Editor’s Note: With the 2006 Tribal Journeys canoe trip bringing Native American residents throughout the greater Northwest together in Suquamish, the most recent submission by the Poulsbo Historical Society seemed too timely to “hide” inside the pages of the Herald.

SUQUAMISH — In “Tall Timber and the Tide,” author Joan Carson writes, “The little bay, now known as Miller’s Bay, has two names. ‘Tsquaib’ was the name first given it by the Suquamish Indians. It is after a succulent-rooted fern that grew there.

“It was to this little bay that, so the legend goes, Princess Googowis led the Suquamish and had them make their home. They had been fleeing the fierce warlike tribes from further north. One of these tribes, the Yukstahk with their sharply pointed heads, followed the Suquamish to their new home and a tremendous battle was fought. Because of Princess Googowis’ strong magic, or ‘tamanawis,’ the Suquamish tribe destroyed the raiding Yukstahks and had to fear them no longer.

“In the 1850s, a man by the name of Miller settled on this bay that now bears his name. He logged much of the area around the water. He also built a small store for the few white inhabitants and Indians in the surrounding territory.”

The Suquamish people are one of many Salish-speaking tribes in Western Washington. Though the name Suquamish comes from d’suq’wub, the main village site along the shore of Agate Pass, the Suquamish lived in other villages throughout what is now known as Kitsap County.

Life for the Suquamish once revolved around the seasonal gathering of fish, shellfish, roots and berries. At the start of the spring salmon runs, small groups of families left their villages and traveled by canoe to favorite fishing and gathering places where they set up temporary camps at the mouths of streams and rivers. As fall approached, the Suquamish often traded with neighboring tribes for additional goods and specialty items, such as whale oil, razor clams, beadwork, basketry and various kinds of salmon.

In the winter, tribal members repaired nets, utensils, tools, weapons, and baskets for the next gathering season. The red cedar was a crucial resource, providing materials for shelter and canoes. Its bark was also shredded and woven into clothing, ropes and mats.

Like other tribes of the Puget Sound region, the Suquamish have endured many changes brought by white settlement since the 19th century.

They have survived by retaining traditional customs and values, while adjusting their lifestyle to a foreign culture.

They were here first and they remain here with their traditions still alive. Get to know them and others this weekend as the 2006 Tribal Journeys canoe trip arrives in the North Kitsap community.

Text paraphrased from the Suquamish Tribe 1981 Calendar.

Learn more about Suquamish history from the Suquamish Museum, 15838 Sandy Hook Road, P.O. Box 490, Suquamish, WA 98392, (360) 598-3311 ext. 422, www.suquamish.nsn.us/museum or local history from the Poulsbo Historical Society, info@poulsbohistory.org, (360) 440-7354.

Reprints of historical photo-graphs are also available.