The Fight for Puyallup Land Rights
A Congressional debate reveals the struggle for tribal land ownership and the interference of government commissions.
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Representative Doolittle made a determined but unsuccessful effort to get an amendment into the Indian appropriation bill which should permit the Puyallups to dispose of their lands in fee simple, free of government restrictions, provided sales were approved by a district judge. The government-appointed commission, currently in Washington state with $20,000 of public money, insists on overseeing the sales. Doolittle argued that the Indians are educated, capable of transacting their own business, and that allowing them control would reduce government expenditure on agencies. Representative Wilson supported the motion, noting the Puyallups own valuable land and are being held in a 'stronger grip' than blanket Indians despite their assimilation. The point of order was sustained, and the Puyallups remain under the control of the commission.
“These Indians are educated. They own probably as valuable a body of land as can be found anywhere in the United States.”
This account captures a pivotal moment of dispossession and paternalism, where the federal government used bureaucracy to maintain control over tribal assets under the guise of 'protection.' It highlights the historical reality that tribal sovereignty was consistently undermined by forced assimilation policies.
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