We acknowledge that this land and water is the traditional territory of the Steh-Chass people. The Steh-Chass people are of the Squaxin Island Tribe.

The surrounding mountains, valleys, shorelines and waterways are imbued with their presence.

We seek to nurture our relationship with our Coast Salish neighbors and our shared responsibilities to this place — their homelands — where we mutually abide.

Note that this would be used in the traditional territory of the Steh-Chass as noted by the map above, the Budd Inlet Watershed. In surrounding areas, it would be appropriate to recognize S’Hotl-Ma-Mish (Carr Inlet Watershed), Squawksin (Case Inlet Watershed), Sah-Heh-Wa-Mish (Hammersley Inlet Watershed), T’Peeksin (Totten Watershed), Squi’Aitl (Eld Inlet Watershed) and Noo-Seh-Chatl (Henderson Inlet Watershed).

We also recognize the Medicine Creek Treaty Tribes, and the Nisqually and Chehalis People of this region.

This acknowledgement was developed in collaboration with the Squaxin Island Tribal Council for use in Learning Right Relations Gatherings. We offer this as a suggested land acknowledgement for your home, place of business, gatherings or meetings with the understanding that a land acknowledgement is not a “checkbox” that is complete when stated or posted, but rather one essential step on the long journey of learning right relationship and practicing genuine allyship with the First Peoples of this land.