Description
They are a Southern Coast Salish people. They are federally recognized as the Nisqually Indian Tribe, formerly known as the Nisqually Indian Tribe of the Nisqually Reservation and the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation. Nisqually (pronounced Nis-KWALL-ee) comes from the word squalli, meaning “prairie grass.” For thousands of years Nisqually groups lived in their homelands in what is now the state of Washington. They shared good relations with the nearby Puyallup and with the Kittitas and Yakama people.
Language
Lushootseed (called Twulshootseed), which is a Coast Salish language
Culture
The Nisqually have always been a fishing people. The salmon has not only been the mainstay of their diet, but the foundation of their culture as well. The tribe is the prime steward of the Nisqually River fisheries resources, and operate two fish hatcheries: one on Clear Creek and one on Kalama Creek. The Nisqually thrived on the natural resources their vast tribal lands provided, sharing berry and hunting grounds with nearby tribes. Before the 1970s lack of electricity and other modern resources on the reservation caused most Nisqually to move from their tribal lands.