Tukwila churches along with other groups gathered at Fort Dent Park on Sept. 14 to honor the Duwamish tribe as the first nation of Tukwila, and rekindle the relationship between the tribe and the non-native residents,

The event, called "Healing the Land: A Gathering of the Duwamish People and the People of Tukwila," was three years in the making and was originally conceived by Jenny McCoy, a Tukwila resident and Church of Tukwila liaison. The Church of Tukwila is an organization of 19 Tukwila congregations.

McCoy contends that although the Duwamish were the first to sign the Point Elliott Treaty, it is an injustice that they have never been recognized as an official tribe.

"There are many things that hinder God's blessing and one of these things is injustice," said McCoy. "We want God to bless Tukwila."

The church group, the city of Tukwila, the Tukwila School District, and the Tukwila Historical Society, along with Tukwila residents, came together to present gifts to the tribe, who was represented by multiple members including Duwamish chairwoman Cecile Hansen.

"We are most humbled by this gathering," said Hansen, who also compared the gathering to a traditional Indian potlatch.

The activities included an interpretive dance by Pat Walker and a salmon bake.

Hansen said when she started working on the issue in the 1970s there were about 13 to 14 tribes left unrecognized, but now there are only about three or four.

Pat Brodin of the historical society presented a commission for a painting to be done for the Duwamish tribe.

"The Duwamish people were very instrumental to the building of this city," he said.

Other gifts included a painting by Beverly Ren/ and a song written by McCoy and her son Tamus McCoy.

The Duwamish also received a letter of apology and a traditional blanket from The Church of Tukwila.

School District officials offered a resolution supporting the Duwamish along with a collage of photos and a mural being painted on a wall of Showalter Middle School.

A survey map illustrating the Duwamish River around 1910 was presented from the city. The map includes mythical sites important to Duwamish history.

"I am really quite humbled by all the gifts," responded Hansen.

The Duwamish was the tribe of Chief Seattle, who welcomed and helped settled the Denny party, Seattle's first white settlers, in the 1800s, as well as Joseph Foster, who is considered to be the founder of Tukwila and is the namesake for Foster Senior High School.

The Duwamish, under the leadership of Chief Seattle, signed the Point Elliott Treaty in 1855, but have never received any of the guaranteed rights stated in the treaty because they have never been recognized under the federal government as an official Native American tribe. They have even been called "extinct."

The Point Elliot Treaty states that tribes will hand over their lands to the government, but will also be given a certain amount of land of their own to live on and govern, (an Indian reservation.) Article 5 of the treaty states "the right of taking fish at usual and accustomed grounds and stations is further secured to said Indians in common with all citizens of the Territory..."

The Duwamish tribe has been working to secure their rights as laid out by the treaty, and prove to the government they are not an extinct tribe.

The master of ceremonies for the event was Danny Marshall, chairman of the Steilacoom tribe. The Steilacoom have also not been recognized as an official tribe and have not received the rights guaranteed to tribes who signed the treaty.

Marshall said there was no desired, political outcome of this event, just a hope of oneness, or togetherness by the people.

"In order to succeed, we need to succeed together," he said.

He wanted to add, however, that although both the Steilacoom and the Duwamish are seeking acknowledgement from the government, they are not trying to take away lands that are settled by people already. Neither tribe wants to take away from the people in the areas.

"Tribes have sought government land, not land that is already settled," he said.

The lands sought are government surplus lands, according to Marshall.

Organizers also said the event was a continuation of Tukwila's centennial celebration.

In the letter of apology to the Duwamish, the Church of Tukwila members wrote, "It was the Duwamish that befriended the first non-native settlers in our community and enabled them to survive by sharing food and skills for living. Yet, we grieve that the initial friendship we enjoyed was not maintained."

The letter continues by listing injustices committed against the tribe, as seen by church members.

These include the broken promises of the treaty, the ungrateful attitude developed over the years by the non-native members of the area, and a failure to honor the people of the tribe.

Each gift given to the tribe will be a part of the new longhouse, which is scheduled to open in West Seattle this fall as a symbol of how the Duwamish tribe does still exist.

For more information about the Duwamish tribe, visit www.duwamishtribe.org.