How to Teach the Puget Sound War in Washington State History Class
Welcome my pretties! Well, for the last week I have been putting a lot of work into two new lessons for Washington State History, and I have been getting quite an education myself. I reserched the Nez Pierce War, the Puget Sound War and some very important figures in our history, like Governor Isaac Stevens, Chief Quiemuth, Chief Leschi, Chief Joseph, Chief Seattle an many other important figures and put together a few good lessons for Washington state History. Today we are going to discuss those lessons as well as some new ideas about how to relate events from the past to modern time. I asked my husband to create some photographs of two key figures - Leschi and Quiemuth (first two pictures on the left) using AI software. He made them entirely from old drawings dating back to the 1850s. My talent in anthropology is to examine the faces, measure the size of their face and facial features in relation to each other. After much careful analyzing and measuring, I am confident that the two photos are accurate representations of the individuals. 📸 Pretty Cool!
The lessons I devised contains informational text and assignments, with an over arching theme of how history is remembered and experienced in different parts of the world. In Washington State, our monuments to fallen heros is nearly non-existent. I don’t see any of the park statues that we should have commemorating our past. Certainly not the way European countries remember the past. Think of it like this, if you’ve been to new york city and strolled through central park, there are many marvelous statues. Why are there no statues for our people?
These new lessons for washington state history are about stevens treaties, the puget sound war, legacy and perspectives. The goal of these lessons is really about getting our students to relate to past experiences, understand them, and relate them to modern times. more than teaching the facts of Isaac Stevens but to examine how different people saw their situation, and how our state remembers fallen heroes like Leschi and his brother.
In this blog, we will quickly go over the Puget Sound War, then I will show you how to use the lesson and include some tips for teaching this dark part of Washington State History. As most of us know, Washington State History is taught in middle school and it is a graduation requirement. I remember my Washington State history teacher Mr. Ohashi, he was fantastic! So here I am decades later, creating lesson plans and products specifically about Washington State History and our native American heritage. I hope Mr. Ohashi would be proud.
It goes without saying that teaching students about the Stevens treaties, the Puget Sound War or execution of innocent Leschi is mined with complexities and ugly histories. First, let’s go over the Puget Sound war and its causes.
HISTORY
In 1855, as concerns about a potential Indian uprising loomed over the Puget Sound area of Washington, American settlers took preemptive action by forming four companies of soldiers. One of these groups, known as Eaton’s Rangers, attempted to apprehend Nisqually chief Leschi. The conflict ignited when Leschi and his brother Quiemuth, peacefully cultivating their wheat fields, found themselves confronted by the Rangers. Fleeing their homes upon learning of the approaching Rangers, Leschi and Quiemuth set in motion what would become the Puget Sound War. Subsequently, the Rangers roamed the region, harassing peaceful Indians.
Leschi, leading Nisqually warriors, strategically attacked Americans in the White River Valley, targeting only American volunteers. The Nisqually made their protest against Governor Isaac Stevens’ treaties clear, reassuring settlers that they wouldn't be harmed. In a tragic incident at White River, despite warnings, two American families were attacked, resulting in nine deaths. However, the warriors spared the children, delivering them unharmed to an American steamer at Point Elliot.
In response to the White River "massacre," 4,000 peaceful Indians were forcibly relocated to Fox Island for surveillance, leading to numerous deaths due to inadequate food and shelter. Leschi attempted to rally tribes across Western Washington into a broader war against Americans, but his coalition never numbered more than a few hundred.
Meanwhile, southwestern tribes, though traditionally business-oriented, were feared to join the uprisings. American raids disarmed these tribes, herding them into reservations, leading to overcrowding, insufficient food, and loss of personal property during the two-year Puget Sound War captivity.
In 1856, Governor Isaac I. Stevens called for the extermination of "hostile" Indians, instigating a retaliatory attack on Seattle by a small group of warriors. Stevens' call encouraged volunteers to hunt down peaceful Indians, culminating in the Washington Mounted Rifles' massacre of 30 Indians at the Nisqually River.
Governor Stevens detained those opposing his war, declaring martial law to silence dissent. Attempting to end the bloodshed, Leschi's brother Quiemuth was sent as an emissary but was murdered in the Governor's office. Leschi's subsequent capture led to his trial, where despite evidence suggesting his innocence, he was found guilty of murder and hanged in 1858.
From the American perspective, Leschi's trial showcased their perceived superiority and authority, demonstrating a sense of fairness. However, the Indian nations viewed justice differently, considering homicides as injuries requiring healing and restitution rather than punishment. The Puget Sound War left an indelible mark on the region, reflecting the complex dynamics between settlers and Native American tribes during a tumultuous period in history.
IN THE CLASSROOM
In short, you are going to teach the students the truth that Chief Leschi was an innocent man, who was hung by the neck in Fort Steilacoom, Washington. During your lesson, you should include a slides presentation that was created by the Nisqually tribe. It is very important to teach the children Nisqually and Western perspectives, and all of that is included in the lessons.
The lecture element of this lesson should be no more than ten minutes. Provide the students with informational text, and five them time to read the text and answer questions. I always include answers to worksheets because that is one hassle teachers should not have to deal with.
Chief Quiemuth, Chief Leschi’s older brother was murdered in the office of Governor Isaac Stevens on February 26, 1856 after surrendering. To make matters worse, Governor Stevens did nothing to find Quiemuth’s killer. One conversation that you could initiate with students is to ask them, “ when someone responsible for upholding the law chooses to overlook a murder taking place in their own office, What message does that give you?” Take this opportunity to relate that injustice to current injustices. For example, today do we have police officers who do not arrest criminals, what kind of society would this create? Do we have media that misrepresent crime and crime statistics? How is the wrongness of Steven’s actions – or should we say inaction – akin to what we see today with elected officials and law enforcement who do not enforce laws? With this angle, you will inspire meaningful group discussions.
Within the perspectives and legacy lesson, students will document each place in Washington State named after Governor Isaac Stevens. Notably, there is no singular commemoration for Chief Leschi, Chief Quiemuth, or Chief Joseph within the state. However, an exception is the modest statue of Chief Seattle located at Tilikum Place in Belletown near the Space Needle, crafted in 1920.
As we delve into history, perspective, and legacy with students, it becomes crucial to prompt them to reflect on the fact that on the East Coast, specifically in places like Central Park in New York City and Washington DC, substantial monuments stand in honor of significant individuals. In New York City, for instance, there are statues portraying esteemed generals mounted on horses, grand and imposing memorials designed to perpetuate the memory of those we deem worthy of remembrance. In contrast, Washington State does not allocate resources to erect monuments for individuals deserving of an honorable legacy.
DEFEATED MAN PSYCHOLOGY
What you also want to ask your students to consider is the ‘defeated man’ phenomena. This is a very real phenomena for any group that loses a war, or a person who loses an important battle. Some people become disheartened, loose hope, and fall into depression. Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke candidly about his father returning to Austria having lost WWII. His father became an alcoholic prone to violence in the war's aftermath, something about having lost the war impacted his psyche according to Arnold.
Students can empathize with the challenges faced by those who grapple with the aftermath of conflict. What does it feel like to lose? What does it feel like to have to accept you have lost, and are a victim of perpetual injustice? This is a hard lesson to learn because in life, we all lose, some of us lose big time and we all have to learn to stand up. A broken spirit can feel impossible to fix when the person has fallen into despair, and that is the experience of many Native Americans after losing all the wars. This approach not only sheds light on historical events but also encourages students to draw parallels between the past and present, fostering a deeper understanding of the long-term repercussions of war on individuals and communities.
