Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association

Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association
Name	Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association
Formation	1970s
Type	Indigenous rights organization
Headquarters	Seattle, Washington
Region served	Pacific Northwest
Leader title	Executive Director

Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association is a Native American grassroots organization founded to protect burial sites, cultural landscapes, and sacred places in the Pacific Northwest. The association emerged amid rising tensions over land use, urban development, and cultural preservation, and it engaged with federal agencies, tribal governments, and courts to assert treaty rights and cultural protections. Its activities intersected with landmark legal cases, tribal coalitions, municipal planning debates, and national preservation movements.

History

The association formed during the 1970s in response to conflicts on the Duwamish River, Puget Sound, and shorelines around Seattle, Washington following mobilization by leaders from the Duwamish Tribe, Suquamish Tribe, and neighboring peoples. Early organizers drew inspiration from the American Indian Movement, the Alcatraz Occupation, and legal principles established in cases like United States v. Washington and treaties such as the Treaty of Point Elliott. The group collaborated with scholars at University of Washington, activists at the Sierra Club, and preservationists connected to the National Park Service to document burial grounds and ceremonial sites across King County, Washington, Pierce County, Washington, and Kitsap County, Washington.

Mission and Activities

The association's mission combined protection of ancestral remains with cultural revitalization and legal advocacy involving institutions like the Smithsonian Institution, the National Congress of American Indians, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Activities included archaeological monitoring with teams from Washington State University and curatorial consultations with museum staff at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, educational outreach in partnership with the Seattle Art Museum and tribal schools, and participation in environmental review processes under laws such as the National Historic Preservation Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. Public programming featured collaborations with tribal elders from the Puyallup Tribe, traditional artists listed by the National Endowment for the Arts, and researchers publishing through the Pacific Northwest Quarterly.

Legal Actions and Advocacy

The association filed or supported litigation in state and federal courts including appearances before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and petitions to the Washington State Supreme Court over desecration and development permits issued by county boards like the King County Council and municipal bodies such as the Seattle City Council. Its legal strategy referenced precedent in cases like Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association and cited protections under the Archaeological Resources Protection Act and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. The group worked with attorneys from organizations including the Native American Rights Fund, the American Civil Liberties Union, and local firms representing tribes in matters involving the Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Notable Campaigns and Conflicts

High-profile campaigns targeted projects affecting sacred sites, including disputes over highway expansions fought before the Washington State Department of Transportation and conflicts with developers working near Duwamish Head, Chief Seattle's Monument areas, and shoreline developments on Whidbey Island. The association opposed proposals by corporations and institutions such as the Port of Seattle and private developers, while coordinating protests with coalitions like the Boldt Decision advocates and demonstrations inspired by the Trail of Broken Treaties. Media coverage connected the group's actions to national debates exemplified by the Cobell v. Salazar litigation and reclamation efforts tied to the Indian Health Service.

Organizational Structure and Membership

The association operated as a membership-based nonprofit with a board drawn from tribal citizens of the Suquamish Tribe, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, Snoqualmie Tribe, and urban Native organizations in Seattle. Staff and volunteers included cultural monitors trained alongside professionals from the Washington State Historic Preservation Office and interns from programs at the University of Washington School of Law and departments at Seattle University. Partnerships extended to advocacy groups such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation, academic centers like the Harrison Institute, and community organizations representing residents of neighborhoods along the Duwamish and the Elliott Bay shoreline.

Impact and Legacy

The association's interventions influenced administrative policy at agencies including the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Army Corps of Engineers by prompting enhanced consultation protocols and changes to cultural resource management practices. Its involvement in litigation, public education, and repatriation efforts contributed to the broader implementation of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and inspired comparable activism among tribes in the Columbia River basin, the Salish Sea region, and on islands like Vashon Island. Scholars writing in journals such as the American Antiquity and commentators at outlets like the Seattle Times and The New York Times have documented the association's role in shifting policies on sacred sites, museum collections, and urban planning in the Pacific Northwest.

Category:Native American organizations in Washington (state)