OLYMPIA — The state Transportation Commission chose “Suquamish” as the name of the state’s fourth Olympic-class ferry at its meeting March 16.

The selection follows a public process in which the commission considered three eligible names — Cowlitz, Sammamish, and Suquamish — and sought input from Washington State Ferries, the Ferry Advisory Committee Executive Council, ferry riders and the general public.

“We’re grateful that the Transportation Commission chose to honor our Tribe, our ancestors, our culture and history by naming the next ferry ‘Suquamish,’” Suquamish Tribe Chairman Leonard Forsman told the Herald March 16. “We look forward to celebrating the christening of the vessel and see it as a symbol of our maritime heritage as it crosses our ancestral waters in the future.”

He said future riders of the ferry will “learn about our tradition of strong regional leaders — Chief Seattle, Chief Wa’hal’chu and Chief Kitsap — and also learn about our long spiritual connection to the waters of the Salish Sea and beyond. We were able to attend the commission meeting in January with a couple dozen elders and I know they were very happy.”

Commission Chairman Anne Haley said in an announcement of the naming, “The Suquamish have a rich cultural and maritime history in the Salish Sea with their ancestral heartland encompassing the north end of Hood Canal and the Olympic Peninsula to Indian Island, the Kitsap Peninsula, and both sides of Admiralty Inlet to the Tacoma Narrows in the south.

“It is fitting to name this vessel ‘Suquamish’ since nearly all the contemporary Washington state ferry system routes traverse historically documented Suquamish canoe travel corridors.”

The commission has guidelines that help determine the eligibility of a name proposal. Names for ferries should carry statewide significance and represent our state’s image and culture. Specifically, names should represent such things as:

— State-adopted symbols.
— Tribal names.
— Names of bodies of water, geographic locations, cities, counties.
— Relate to nautical heritage, etc.

Consideration is given to the consistency with existing Washington State Ferries fleet names.

Names should have broad familiarity, be non‐offensive, and meet ethical standards. Names with commercial overtones or names honoring or commemorating individuals are generally avoided but may be considered upon “very careful review.”

Many of the 23 vessels in Washington State Ferries’ fleet have names reflecting the state’s Tribal, geographic and historic heritage. The most recently named vessels — Chimacum, Samish and Tokitae — are in keeping with that tradition.