Discord Over Puyallup Tribal Land Sales
Conflicting signatures and disputed authority stir tensions among the Puyallup tribe as federal commissioners push for land sales.
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The Puyallup reservation commission claims they have learned that nearly half of the Indians whose names were signed to a statement refusing to confer with the commissioners regarding the sale of their lands did not actually sign the document. One tribal member noted that the committee responsible for the notice stands by their refusal, and they intend to continue their opposition until the commission is relieved of its duties by the courts. Furthermore, tribal members assert that the name 'Reed Bennaywah,' which appeared on the notice, does not belong to any known member of the tribe. Chairman Anderson of the commission stated they will seek an opinion from the United States Attorney General to determine land titles when original patentees have deceased.
“No such man as Reed Bennaywah is known by the Indians, and no such name was signed to the notice.”
This dispute over the Puyallup reservation land and the legitimacy of tribal signatures reflects the long history of federal-led allotment efforts that stripped tribes of their holdings. Today, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians maintains a robust, sovereign government in Tacoma, having reclaimed significant portions of their ancestral lands through historic settlements.
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