The mission of the Preservation Program is to identify, protect, preserve, document, and manage for past, present, and future generations the spiritual, cultural, and traditional treaty rights, resources, land, and values that are inherent to the sovereign nation known as the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe. To achieve this mission, the Preservation Program Staff and Committee strive to ensure that the history and those lands inherently important to the Tribe are preserved to the fullest extent possible.

The Preservation Program archaeology staff work with other Tribal departments to identify and protect cultural resources before and during construction projects on the Reservation. Preservation staff also review proposed developments and visit construction projects off of the Reservation, to make sure that developers follow the laws and identify and protect sites important to the Tribe throughout the Tribe’s use areas. We conduct cultural resources surveys and document any archaeological resources we find. We develop strategies to leave important areas undisturbed, and we collect artifacts that are in harm’s way and curate them for future generations to learn from and protect.

• Archaeological investigations, cultural resources identification;
• Assist with consultation between state and federal agencies and the Tribe;
• Archaeological monitoring during Tribal construction projects;
• Photograph care and duplication;
• Research assistance;
• Family heirloom identification and storage;
• Education of Muckleshoot history.

Archaeology

Laura Murphy, Archaeologist, and Mitchell Courville, Cultural Resources Monitor, were busy this year reviewing, surveying and monitoring the many construction projects on the Reservation. It was another busy year of growth and development within the Tribe. Many monitoring projects are for new homes that are being constructed (nine) within recently formed neighborhoods, and for all of the fences (12) that are being installed after home construction. Comcast was monitored periodically as it bored and excavated to get internet throughout the reservation.

With the hosting of the Canoe Journey, a large amount of brush and large areas were grubbed and cleared to prepare for parking and camping, and these activities were monitored. Many other small ground disturbing projects, such as side utilities, trenches, house demos, yard maintenance, and stump removal were also monitored for artifacts and to protect in the case of disturbing ancestral remains.

Portions of archaeological sites were protected and preserved for the future, and several isolated artifact finds were within areas that had been previously disturbed. But whatever the predisposition or condition, any artifacts that are found during construction activity are curated to federal standards and kept safe by the Preservation Program.

The Preservation Program continued to assist in consultation with state and federal agencies such as Sound Transit, King County, WSDOT, and WA State Ferries in 2023, as well as Army Corps of Engineers for multiple culvert replacement projects. In the coming year, multiple elder homes are planned, and several culverts will be replaced on the reservation as well. All Tribal resource departments will work together on these upcoming projects to improve the reservation and protect critical resources.

Collections

Each year the Tribe’s collections of books, memorabilia, documents and artifacts grows; 2023 was no exception. As the season closed, the Tribe’s image collection increased significantly with photos and scans of a variety of subjects including over 2000 scans from the Muckleshoot Monthly collection, mainly of past Canoe Journey events. The artifact acquisition highlights this year include a historic flintlock gun found in a cedar log on the Green River, a small canoe, and fourteen boxes from three archaeological sites. These incoming collections will be cataloged and appropriately stored for access to Tribal members and researchers.

The Tribe’s collection now holds 3000 photographs, 2500 archival materials, 1750 books and reference materials, 1140 cultural artifacts and 39 archaeological site collections with literally thousands of lithic and stone materials including items such as soil and botanical samples.

The program staff produces displays on Muckleshoot history and Culture using the collections as much as possible, mainly for the Philip Starr Foyer. This year a large exhibit on the use of canoes around the Puget Sound was displayed at the Community Center, in time for the Canoe Journey hosting at Muckleshoot. The exhibit also honored the late Walter Pacheco, Canoe Family founder and initial hosting organizer for 2023. Another Muckleshoot exhibit opened at the Buckley Foothills Museum on the Tribe’s general history.

One of our popular ongoing programs is the preservation calendar, now in the 10th year of publication. Each year the calendar features a theme, and in the past has focused on Muckleshoot elders, Council members, veterans, allotment, wildlife, gathering, fishing and the collection. Next year’s theme is a collection of images from the Tribe’s artifact collection.

This year, staff is wrapping up the final work to stabilize buildings on the Reynold’s Farm and Indian Agency property. The farm is owned by the tribe, and the project was largely funded by a State Grant. On this site is a log cabin, the first home of Charles Reynolds (Farmer in Charge) and his wife Isabel Nason, the granddaughter of Chief Kanaskat and a Muckleshoot Tribal member. The site has potential for interpreting the early years of the Tribe, the era of the treaty wars, government school and farming programs, self-governance and sovereignty. An interpretation planning process with the community can begin after stabilization is completed this Spring of 2024.

The Preservation Program operates a research and reference library and archives focusing on Muckleshoot and Puget Sound Tribal History and Culture, genealogy, Northwest Native arts, Archaeology, museum and legal studies and much more. Students, genealogists, and other researchers are always welcome to visit or call with a request. The use of the language collection and photographs is increasing each year by staff, teachers, Tribal members and enterprise like the casino The staff provides scanning services to tribal members of family memorabilia, we can produce a digital copy and return the originals back quickly, usually while you wait.

Please call ahead to assure a good time to meet. Families can donate a copy to the Tribe’s collection if the desire. Our work increases the knowledge of the Tribe’s history and assures information for future generations.

Warren KingGeorge worked on the following projects this year:

Van Doren’s Park

The Park known as Van Doren’s Landing, Kent Washington on Green River is the location of the “Lower Russell Setback Levee Project” this King County Flood Control Project will improve and enhance migrating salmon habitat, create shade and cover for salmon and improve the buffer zones with native trees, shrubs and ground cover. The project is located on the Tradition village of “stəq”. This project provided the opportunity to incorporate several spaces called “Teaching Station” these Teaching stations are designed to provide context to the Traditional Cultural Teaching’s, such as;

• Fishing Station
• Traditional Foods Station
• Bird Station
• Ceremonial Station

The Park Grand Opening ceremony occurred on June 28th, 2023

Flaming Geyser State Park

Green River watershed is one of the primary river systems within the usual and accustom area of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe. In an effort to reclaim this special land base, the MIT has begun to activate and utilize the Flaming Geyser State Park as an area to exercise and re-instate the Park as a unique spiritual landscape, to be used for traditional spiritual ceremonies.

Medicine Creek War Podcast

Our final installment for this award winning podcast was January 19th, 2023.

T-Mobile Park – Seattle Mariners

The MIT is a proud partner with the Seattle Mariners. In order to help the fan base better understand this relationship, the MIT has utilized a special approach by installing some of our history into the formal settings of the Diamond Club environment. Using photo’s, maps, drawings and carvings we can help the Mariner’s fan base understand who we (Muckleshoot) are as a Federally recognized Indian Tribe.

North Portal – SR 99 tunnel planting

Revegetating the natural area’s on and around the tunnel entrance with Northwest Native Plants, such as Camas, Wild Onion, Wild Strawberry, Garry Oak and other plants that represent the Puget Sound area.

Delridge Native Forest Garden

The Delridge Forest site is a property owned by the City of Seattle within the Longfellow Creek Watershed. As co-applicants with the City of Seattle Parks we have been awarded a $900,000 grant for the purpose of planting trees, shrubs and other native plants, eliminating the invasive plants and trees and creating a short term and long term management plan for the project. Our current active participants are;

• City of Seattle – Parks
• Muckleshoot Indian Tribe
• University of Washington
• King County Parks

Union Bay Natural Area

As part of the mitigation for the Highway 520 expansion project by WSDOT, this project aims to highlight, identify and restore critical native habitat along the shores of Lake Union. This Natural area has an established trail system with some dated signage. This project looks to enhance and improve the existing signage and add plant signage to enhance the park visitor’s experience with native language signage and to highlight some historical points of interest.

Green River – Čakwab (Lones Levee) Restoration Project

This project which is located near the mouth of Burns Creek was an important village site to the people of who are today known as “Muckleshoot”. This project removed the old and damaged levee and has been replaced with a new and improved approach to flood control while creating a new and more sustainable flood prevention using native material. The goal and objective is to open more critical habitat that will help the outmigration of young salmonids and the returning adult salmon. While this project was focused on the “threatened” Chinook Salmon, we intentionally included all the fish species that call the Green River home.

The project site has been given the traditional name Čakwab which means; something being taken to/towards the water. A multimedia project was created to help support an educational effort that highlights the importance of place and the value of our natural resources in an effort to assist with education purposes.

Flaming Geyser State Park - Shading habitat phase 2 of 6

This project has just completed phase 3 of 6. The following partners on this important habitat project are as follows;

Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, King County Parks, Washington State Parks and the University of Puget Sound (Tacoma).The main objective and goal of this project is to enhance the existing shading habitat and bank stabilization. Phase 1 and Phase 2 are nearly identical, only the location has been changed. Phase III

is an addition to Phase I out plant project. Students from the University of Puget Sounds, King County Parks Staff and State Parks Staff have all contributed both work and personal time towards this project. to date, these partners have out planted over 3000 native trees and shrubs on the downstream banks of the Green River inside the Flaming Geyser State Park.

Multi-Media Projects

• Medicine Creek Treaty War Podcast
• Chakwab Habitat restoration
• The Duwamish campaign/commercials
• KOMO 4 MIT Documentary
• Paddle to Muckleshoot
• King 5 Evening – Alki Beach and Black River

Boards and Committees

• University of Washington - Native American Advisory Board
• University of Washington - Native American Advisory Board, Executive Committee
• Museum of History and Industry Board of Director’s
• History Link Board of Trustees
• University of Washington – West Point Oversight Committee

Lectures and Presentations

• King County Waste Water Management
• King County Green River Habitat and Restoration
• Medicine Creek Treaty (Fort Nisqually Living History Museum)
• Highline Public Schools Native Education
• University of Washington - Traditional Plants and Ecology
• City of Kent – MIT History and Culture
• Puget Sound University – The Traditional Value Pacific Northwest Salmon
• University of Washington - South Union Bay Natural Resources
• University of Washington – Bothell branch on History and Culture