Chief Si’ahl, the namesake of the city of Seattle, was born to a mother from the dxʷdəwʔabš Tribe, and a father who was chief of the Suquamish Tribe.
Throughout the course of his lifetime he witnessed the colonization of the Puget Sound, and the devastation of new diseases introduced by Europeans. In his adulthood, he inherited the position of Chief of the dxʷdəwʔabš Tribe, building a strong alliance between both his maternal and paternal tribes.
Chief Si’ahl was a warrior whose leadership skills proved to be very effective. This led to a council selecting Chief Si’ahl as the leader of the six tribes in the Puget Sound region. More than just his battle, Chief Si’ahl was known for being peaceful.
His legacy of leadership, peace, and collaboration made a mark for generations to come. As the first people of this land, we remember the legacy of Chief Si’ahl and the history of indigenous people around the country during Native American Heritage Month and all the months in between.
