Chief Seattle

Did you know that Seattle city was named after Chief Seattle, the leader of the Suquamish and Duwamish people? He was born in 1790 and persuaded his people to accommodate European settlers into the land that eventually became Washington State. The Chief developed friendly relations with the settlers, especially with the American pioneer “Doc” Maynard.

Due to his persuasion toward peace, the locals named the city after him. His rousing public words in 1854 became the most widely quoted speech by a Native American and are what he is most remembered for. He spoke during treaty negotiations with the governor of Washington about the relationship between people and the earth.