Around the beginning of the colonial period in the early 19th century, the Snoqualmie experienced a massive increase in slave raids targeting them from northern peoples.

"Chiefs" and "subchiefs" were arbitrarily assigned to be representative of various tribes and subgroups, which solidified the power of singular men, leaving out other traditional community leaders.

[7] Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens' policy was to amalgamate as many independent groups into as few tribes as possible to make the signing of treaties easier.

Prior treaties made with other groups in the area had negotiated with each independent village and were signed by all adult men, rather than just a few assigned chiefs.

Not only were the Snoqualmie not suited for a saltwater lifestyle, but the treaty commission vastly underestimated the number of people who lived in the area.

Sonowa may have initially left with his people to the Tulalip Reservation, but they ended up back to the Snoqualmie Valley.

[11] By 1919, many Snoqualmie still lived in their communities in or near pioneer settlements such as Tolt and Fall City, working in logging camps and saw mills.

[16] Although it is difficult to determine the exact locations and boundaries, the Snoqualmie also traveled widely throughout the Cascade mountains adjacent to their territory.

However, most experts today agree that, although they were closely allied and intermarried, the Skykomish were completely separate and autonomous from the Snoqualmie.

Although some leaders (such as Patkanim) were highly influential and wielded great influence, they traditionally had no actual authority over any other village.

The village at tultxʷ was one of the last locations where the once-prolific Soul Recovery Ceremony was practiced in Puget Sound.

The ceremony summoned help from the swaw̓tixʷtəd, a type of small forest spirit who were said to live in a community nearby to the village.

[26] Lushootseed is a Coast Salish language which was historically spoken from what is now Bellingham to the head of Puget Sound at Olympia.

Unlike their downriver neighbors, the Snohomish, the Snoqualmie speak a subdialect of Southern Lushootseed similar to the Muckleshoot and Duwamish.

The department aims to increase the language's use in daily life, as well as use it in conjunction with teaching the cultural practices of the Snoqualmie people.

[26] Due to their historical closeness with the Sahaptin-speaking Yakama and Wenatchi peoples across the Cascades, some Snoqualmie were bi-lingual in Lushootseed and Sahaptin.

[21] The Snoqualmie traditionally had a well-rounded diet consisting of many plant and animal resources from the diverse ecosystem of their homelands.

Known to their saltwater-dwelling neighbors as some of the best hunters, the Snoqualmie primarily hunted deer, elk, bear, goat, beaver, grouse, and duck for their meat, pelts, and other resources.

Gathering trips consisted of traveling to a creek or other location near the berry grounds, sometimes in tandem with a hunting group, where a camp was set up.

Camps often had temporary dwellings, as well as drying and processing racks for the berries, as well as any fish caught or meat gathered from animals during the trip.

[30] After the signing of the treaty, many Snoqualmie began to make their living by working in logging camps or sawmills.

Every year, the Snoqualmie take part in Canoe Journey, a festival intended to maintain friendships between tribes from Puget Sound and beyond.

[8] The bilateral kinship system was historically the foundation of Snoqualmie society, and the basis for higher social organization like that of the village.

On the other hand, laziness, selfishness, unruliness, as well as a general lack of prosperity, wisdom, and knowledge were seen as evidence of low-class status.

[3] As the world began to change drastically during the early colonial period with the introduction of the fur trade, Snoqualmie leader Patkanim used the changing circumstances to his advantage to greatly increase his influence and authority, becoming a highly-powerful leader and controlling much of the trade on Puget Sound, paving the way for the later centralization of the Snoqualmie around his descendants.

Patkanim, a prominent leader of the time, used the expansion in trade and military to centralize and ferment his authority among the many Snoqualmie villages.

Patkanim made himself the head chief of all the districts, traveling throughout the year to administer the various villages in the drainage system.

Political systems which more closely resemble modern-day tribes began to emerge as a necessity to engage with the U.S. government for treaty rights.

At that time, Jerry Kanim, treaty rights activist and nephew of Patkanim, was the chief of the Snoqualmie Tribe.

The tribe was created by the 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott as the successor to the Snohomish, Skykomish, Snoqualmie, and Stillaguamish peoples.