiting the tribe’s access to life-sustaining resources (e.g. fish). However, the significance of fishing for the Quileute tribe is not limited to the sustenance it provides and it’s economic value, as fishing is also an important part of Quileute culture (“Natural Resources”). As provided by the Quileute tribe: “Ceremonial fish are a vital part of tribal potlatches and other events. Tribal youth are taught from an early age how to engage in both river and marine fisheries” (“Natural Resources”). Therefore, it’s evident that fishing is crucial to their culture, sense of togetherness and livelihoods. It must be noted that Article III of the Treaty of Olympia of 1856 established and legitimized (in the eyes of the U.S. government) the Quileute and other tribes’ of the treaty’s right to fish in “all usual and accustomed” locations (“Treaty of Olympia”). In my view, Article III ensures the Quileute tribe’s right to fish where their people had traditionally fished, free from U.S. regulations. Therefore, it could be argued that the tribe had the right to fish in other areas, as long as they recognize and abide by U.S. regulations if the zones they choose to fish in fall under U.S. jurisdiction.

However, what is “usual and accustomed” is up to interpretation, and in my view, up to the discretion of the Quileute Tribe as they have the most knowledge of their tribe’s historical and contemporary fishing locations. Additionally, it could be argued that the tribe, at the time of treaty signing, had been “accustomed” to fish in any location that provided a surplus of fish to meet the tribe’s subsistence and cultural needs. Regardless, the disparities regarding access to fishing across native and non-native populations must be addressed and hopefully, alleviated. By regulating the fishing rights of the Quileute Tribe, the U.S. is violating their sovereignty and their ability to be self-sufficient. While this is not an example of direct criminalization, by placing regulations on the tribe’s fishing rights, the U.S. is thus regulating the tribe with laws that can be broken. Therefore, this serves as a violation of the tribe’s sovereignty. Additionally, by regulating their fishing activities, the tribe’s only responses are to abide by U.S. regulations or violate them, which is where the issue of criminalization becomes relevant.

In the end, this is a very complex issue but nonetheless one that needs to be addressed.

References

“FISHERIES MANAGEMENT.” Quileute Tribe, quileutenation.org/natural-resources/fisheries-management/. Visit.

“THE TREATY OF OLYMPIA, JAN. 6, 1856.” Quileute Tribe, quileutenation.org/natural-resources/the-treaty-of-olympia/. Visit.

Rather than focus on the disheartening aspects of Quileute history, such as the impacts of European colonialism and U.S. domination as I have in previous posts, I would like to utilize this post to celebrate Quileute culture. As addressed by the tribe’s website, storytelling served to educate Quileute youth prior to the establishment of institutionalized education (“Raven Tales”). Traditional stories include trickster stories, often featuring Raven and other animal characters (“Raven Tales”). Quileute trickster stories teach valuable lessons regarding morals and appropriate conduct, such as the following: “working hard and being true to yourself is more important than trying some copycat shortcut” (“Raven Tales”).

The ancient history of the Quileute tribe provides that there was a time long ago when “animals were like human beings” (“Raven Tales”). This history is rooted at the beginning of the Quileute’s existence, as their creation story provides that the tribe came into existence after a Transformer transformed them from wolves into people (“History”).

The Quileute Tribe has generously shared a some of their traditional stories through their website, in a collection titled “Raven Tales: Traditional Quileute Stories of Bayak, the Trickster”. The stories are told by Quileute elder Fred Woodruff Sr. with Vickie Jensen, Jay Powell, Carol McLaren, and Nola Johnston as contributors. Some of their traditional stories serve to explain how things came to be the way they are. For instance, “Bayak and Akil: Raven and Bear” provides the series of events that tell the story of how Raven “got his black, curled-up feet” (11). According to the story, Raven’s feet became black and curled after Raven copied Bear by trying to use his feet to make oil to cook fish for their dinner, which he had witnessed Bear do previously (11-15). In my view, this story serves as a cautionary tale by illustrating the consequences of mimicking others, since Raven wouldn’t have burnt his feet if he hadn’t copied Bear. I encourage you to visit the link provided above and read the full story.

Some Traditional Quileute stories also feature monsters and serve as cautionary tales for Quileute children. For example, Daskiya is a monster that eats children she finds in the woods “wandering alone or misbehaving” (40).

References

“Raven Tales.” Quileute Nation, https://quileutenation.org/stories-and-tales/.

“History.” Quileute Nation, https://quileutenation.org/history/.

Woodruff, Fred, et. al.  Raven Tales: Traditional Quileute Stories of Bayak, the Trickster. Quileute Nation, https://quileutenation.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/raventales.pdf.

When considering the relations between North American tribes and European colonizers, and later the U.S., there is a clear trend of cultural, societal and environmental destruction. The implications of European domination continue to present challenges for tribes today. While tribes, like the Quileute, continue to fight for their rights, their resilience does not remove the historical and modern realities of European colonization and the impacts the U.S. policies of domination and assimilation.

One notable impact was the the compulsion of the English language, particularly in boarding schools for Native children. While there are many noteworthy impacts, the loss of language is crucial as it is a key aspect of individual identity. Additionally, language solidifies the bonds between people and strengthens societal unity.

As discussed in previous posts, these schools forced Native children to forsake their languages and speak English instead. Boarding schools for Native children became prevalent in the U.S. between 1860-80s, according to the American Indian Relief Council. While this was certainly a long time ago, it wasn’t until 1978 when the U.S. government passed The Indian Child Welfare Act that the parental rights of Indigenous peoples were officially established and protected by the U.S. government.  Consequently, the long history of U.S. control over Native lives has had a devastating impact, particularly the loss of traditional languages as generations of children were removed from their homes and mandated to adopt a foreign language. While cultural revitalization projects, including the resurrection of Native languages, present a positive outlook for the future, it’s important to address the cultural destruction resulting from U.S. domination. As noted by Quileute Nation, native languages have been on a drastic decline (“The Quileute Language”). As a response, in 2007 the tribe enacted a revitalization project to restore and preserve the Quileute language. 

While the Quileute tribe has taken action to alleviate the effects of cultural destruction, environmental destruction is also an important issue for the tribe. According to “Environmental Programs” on the tribes website,  from 1994 to present day, the tribe has engaged in several major projects dedicated to environmental protection and restoration. For example, the tribe has continually worked to protect the salmon population and other natural resources from environmental degradation. In many of these projects, the tribe worked with federal and state governments. In my view, this is significant because the Quileute tribe, like many other North American tribes, continue to work to alleviate the past and current impacts of European colonization, such as environmental degradation due to industrial development. Despite the historical reality that Native tribes were subject to U.S. domination, many tribes like the Quileute tribe are working to cooperate with the U.S., while maintaining their sovereignty, in order to protect the environment.

References

Quileute Tribe:

“Environmental Programs.” Quileute Nation, https://quileutenation.org/natural-resources/environmental-programs/

“The Quileute Language.” Quileute Nation, https://quileutenation.org/language/

External Sources:

“Indian Child Welfare Act.” Indian Child Welfare Act Resources, http://www.tribal-institute.org/lists/icwa.htm

“Native American History and Culture: Boarding Schools.” Native Partnership , American Indian Relief Council , http://www.nativepartnership.org/site/PageServer?pagename=airc_hist_boardingschools.

Traditional Quileute Culture 

The Quileute tribe has a rich cultural history, as addressed by my previous post on the Quileute creation story. As a brief overview, the Quileute people lived off of the ocean for thousands of years prior to European contact. Since they relied on of the ocean, they developed advanced canoes out of red cedar trees, which were specifically designed for various uses, including maritime travel. Quileute people enjoyed competitive games, dancing, singing, and oral storytelling. They also made intricate baskets, blankets, tools, and other items that they used in daily life.

For more information on traditional Quileute life and culture, visit the tribe’s website.

European Impact on Quileute Culture

European colonization and the subsequent involvement of the young U.S. in Quileute affairs had severe impacts on the culture and livelihood of many Native American tribes, including the Quileute tribe. While European contact with Quileutes began in the 1700s, the influence of European culture was not prominent until 1882, when A.W. Smith opened a school in LaPush, according to information provided on the tribe’s website. At this school, A.W. Smith and his wife gave Quileute children biblical names and taught American history (Quileute Nation; McKimmie). The formation of schools for Native children was a crucial aspect of this era of bringing European “civilization” to Indigenous people, such as the Quileutes. Many of these schools served to condition children to adopt European culture. For instance, it was common for children to be removed from their homes (to better assimilate them into European “civilization”) and they were taught to “dress” and “act” white (McKimmie). Over time, the European intrusion into the lives of Quileutes forced many to forsake much of their traditional life and culture in order to adapt. For instance, Heather McKimmie provides an analysis of the European impact on Quileute culture and way of life, based on Quileute newspapers from 1908-1910. According to McKimmie’s findings: “…many Quileutes altered their traditional religious beliefs and accepted the white man’s education in pursuit of a better future”.

While the influx of European involvement in Quileute education was detrimental to the Quileute peoples’ cultural identity and way of life, other European actions served to inhibit the tribe’s ability to preserve their culture and history. For instance, only a few years after A.W. Smith opened a school in LaPush, every home on the reservation was destroyed through arson committed by a European settler over a territory conflict (Quileute Nation). Unfortunately, this act destroyed something much more valuable than homes. While structures can be rebuilt, the fire also destroyed the only remaining, tangible items at LaPush that resembled their traditional culture and way of life, before it was corrupted by European contact (Quileute Nation). Among the precious items destroyed: “the last carved masks, baskets, hunting equipment, and sacred regalia from pre-contact days” (Quileute Nation).

Why Twilight Matters

While European colonialism had devastating impacts on Quileute culture, the tribe is dedicated to restoring key aspects of their culture. For instance, in 2007 the tribe enacted the Quileute Revitalization Project to promote language restoration (Quileute Nation). It’s clear that their culture and history is very important to the Quileute tribe, which is why the inaccurate depiction of the tribe’s origin story cannot be left unacknowledged. As I addressed in my last post, the Twilight Saga turned the Quileute creation story into mainstream fiction. While the tribe is making strides in restoring their culture, the decades in which their lands, livelihood, and culture was decimated by European colonization and U.S. involvement have a lasting impact today that cannot be forgotten.  Which is why it’s so important to note this modern example of misrepresenting and disrespecting the Quileute culture.

References: 

Quileute Nation:

“History.” Quileute Nation, quileutenation.org/history/.

“The Quileute Language.” Quileute Nation, quileutenation.org/language/.

Who are the Quileutes?

The Quileutes are a Native American tribe located in La Push, Washington, which has been the homeland of their people for thousands of years according to the tribe’s website (“History”).

Traditional Life 

According to their website, the Quileute people lived off of the sea, primarily fishing and hunting sea life. They relied on the ocean for most of their needs with led to the development of maritime skills and technology for sea travel. For instance, they built canoes for ocean travel that were over fifty feet long. Their traditional government was kinship-based, meaning that chiefs were selected based on bloodlines. Their canoes, which they built from the surrounding red cedar trees, were significant to their way of life. Rituals and supernatural elements were a significant aspect of their culture. For instance, young people went on “solitary spirit quests” in search of their “taxilit,” which is a Quileute word that means “personal guardian power”.  Dancing, singing, gambling, and competitive games were common activities among members of the tribe. Storytelling was also an important aspect of traditional tribal life. Stories were utilized to share historical knowledge, teach lessons and otherwise enrich the lives of the Quileute people (“Raven Tales”).

For more information on traditional life and culture, visit the sections on “History”  and “Raven Tales” provided by the Quileute tribe.

Origin

Quileute elder Chris Morganroth shared the Quileute origin story at the Native Storytelling Festival in 2012. According to Morganroth’s speech, he learned the Quileute language from his grandmother who only spoke in their traditional tongue. His grandmother regularly told him stories, which is the traditional way that Quileute people are taught. At the Quileute school, they provide cultural education, such as basket weaving, singing, drumming, traditional food, and medicines. He dedicates his time teaching children the Quileute language and other aspects of traditional culture as he is fluent in the traditional language and passionate about cultural revitalization and preservation.

“When anybody loses their language, they lose their identity”

-Chris Morganroth

Before sharing the creation story of the Quileutes, Morganroth clears up the misinformation regarding the Quileute’s origin as it is depicted by the popular Twilight Saga. He explains: “The vampire and the werewolf were never a part of my culture”. According to Morganroth, the Quileute people were changed from wolves into people by “The Changer,” a transformer put on the Earth by The Creator in order to “make life on Earth more pleasant for every living thing”. In this explanation of the tribe’s origin, “The Changer” came upon the Quileute land where there were no people. He saw two timber wolves, one male and one female, and turned them into the Quileute people. He ensured that there was an abundance of food and resources so that they could thrive, before continuing on his journey.

The Impact of Twilight

During Chris Morganroth’s speech, he states that Stephanie Meyer, the author of the Twilight Saga, did not ask the tribe’s permission to use their creation story in her fictional series about vampires and the Quileute shape-shifting werewolves.

While the Twilight Saga spread an untrue and fabricated version of the Quileute origin story without permission, the series did put a spotlight on the tribe which aided their fifty-year fight with the U.S. government to regain lost land, according to a PBS interview with tribal member Anne Penne-Charles (‘Twilight’ Stardom-Quileute Tribe Regain Land”).

Current Issues 

A news story by PBS titled “Twilight’s Quileute Tribe Fights to Regain Precious Land”  provides a series of interviews with Quileute members and information regarding tribal concerns. The news story was published in 2012 after the tribe has succeeded in its long struggle to regain part of the land forfeited in an 1855 treaty in exchange for fishing rights, which was necessary for the tribe’s livelihood. Consequently, the land they kept was a fraction of the size of their original territory and located in an area that experiences frequent flooding and erosion, putting the tribe at risk and reducing their quality of life. At the time of the interview, Congress just passed a bill that returned almost 800 acres of the tribes land, which will allow them to eventually move to higher ground.

References: 

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog!

This blog will focus on the history, culture and current events relating to the Quileute Tribe of North America. Each week I will share my research on life before and after European contact, the impacts of European contact, culture, politics, and the environment.

I was inspired to learn more about this tribe after watching the film Reel Injun, a documentary that addresses the portrayal of Native Americans in films. This documentary explains how the development of cinema is tied to the development and perpetuation of stereotypes about Native Americans. A few examples of these stereotypes are the “wise elder” and “stoic warrior”. Previously, my only knowledge of the Quileute tribe was based on the portrayal of the tribe in the Twilight Saga. I was surprised to learn that the Quileute Tribe is real. That in itself illustrates how the film industry has controlled the narrative on Native American history and culture. If you are interested in learning more about Hollywood’s portrayal of Native Americans throughout history, I suggest that you watch this documentary. I have provided a link at the bottom of this page.

The Quileute Tribe is located in La Push, Washington. According to the Quileute nation website, this group is dedicated to the preservation of their language, which I will talk about in-depth in later blog posts. If you would like to learn more about the tribe’s efforts towards language preservation, you can visit their website: https://quileutenation.org/language/ 

On an end note, here are some historical photographs of members of this group, which I located on the tribe’s website:

Thank you for reading!

Click on the link to view a free version of the film available on Youtube Reel Injun (2009)