The Skagit, A Stately Society - Monroe's Landing, WA
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member Hikenutty
N 48° 14.417 W 122° 40.831
10U E 523721 N 5343056
The Skagit people maintained several villages on Penn Cove, including cokwol'a, here at Monroe's Landing, which was a major village.
Waymark Code: WM3R1C
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 05/08/2008
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member Ambrosia
Views: 26

The marker reads:
The Skagit Indians maintained several villages on Penn Cove. The paramount Skagit Chief lived at Snakelum Point, southeast across the cove. The village at Monroe's Landing was called cokwol'a. Cokwol'a was the major village of the Skwdabs, a subgroup of the Skagit, who occupied an area that included Oak Harbor, Dugualla Bay, and the lower portion of the Skagit River.

The people here hunted deer and ducks with nets, farmed edible cannas, maintained fields of wild berries, and dug horse clams in front of Monroe's Landing.

This potlatch house stood in front of Monroe's Landing until about 1910. The traditional potlatch, or sgw'igw'i, was an occasion for relatives, friends and different tribes to gather for ceremonies, feasting, and demonstrating strength and wealth during the winter season. The host distributed gifts to all those who attended. The guests then invited participants to celebrations located at their home villages.

The sgw'igw'i brought status to the giver and gave distant people a chance to exchange ideas. Mountain goat wool and horn from the Cascade Mountains were brought by Upper Skagit people and exchanged for dentalium and other decorative shell. News was also exchanged.

Marker Name: The Skagit, A Stately People

Marker Type: Roadside

Town name: Coupeville

Placer: Ebey's Landing National Historic Reserve (National Park System)

Related website: [Web Link]

Date marker was placed: Not listed

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jcar visited The Skagit, A Stately Society - Monroe's Landing, WA 09/19/2008 jcar visited it
Hikenutty visited The Skagit, A Stately Society - Monroe's Landing, WA 05/14/2008 Hikenutty visited it

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