I acknowledge that I live and work in Seattle, Washington, on important traditional, ancestral and contemporary lands of the Duwamish people.
Because the United States Government has continued to deny the rights of the Duwamish granted by the 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott, the Duwamish to this day don't receive the same resources that federally recognized tribes do. Physical reservations of land, for one–which the treaty promised the Duwamish–but also access to direct government funding for critical services and programs.
The Duwamish, therefore, have been on their own while the city of Seattle has since its founding in 1851 expanded to a city of over 700,000 people.
Which is why something like Real Rent Duwamish is so important to not only the health of the tribe, but to its sheer existence, to which I've made monthly donations for the past few years. The small portion of Seattle's residents that contribute make a huge, huge difference for the Duwamish.
If you live in the Seattle area, or are just a curious visitor, I invite you to join me in doing so.
Also, if you'd like to learn a bit more about the Duwamish, the video below is a decent start.