After more than five decades of fighting for federal recognition, the Duwamish Tribe will have another opportunity to prove its legitimacy in the eyes of the U.S. government. A recent court ruling has ordered the Department of the Interior to reevaluate the tribe’s petition for recognition, giving renewed hope to the descendants of Chief Seattle. The Duwamish Tribe, whose ancestral lands encompass much of present-day King County, has long struggled for acknowledgment from the federal government. The tribe signed a treaty in the 1800s, ceding thousands of acres to the United States. However, for over a century, federal officials have denied the tribe’s claims, arguing the Duwamish had effectively ceased to exist, with its members absorbed into other Native American groups. “This is a place that we have occupied since the last glaciation,” said Nancy Sackman, the Duwamish Tribe’s Cultural Preservation Officer and a direct descendant of Chief Seattle. “This ruling for us is good news. It is very good news.” READ MORE: https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/federal-government-to-reconsider-duwamish-tribe-status/281-fefc9263-a86c-4bda-8589-d4a78fd39b91