The Unhallowed Site of a Parsonage
A dispute over a church building on the Puyallup reservation cemetery reveals the discovery of Indigenous burials beneath the structure.
A conflict between members of the Puyallup tribe, Preacher Laman, and Indian Agent Eells regarding a parsonage built on the reservation cemetery has been settled by a board of trustees. The decision requires the parsonage to be moved after it was revealed that graves—including that of the wife of a great chief—were located directly under the building's kitchen. The move addresses the tribe's claim that the site was desecrated by the church's construction.
“Indiana claim Mrs. Seattle, wife of the great chief, and others were buried under the kitchen of the parsonage.”
This incident exposes the aggressive encroachment of settler religious institutions onto Indigenous sacred spaces. It remains a stark reminder of the historical erasure enacted through infrastructure and land use, a theme that continues to shape current relations between the Puyallup Tribe and the city of Tacoma.
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