Suquamish Chief Seattle
Chief Seattle was born about 1786. His name was originally spelled See-Yahtlh by the Indians. His father was a noted headman and war leader. But his mother was a slave, so he was considered of low birth. About the time of his birth, the Puget Sound area was hit hard by smallpox, a white man's disease that came to them before they'd even seen a white man. Also at that time they saw the white man's great ships off shore. These Indians took these things as a sign that the prophecy of the end of the world was eminent.
In 1792, Captain Vancouver's ship Discovery visited the natives to trade. This event left a lasting impression on the eight year old future chief. He began to greatly appreciate western technology, especially firearms. The respect for firearms grew from recent raids. After 1800, tribes to the north of the Suquamish tribe raided them frequently to capture women and children to increase the size of their families. The Yakama tribe to the east of the Cascades also raided the Puget Sound area, taking captives and selling them to small tribes on the lower Columbia. Kitsap, a Suquamish leader, led a raiding party to Vancouver Island to put down the Cowiche peoples, ending further disturbance by the Cowiches. Seattle took part in this battle and fared well.
By the time of the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1805-06, the battles among the Puget Sound peoples were well under way. Seattle led a group that killed a raiding party of Green River and White River people. One of his methods of dealing with his enemies was very clever. He knew most attacks came at night and that the attackers traveled on the river. So he chopped down a tree so it fell just a few inches above the water. Unsuspecting raiders would collide into it. While they were busy rescuing the canoe and their equipment, Seattle's men would attack from shore. After this successful raid, he assumed the name See-yahtlh, the name of his father's father, at a potlatch ceremony.
He became chief of the Suquamish and Duwamish tribes shortly after his victory over the Green River tribes. He was widely respected among the Indians for leading successful attacks on Puget Sound tribes. About 1811, his first child was born, known by the settlers as Princess Angeline. Seattle was known to have owned eight slaves, and some of them may have been concubines.
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