History I am now 70 years of age and want to correct the record. I am enclosing the copies of the US Government maps and charts from 1841 and a copy of the Lieutenant Augustus Case’s journal for your reading. It is a fascinating read of a US Naval Officer in Indian country in 1841 and the most detailed account for the period other than Hudson’s Bay Company journals. None of us ever said Skokomish do not have primary rights at the south end of Hood Canal. We just do not believe the Skokomish controlled the entire canal, especially the area north of Seabeck. I want the correct delineation of Tribal areas in Hood Canal as I think everyone does. Lieutenant Case had no political position or bias for any tribe, and his log clearly demonstrates that “Suquamish Country” extended south to Quilcene Bay in Hood Canal and that Suquamish, Skokomish, and Clallam all share fisheries and shellfish in a “three way” share. The fact that the Clallam’s decided to morph into two more tribes should not change the share from 1/3 to 1/5. The Clallams are the same family tribe and should share as one tribe. I believe Lower Elwha are the true Clallam and that Jamestown Clallam (created 1984) and Little Boston Clallam (created 1936) are “divisions” of the Lower Elwha Clallam. Hopefully, on behalf of Suquamish tribal members yet to come, and on behalf of deceased Suquamish members who served the US Government military, I have earned the opportunity through military service to present this letter and documents. Brother Joe V. Forsman, Jr., who died last year, gave 38 years of military service to the US Army. I consider the American judicial system unique in the world in that it has the ability to correct itself up to and even including a “capital” crime. It doesn’t happen without hard work and effort, but it can happen. Admiralty Inlet Enlargement of Suquamish Harbor from the United States Exploring Expedition in 1841, commanded by Charles Wilkes.
the daily details in Case’s log. Lieutenant Case’s journal was not available widely until the late 1980s and was not published until 2009, long after the Suquamish/ Skokomish primary fishing rights case of 1984. Finally, we had a United States Naval Officer’s log in “real time” of events as a US Naval Officer saw them in 1841. Per his commander’s instructions, Lieutenant Case clearly noted and marked, like any good military officer, the names of and locations of Tribal groups he encountered during his 1841 survey. Whether it be Nisqually, Clallam, Scatchets (Skagits), or Suquamish, it is clearly marked. One can see clearly “Suquamish” on some of the land mass bordering both sides of Hood Canal. Case’s journal does not have any discussion (or in any other reading I found) of the socalled magical spirits that kept Suquamish out of Hood Canal, which had been asserted by the two Skokomish informants in the 1940s. Quite the reverse, Suquamish had a permanent presence in the Hood Canal according to Case’s log and Commandant Wilkes’ writings. Suquamish people were friendly and helpful to members of the exploring expedition, which resulted in Wilkes commemorating the assistance by naming Suquamish Head and Suquamish Harbor. As one reads and places himself in the real time scenario of “Case’s” situation, he has to recover an “eyeglass” (telescope, a prized possession like a compass or sextant at that time) that was stolen by a Skokomish womSuquamish News
an. As Case was supposedly conned into a meeting to recover the eyeglass, he recognized he was going into a trap and saw that it was a “war party” he had been led into. Expedition members documented similar events in the South Pacific ventures.
1841 United States Exploring Expedition map of Admiralty Inlet clearly shows Suquamish people on the west side of Hood Canal, north of Seabeck. The Skokomish Tribe and Clallam bands currently are trying to change the name of “Suquamish Harbor” on historic maps and charts, proposing different, non-historic Tribal names. Skokomish/Clallam tribal apprehension has arisen over the clear spelling and location of Suquamish on both sides of Hood Canal on the 1841 US EX EX map and the detailed information documenting Suquamish presence that appears in Lieutenant Case’s log. But, apprehension cannot change history or a ship’s log or chart. They are “stand alone” articles of fact.
Case rapidly sailed north along the east coast of Hood Canal and was pursued by three canoes filled with Skokomish warriors. The Skokomish war party stopped chasing Case south of Seabeck, which coincidentally is where Lieutenant Case shows a strong Suquamish presence. The Skokomish clearly had entered Suquamish territory. Case’s descriptions of Suquamish villages in Quilcene Harbor and Port Ludlow are significant to document the presence and influence of the Suquamish in the north end of Hood Canal. Importantly, Case describes the Suquamish village at Port Ludlow, as having multiple plank longhouses and notes that the Suquamish who inhabited the village had invited the Clallam to enter the village and gamble. This clearly demonstrates that the Suquamish controlled the north end of Hood Canal and the Clallam only entered as invited guests.
It is interesting to note that the US Government Army assigned “land mass” to “Indian Country” The “Dakota’s”, Apache Country, Comanche Country, Crow, Cree, Blackfoot, and Sioux Country. In regard to the Suquamish Tribe’s fishing rights case in Saratoga Passage, between Camano Island and Whidbey Island, there is a high probability that other as yet undiscovered logs from the United States Exploring Expedition exist. These likely document Suquamish use of the area. Lieutenant Cadwalader Ringgold was in charge of the expedition’s survey of Admiralty Inlet, and Commandant Wilkes used Ringgold’s log to write his 1844 summary. Ringgold’s log has disappeared, so the detailed, daily descriptions of events and Indian people encountered has not been available for Saratoga Passage.
At a minimum, the clearly spelled and defined historic Suquamish Harbor on maps, charts, and in sailing directions between 1841 and 1878, provides sufficient documentation to at least move the line where Suquamish can fish and collect shellfish from the current Hood Canal Bridge south to the south end of Suquamish Harbor or “South Point”. Suquamish hunting rights have been expanded recently because the 7
I guess if one had to state a “goal” of historic correction, it would be that we don’t want to be treated “any better” than the Skokomish, we just don’t want to be treated “any worse.” Political correctness is not a goal. Historical correctness is the only correct solution. It has taken time; however, I feel we Suquamish can get the job done. The Augustus Case log, which had been out of circulation for more than 125 years, appeared for a reason. Case’s log and information contained was not available to Tribes, the US Government, or US Courts since Charles Wilkes used the log in the 1840s and 1850s. At first glance, 125 years seems like a long time, however, I have been alive more than half of that time, so to me it isn’t that long ago. A judge can hear “handed down” stories or testimony of Indian affairs and some may prove to be correct and some not, but a non-political ship’s log, by a US Government Naval Officer to me is a unfiltered real time disclosure of events portraying not only real time happenings but also glimpses of the personal character of parties discussed in the ship’s log notations. It then is mandatory for us to deliver this new information to the US court system for proper exposure and adjudication. Ray Forsman is a Suquamish Tribal Elder, with decades of experience as a commercial fisherman in Alaska and the Puget Sound. Mr. Forsman submitted this letter to US Federal Court in February, 2013.
Vol. 13, No. 3