Patriotic Picnics at the Tulalip Agency
A peaceful celebration at the Tulalip Reservation turns tense when a rowdy picnic party from Everett arrives uninvited.
The Tulalip school had quite a feast for the children on Monday, July 4th. There was a fine baseball game, horse races, and other games, topped off by a beautiful spread of dinner and supper on the green, decorated with flags, flowers, and evergreens. The school children sang patriotic songs that the paper noted 'surpassed as many as any white pupils could.' However, the day was disrupted by a picnic party from Everett, who arrived drinking wine, singing, and smoking cigarettes—behavior the Indigenous attendees found shocking. The local Indian police stood ready to intervene if the Everett party's behavior escalated further.
“The agency was quiet, as most of the government employees had gone away... but the afternoon was enlivened by a picnic party from Everett, who gave the Indians much amusement, enjoying their spree on the grass.”
This incident highlights the cultural friction between settler populations and the Tulalip community in the 1890s. It is a stark reminder of how public holidays were used as spaces for both genuine community building and unwanted colonial intrusion.
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