What is Treaty Day? Here’s why it’s an important date in Whatcom County
For the Lummi Nation, the Point Elliott Treaty of 1855, now honored each Jan. 22, is the most important and powerful agreement in the world. It secured for the Lummi people the right to healthcare, education, hunting, fishing, a healthy environment, salmon, water and sustaining their way of life, according to Lummi Nation Chairman Anthony Hillaire.
“Treaty Day is not a day of celebration, it is not a holiday. It is a day of honoring and commemorating our ancestors for decisions and sacrifices made to ensure access to our inherent and reserved rights for generations to come,” Hillaire told The Bellingham Herald.
On Jan. 22, 1855, 82 leaders of Puget Sound tribes traveled to Mukilteo to sign the treaty, which marked the beginning of the government-to-government relationship between the Tribes and the U.S. government.
“When we talk about fighting the good fight, that is what we are fighting for, is ensure that the federal government and all surrounding governments and agencies are upholding our treaty rights that were promised to us in 1855,” Hillaire said. “That’s what our ancestors wanted for us, for our people to live a healthy life. To be rid of the historical trauma and the genocide that we faced and to be able to continue to take care of ourselves.”
Hillaire said the Lummi Nation wants to make sure people across the state know about Treaty Day, as it affects everyone, not just the Lummi People.
The Ferndale School District has honored Treaty Day since 2020 and will be closed Monday, Jan. 23, as a result. Lummi Nation Schools also are closed Monday.
“The Ferndale School District, they just did it. They acknowledged and honored Treaty Day as a holiday for their school district,” Hillaire said. “It would be great if the other school districts did the same thing. This is our shared history, the United States also signed the treaty with the tribe, this is all our home, this is all our history. I hope that more will do the same.”
The Children of the Setting Sun Productions, a non-profit filmmaking organization in Bellingham, is hosting the fifth annual Treaty Day film festival. The festival is not officially tied to the Lummi Nation. However, it was founded by Anthony Hillaire’s father, Daniel Hillaire.
Bellingham Public Schools students attended the festival Thursday and Friday, Jan. 19-20, as a learning opportunity. The festival is open to the public at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21, at the Pickford Theater, 1318 Bay St. in Bellingham, according to festival Project Manager Haley Rapada and Project Coordinator Roy Nicol. Full-day tickets are $20.
“We wanted to reach a broader audience than we have in the last year,” Rapada said. “We were able to contact the Bellingham Public Schools and were able to get seventh graders from three of the middle schools around town.”
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