A Final Journey: Indigenous Travelers Bury a Kin in Ellensburg
Four travelers journeyed 35 miles by wagon to ensure a Christian burial for a woman who passed away on the banks of the Columbia River.
A little company of four Indians arrived here Thursday in a wagon in which was the body of a squaw who had died on the Columbia river, 35 miles from here. They made a coffin for their charge and gave her Christian burial. Father Sween, of the Catholic church, conducted services over the dead woman in accordance with their wishes.
“They made a coffin for their charge and gave her Christian burial.”
This story highlights the intersection of Indigenous traditions and the imposition of Christian funeral rites in early 20th-century Washington. It reflects the era's colonial pressures, documenting a specific instance of grief and ritual in the face of displacement.
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