Snoqualmie Tribe upset with construction on sacred grounds


Snoqualmie Falls in Washington is a place of healing and transformation for the Snoqualmie Tribe and other tribes in the Northwest. Photo by Meher Anand Kasam / Wikipedia

The Snoqualmie Tribe of Washington is upset with a transportation project that affects the sacred Snoqualmie Falls.

The tribe says the Tokul Road roundabout in the city of Snoqualmie is being built on top of a burial ground next to the falls. The tribe also says "hundreds of acres of pristine wetland and forest" were removed and paved order as part of the project.

"This is not simply the construction of a new road—an entire hillside was clear-cut," the tribe states on its website.


"Bulldozers don't belong here," proclaims an ad that was placed in The Snoqualmie Valley Record. Image from Snoqualmie Tribe

The tribe acknowledges that it can't stop the work. But the tribe placed an ad in The Snoqualmie Valley Record to educate the public about its concerns.

The Muckleshoot Tribe is helping to fund the project, The Seattle Times reports. The tribe purchased the nearby Salish Lodge and Spa for $62.5 million in 2007.

Get the Story:
Snoqualmie Tribe says city is building on sacred ground (The Seattle Times 8/13)

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