The Southern Coast Salish are a group of related peoples who share similar culture, history, and customs.

[14] At the time of initial major European contact, these peoples considered themselves wholly distinct from the Duwamish.

[15][16] The center of Duwamish territory was historically the area at the confluence of the Black and Cedar Rivers, called the Lake Fork.

[12] Western Washington has been permanently inhabited since at least 12,000 years ago, to the Pleistocene epoch and the end of the Last Glacial Maximum.

[10] Before modern civil engineering, the area at the mouth of Elliot Bay had extensive tidelands which were abundantly rich in marine life and a plentiful source of food for the Duwamish.

[25] From the early 19th century, the maritime fur trade in the Puget Sound–Strait of Georgia regions greatly accelerated the pace of social and organizational change.

[26] American settlements at Alki Point (sbaqʷabqs)[27] and what is now Pioneer Square in Downtown Seattle were established in 1851 and 1852.

In 1854, American ethnologist George Gibbs conducted a survey of the Indigenous peoples of Puget Sound.

The treaty was drawn up hastily and negotiations were conducted only in English and Chinook Jargon, a trade language which was not spoken by many attending and later deemed not suitable for diplomatic processes.

[citation needed] This poor diplomacy created several misunderstandings and disputes between the parties that persist into the modern day.

[32] The Duwamish signed away the title to more than 54,000 acres, which today includes the cities of Seattle, Renton, Tukwila, Bellevue, and Mercer Island.

[36] Later that year, due to dissatisfaction with the established reservations, lack of followthrough on promises, abuse of power, and murder of Indigenous people at the hands of settlers, the Puget Sound War began.

The Stkelmish[note 1] village of saʔcaqaɬ, south of modern-day Bellevue, was used as a staging ground by the in the 1856 Battle of Seattle.

The Duwamish took part in the battle on both sides, with many of the Hachuamish fighting against the Americans, and Chief Seattle aiding the settlers in the siege.

[44] In 1864, the Port Madison reservation was enlarged by executive order at the request of Seattle and a delegation of other natives.

[46] In 1868 President Andrew Johnson was recommended to sign an executive order to designate all land between the Green and White rivers as part of the Muckleshoot reservation.

[39] After the 1860s, the Duwamish who remained off-reservation continued to live in their traditional communities along Lake Washington and the Black, Cedar, White, and Green rivers.

5, which in 1865 banned Native Americans from living in the city unless housed and employed by a white settler, and also by the repeated burning of still-existing Duwamish settlements.

However, William Rogers (the nephew of William/Stoda)[50] and Charles Satiacum continued the sociopolitical relationships between individual Duwamish both on and off the reservation.

[52] In the early 1900s, many Duwamish had converted to the Indian Shaker Church, a local religion of mixed Christian and Indigenous beliefs.

As of late 2022, Indigenous businesses have begun to open in Seattle, including ʔálʔal Cafe,[note 2] which uses local ingredients and shares traditional Native American dishes from around North America.

The Duwamish Hill Preserve in Tukwila is a culturally significant space in traditional stories and served as a historical vantage point.

Rather, that term was bestowed upon important individuals of local villages by members of the United States government and the general public.

[12] In reality, authority was entrusted to high-status individuals when called for, such as leading a war party, constructing a house, or gathering berries.

[citation needed] Duwamish villages, due to their geographical and familial closeness, were historically tightly allied within their drainage.

Duwamish villages also were closely allied with their neighbors, such as the Hachuamish, the Sammamish, the Snoqualmie, the Stkamish, the Puyallup, the Homamish, Suquamish, and many more.

Intermarriage between villages created a large trade network stretching across much of the Pacific Northwest, extending up into what is now British Columbia and over the Cascade Range.

[30] The Puget Sound was the primary waterway connecting the Lushootseed-speaking peoples with the rest of the world, allowing swift water travel across great distances.

There were physical distinctions for high-status individuals: mothers carefully shaped the heads of their young babies, binding them with cradle boards just long enough to produce a steep sloping forehead.

They operate several tribal businesses, casinos, schools, and other services, and they work closely with state, federal, and city affairs in the Seattle area and beyond.