Kamilche, Washington
Coordinates: 47°07′50″N 123°05′48″W / 47.13056°N 123.09667°W
Kamilche, Washington | |
---|---|
Census Designated Place (CDP) | |
Location of Kamilche in Mason County, Washington | |
Country | United States |
State | Washington |
County | Mason |
Area | |
• Total | 71.48 sq mi (184.89 km2) |
• Land | 68.45 sq mi (177.3 km2) |
• Water | 3.03 sq mi (7.86 km2) |
Elevation | 50 ft (15.24 m) |
Population (2000) | |
• Total | 2,934 |
• Density | 49/sq mi (126.9/km2) |
Time zone | Pacific (PST) (UTC-8) |
• Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
ZIP code | 98584 |
Area code(s) | 360 |
GNIS feature ID | 1521556[1] |
Website | Visit Kamilche |
Kamilche also known as Squaxin Island Tribe is an census-designated place in Mason County, Washington, United States.[2] Primarily a farm area, Kamilche is also the home to the Squaxin Indian Tribe. It is at the crossroads of U.S. Route 101 and State Route 108. Kamilche sits at the edge of Little Skookum Inlet, a finger waterway off of Puget Sound.
History
The Squaxin Island Tribe's Home of Sacred Belongings in Kamilche includes a Museum Library and Research Center,[3] where visitors can learn about the art and culture of the original inhabitants of the area. If traveling from Olympia and Interstate 5, the town of Kamilche is the first community in Mason County. It is the home and tribal center for the Squaxin Island Tribe.
Squaxin Island Tribe
The Squaxin Island Tribe (also Squaxin, Squaxon) is a Native American tribal government in western Washington state in the United States. The Squaxin Island Tribe is made up of several Lushootseed clans: the Noo-Seh-Chatl, Steh-Chass, Squi-Aitl, T'Peeksin, Sa-Heh-Wa-Mish, Squawksin, and S'Hotle-Ma-Mish. They live along several inlets of southern Puget Sound.
The Squaxin Island people speak the Lushootseed language. They moved onto their reservation in modern-day Mason County, Washington, in 1855. The Squaxin Island Tribe was one of the first Native American tribes in the U.S. to enter into the Self Governance Demonstration Project with the federal government.
The Squaxin Island Indian Reservation is in southeastern Mason County, Washington. Most of the main reservation is composed of Squaxin Island, but there is also a small part of 26.13 acres (105,700 m2) at Kamilche, in addition to two parcels of off-reservation trust land near Kamilche, as well as a plot of 6.03 acres (24,400 m2) across Pickering Passage from Squaxin Island and a plot of 35.93 acres (145,400 m2) on Harstine Island, across Peale Passage. The total land area including off-reservation trust lands is 6.942 km² (2.68 sq mi, or 1,715.46 acres). Of the total resident population of 405 persons (2000 census), 383 lived in off-reservation trust land to the southeast of Kamilche, and 22 lived on Harstine Island, while the bulk of the reservation's territory, Squaxin Island, was unpopulated.
Little Creek Casino Resort
Little Creek Casino Resort is owned and operated by the Squaxin Island Tribe. LCCR is a Northwest Native American themed Resort.
References
External links
- Kamilche page of the official Mason County tourism website