The Funeral of a Puyallup Reformer
Thousands gathered for the burial of Peter C. Stanup, a Presbyterian minister and activist who sought to lead his people toward the rights of citizenship.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Peter C. Stanup was buried this afternoon in the Hillside cemetery on the Puyallup reservation. Eighteen hundred people were present. Jonas Stanup and his wife, the father and mother of Peter, were the principal objects of interest. Peter was an ordained Presbyterian minister and had been an effective missionary among the Indians. He was a reformer, and fought to bring his people out of bondage into the rights of citizenship, and because of his efforts in behalf of his people, he has been made the first martyr in the cause which he advocated. The funeral was marked by a blend of Presbyterian and Catholic traditions, reflecting the complicated religious landscape of the reservation. Reverend L. H. Hallock, pastor of the First Congregational Church of Tacoma, delivered a tribute, noting that Peter had been a kind, honest, and fearless friend to those in distress.
“He was a reformer, and fought to bring his people out of bondage into the rights of citizenship, and because of his efforts in behalf of his people, he has been made the first martyr in the cause which he advocated.”
Peter C. Stanup’s advocacy for the rights of citizenship for Indigenous people reflects the long, ongoing struggle for self-determination and recognition within the sovereign nations that exist within Washington State today.
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