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Suquamish - Washington (U.S.)

Native American

image by Donald Healy, 1 February 2008

The band
The flag

See also:

The Band

map image by Peter Orenski based on input from Don Healy

Suquamish - Washington

Seattle, the largest city in the Pacific Northwest, is named for Chief Seattle of the Suquamish Indian Nation. Born about 1790 (DAI, 370), during the Indian Wars of 1855 and 1858 Chief Seattle remained on good terms with the white settlers-in 1890, the centennial of his birth, the city erected a monument over his grave.

The Flag

Chief Seattle's own Suquamish people also remember their great chief. Residents of the Port Madison Reservation (NAA, 285) on the western shores of Puget Sound across from Seattle, they display his image on their flag. Made on the reservation, the flag is divided in half vertically-the left half is black, the right half is red. A large yellow oval-oriented lengthwise-bears a portrait of Chief Seattle in black. A white band surrounds the oval, with TREATY OF POINT ELLIOTT-1855 which Chief Seattle signed, across the top and CHIEF SEATTLE below, all in black. Across the bottom of the flag is SUQUAMISH TRIBE in white.

The colors of the field and seal constitute the four primary colors of Native art and belief - red, white, yellow, and black. As with many other tribes, the colors recall many aspects of life-the four directions, the four races of man, the four seasons, the four natural elements, and the four ages of a man's life [see Miccosukee]. The Suquamish combine these four colors (which unite them with other Native peoples) with imagery unique to them (which shows their distinct place in history) to create meaning in their flag.

[Thanks to Scott Crowell of the Suquamish Nation for information about the flag.]

© Donald Healy 2008
information provided by Peter Orenski, 31 January 2008