Thousands in Seattle Pay “Rent” to Support Native American Tribe Who Gave the City Its Name

Over 2,700 people and counting in Seattle, in the US-state of Washington, have volunteered to pay monthly reparations to the Duwamish tribe as part of the “Real Rent Duwamish” initiative.

The 700 Duwamish of Seattle – a United States city named after their former chief – do not benefit from the usual federal assistance to indigenous people as they are not legally recognized as Native Americans. An 1855 treaty led the Duwamish tribe to give up 54,000 acres of land to the government in exchange for reservations, fishing and hunting rights, but as a result of never being formally recognized, they did not get to resettle onto a reservation.

“The contributions that Real Rent has given to the Duwamish tribe have been significant,” says Jolene Haas, head of Duwamish Tribal Services.

“It’s given us a level of stability that the tribe hasn’t seen in a very long time and really elevated our tribe’s presence here in Seattle,” she added.