Peace Weavers: Uniting the Salish Coast through Cross-Cultural Marriages - Softcover

Wellman, Candace

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0874223466 ISBN 13: 9780874223460

Publisher: Washington State University Press, 2017

Synopsis

Throughout the mid-1800s, Coast and Interior Salish families arranged strategic cross-cultural marriages, and these alliances played a crucial role in regional settlement and spared Puget Sound's upper corner from the tragic conflicts other regions experienced. Although accounts of the men exist in a variety of records, the contributions of their native wives remain unacknowledged. Author Candace Wellman hopes to shatter stereotypes surrounding these relationships. The four women profiled--Caroline Davis Kavanaugh (Samish-Swinomish), Mary Fitzhugh Lear Phillips (S'Klallam), Clara Tennant Selhameten (Lummi-Duwamish), and Nellie Carr Lane (Sto:lo)--exhibited exceptional endurance, strength, and adaptability. Remembered as loving mothers and good neighbors, they ran successful farms, nursed and supported family members, served as midwives, and operated profitable businesses. They visited relatives and attended ancestral gatherings, often with their children. Each woman's story is uniquely her own, but together they and other intermarried women left lasting legacies. They were peace weavers.

About this title

About the Author

Candace Wellman, an expert in research methods and genealogy, holds bachelor’s degrees in sociology, history, and secondary education, and has pursued graduate work in sociology. She makes regular public appearances related to women’s history and early regional settlement. Active in multiple historical organizations, she received the 2013 State Volunteer Recognition Award from the Washington State Genealogical Society.

From the Back Cover

Strategic cross-cultural marriages between Coast and Interior Salish families and pioneer men played a crucial role in mid-1800s regional settlement and spared Puget Sound's upper corner from tragic conflicts. Accounts of the husbands exist in a variety of records, but the native wives' contributions remained unacknowledged. Combining primary and secondary sources, genealogy, and family memories, author Candace Wellman illuminates this hidden history and shatters stereotypes surrounding these relationships. The four women she profiles exhibited exceptional endurance, strength, and adaptability. They ran successful farms and businesses and acted as cultural interpreters and mediators. Although each story is unique, collectively they and other intermarried individuals helped found Puget Sound communities and left a lasting legacy. They were peace weavers. "Wellman writes with a depth of detail and compassion that will make this an instant classic in the genre and a reference touchstone for decades to come."--Mike Vouri, author, "The Pig War: Standoff at Griffin Bay" "Wellman digs deep and brings the women's considerable accomplishments to the fore. Meticulous research supports each element of these engaging stories."--Llyn De Danaan, author, "Katie Gale: A Coast Salish Woman's Life on Oyster Bay" "Wellman brings us a set of stories that have been misunderstood, ignored, or covered up by generations of Pacific Northwest historians."--Coll Thrush, author, "Native Seattle: Histories from the Crossing-Over Place" "The . . . research is wide-ranging and by every measure exhaustive. [Peace Weavers is] a detective story of sorts, weaving together fragments of the past."Jean Barman, Co-editor, "Indigenous Women and Feminism: Politics, Activism, Culture"

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Edition details

• Publisher: Washington State University Press
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0874223466
• ISBN 13: 9780874223460
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 302