The Loss of Tribal Sovereignty in Puyallup
A federal ruling stripped the Puyallup Tribe of their status as wards, opening reservation lands to unrestricted sale and private development.
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.
The interior department, in the light of a recent decision by Judge Hanford, recognizes those Puyallup Indians who allotted lands in their own names as citizens of the United States. They hold all rights, privileges, and immunities of other citizens, and such Indians are held to be no longer under the guardianship of the United States nor under the control of any Indian superintendent. The case arose from a petition by Tacoma citizens requesting the establishment of a public highway across the reservation. Following this, the secretary of the interior holds that the department no longer has authority over allotted lands. Puyallup allotees now have the power to lease, encumber, and alienate their lands as any other person may do under the laws of Washington. This decision aims to clear away doubts for those seeking to improve tide lands, removing restrictions on sale and use of the property.
“The Puyallup allotees have power to lease, encumber, grant and alienate their lands in like manner and like effect, as any other person may do.”
This 1903 decision represents a pivotal moment in the systematic dismantling of the reservation system under the guise of 'citizenship.' Today, the legacy of these land-alienation policies remains central to regional debates regarding land use, tribal sovereignty, and the ongoing struggle to protect Indigenous territory from unchecked private development.
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