Duwamish tribe gets a new home

Duwamish tribe gets a new home

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Story Published: Sep 9, 2008 at 4:40 PM PDT

Story Updated: Nov 21, 2008 at 1:57 AM PDT

By Theron Zahn

BELLEVUE -- Over 100 years ago, settlers torched the last Duwamish Longhouse. But thanks to an Army of Volunteers, the tribe is getting a new home.

Hundreds of workers from ING Direct left their offices in Bellevue Tuesday. The volunteers are doing everything from woodwork to landscaping.

Inside the longhouse's massive gathering place, they are putting together hundreds of pieces of wood to create a beautiful floor.

It's been a long wait for members of the Duwamish Tribe.

Cecile Hansen is the great, great, grand niece of Chief Si'ahl.

"You have no place to go...If we don't have a reservation," Hansen said. "So that was one of the things the federal government forgot to give us is a reservation, so this is our place."

When their last longhouse was burned by settlers in 1894, the tribe was forced to live in tents.

The new long house is across the street from the Duwamish River -- a sacred place for the tribe and home to Chief Si'ahl.

"I think he would be very proud that he finally has a home next to the river," said Hansen

The effort to build this new longhouse started way back in 1975.

"To be able to tell our story to the people who live here. To let them know what this place used to look like," said James Rasmussen the Longhouse Director.

And to look to the future.

Creating a gathering place for a tribe almost wiped off their land.

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