A Slice of History and How the Mariners could have been From New York

Though the city of Seattle has been a place of inhabitance for Native American Indians for nearly 10,000 years, it was officially settled on November 14th, 1851 by Arthur A. Denny. Originally, Denny and his crew decided to call the area New York, but was then changed to Duwamps, and then finally to Seattle as an anglicized version of Chief Sealth. Chief Sealth had been the chief of the Suquamish and Duwamish Native American tribes in the area.

Chief Sealth was born in 1786, supposedly on Blake Island, Washington, where his father was the chief of the Suquamish tribe and his mother was the chief of the Duwamish tribe. He was known to be a fierce and aggressive warrior as he often led charges and ambushes on raiders and surrounding tribes, and a master orator whose voice was said to carry half a mile when he spoke.

Later in life, chief Sealth and his people were in trouble as the more powerful Snohomish tribe began to move into their native grounds. Though negotiations were in place for the tribes to share the area, Sealth realized after the Battle of Seattle in 1856 that the two tribes would not be able to live on the same land peacefully and consequently moved away from the area. Sealth would probably be happy if he could see the town of Seattle today, a beautiful thriving town with rich traditions. Chances are if chief Sealth was alive today, he would be a Mariners fan. Later in life he found faith in the Roman Catholic Church and took the name of Noah. That name, of course, being synonymous with one of the greatest Mariners of all time and the ark that he built when the floods were a’ comin’.

Every year, “Chief Seattle Days” are celebrated by the Suquamish in the third week of August.