The Snohomish (written Sduhubš in their language) are a Coast Salish people who have lived along the Snohomish River since time immemorial. Their largest village was Hibulb, near the mouth of the river in what is now Everett. Like their other Coast Salish neighbors, the Snohomish used dugout canoes to travel along rivers and around Puget Sound. Salmon fishing was important to the Snohomish, both for sustenance and for cultural reasons. In 1855, Snohomish leaders signed the Treaty of Point Elliott. They ceded land to the United States but reserved rights for hunting, gathering, and fishing at all usual and accustomed places. The Snohomish were temporarily assigned to live on the Tulalip reservation and were promised their own reservation. However, the US government later reneged on this promise and most Snohomish people remained on the Tulalip reservation. As of 2023, the Snohomish are not a federally-recognized tribe.
Pilchuck Julia, of the Snohomish people, was born around 1840 and witnessed the signing of the 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott. After the treaty, she and her husband Pilchuck Jack stayed at their home on the Pilchuck River, near the town of Snohomish, Washington. Pilchuck Julia supported the family by making baskets and by selling clams, salmon, and berries. She was also known for her accurate weather predictions. During her lifetime, Julia was a much-photographed figure. Pilchuck Julia died of smallpox in 1923 and is buried in the G.A.R. Cemetery in Snohomish. The Pilchuck Julia Boat Landing in Snohomish was named in her honor in 2017.
Caption on image: "Pilchuck Julia, [copyright] 1915 by Wm. Douglas." SHS category: Indians - Women
Caption information source: Snohomish Tribe of Indians, About Us, retrieved from: https://snohomishtribe.org/about Caption information source: “Snohomish County – Thumbnail History,” by Margaret Riddle, HistoryLink, retrieved from https://www.historylink.org/file/7877 Caption information source: “City of Snohomish officially names boat landing in honor of Pilchuck Julia,” by Kim Kalliber, Tulalip News, retrieved from https://www.tulalipnews.com/wp/2019/08/28/city-of-snohomish-officially-names-boat-landing-in-honor-of-pilchuck-julia/
