Honoring the First People
This land acknowledgement was created alongside the šnp̍əšqʷáw̉šəxʷ people. We are spreading the message they wish to be spread to the public. The land Wenatchee River Institute sits on is the ancestral homelands of the šnp̍əšqʷáw̉šəxʷ (p'squosa or Wenatchi) people.
The šnp̍əšqʷáw̉šəxʷ, meaning "people in between", had villages positioned along the Wenatchee River and surrounding areas. Their ancestral homeland extends from the Cascade Ridge throughout what is now known as the Wenatchee and Okanogan valleys. The culture and economy of the šnp̍əšqʷáw̉šəxʷ people centers on taking care of the land. They fish, hunt, gather roots and berries, basket making materials, and medicines.
The šnp̍əšqʷáw̉šəxʷ are named within the Yakima Treaty of 1855. Language to establish the Wenatchi Reservation was never followed through, even with the needed surveying completed. Many šnp̍əšqʷáw̉šəxʷ now live on the Colville Reservation, 150 miles northeast of Leavenworth. They were forced off their land here and the US government moved them to this reservation.
The šnp̍əšqʷáw̉šəxʷ people are still alive today. They continue to practice their culture, harvest their traditional foods and medicines, and hold their ceremonies passed down from their ancestors. Most people won’t see or notice them, but they continue to be on the land they are connected to. Their traditional language is nxaʔamxčín, an Interior Salish Dialect, and we would like to welcome you all by saying hello in their language, t́iĺ x̌əšt.
We offer this land acknowledgement as the first step to amplifying Indigenous voices and recognizing the harm done to them as a people. We stand as an ally to recognize their connection to the land and their rights to practice their culture on these sacred lands. We encourage all to learn about the Indigenous Peoples of the place you now call home. The Wenatchee River Institute is committed to sharing this land acknowledgment and following up with other actions to educate and be respectful.
Click here to view the map of the traditional territories of all bands now on Colville Reservation.
