"You just can't, you know, be trespassing. You have to ask for permission."
Featuring Ken Workman (Duwamish), 5th generation Great-Grandson of Chief Seattle.
We recognize that’s their land
Saltwater Soundwalk SHORT
[00:00] [sound of gently lapping waves plays in the background]
Ken Workman: So we say [Lushootseed phrase], which means, “Come ashore”.
[Speaks in Lushootseed]. Come ashore onto this land. [Speaks in Lushootseed]. Welcome my friend.
And people go, “Okay! The Duwamish said we can be here.” [Laughs] So we all have a good time, but we also do the same thing when we're on somebody else's land. We recognize that that's their land. Those are their people, ancient people in the ground, and they've been there for a long time and you just can't, you know, be trespassing. You have to ask for permission.
[sounds of water continue]
Except today, our land is downtown Seattle with Space Needles and skyscrapers and billionaires upon billionaires upon billionaires. So it’s changed. Hundred and seventy years ago there was nothing over there except beaver and elk and deer and seagull and seals and stuff like that.
[Sound of water at Don Armeni Boat Ramp on Elliott Bay]
[00:01:05]