Sunday, October 27, 2024

SEATTLE'S HOLY PRINCESS

 

A local native being considered for sainthood is PRINCESS ANGELINE (Kikisoblu, Kick-is-om-lo). She was born around 1820 to Chief Seattle and his first wife (a Catholic) in what is now Rainier Beach in SeattleWashington. She was named Angeline by Catherine Broshears Maynard, the second wife of Doc Maynard, who  thought she deserved a name that would help people recognize her importance as the daughter of the city’s namesake. She named her Princess Angeline– a name she thought was “prettier” than her native name.

In 1856, during the Puget Sound War, Kiki is said to have conveyed a warning from her father to the citizens of Seattle regarding an imminent attack by a large native coalition force. Thanks to this warning, the settlers and neutral native tribespeople were able to protect themselves during the resulting Battle of Seattle.

The 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott required that all Duwamish Indians leave their land for reservations, but Kikisoblu remained in Seattle in a waterfront cabin on Western Avenue between Pike and Pine Streets, near what is now Pike Place Market and earned a living doing laundry, making baskets and collecting shellfish along the shores of Puget Sound.

She got a lot of attention as Chief Seattle’s daughter and many photographs were taken of her and used on all kinds of souvenir items. In photos, Kikisoblu most often appears wearing a red bandana, shawl, and many layers of clothing. She was photographed by many famous people such as Edward S. Curtis. She would get a dollar when someone took her photo.

The Duwamish Tribe, which was one of the largest tribes in Washington State, is now unrecognized by the federal government.

Chief Seattle was confirmed in 1864 and married in the Catholic Church in 1865. When he died in 1866, he was buried at St. Peter’s cemetery at Suquamish. But his baptismal record wasn’t found until 2018, when Joan Byrne, an archives volunteer, was translating sacramental registers written in French by missionary priests. The record shows he was baptized Noé (Noah) Siyatle on March 17, 1857, when he was about 71 years old.

Princess Angeline seemed quite a “character” and was known for always having a cigarette, but not so well known for always carrying her rosary and crucifix.  Showing her crucifix to people, she would say, “this is my friend”.

She was buried (in a canoe-shaped coffin) in Lake View Cemetery on Capitol Hill, next to her friend, founding father, Henry Yesler. Years later, Seattle schoolchildren raised money for a headstone.



The Chronicle of Holy Names Academy reported:

"May 29, 1896. With the death of Angeline Seattle died the last of the direct descendants of the great Chief Seattle for whom this city was named. Angeline—Princess Angeline—as she was generally called, was famous all over the world… Angeline was a familiar figure of the streets, bent and wrinkled, a red handkerchief over her head, a shawl about her, walking slowly and painfully with the aid of a cane; it was no infrequent sight to see this poor old Indian woman seated on the sidewalk devoutly reciting her beads. The kindness and generosity of Seattle's people toward the daughter of the chief… was shown in her funeral obsequies which took place from the Church of Our Lady of Good Help. The church was magnificently decorated; on the somber draped catafalque in a casket in the form of a canoe rested all that was mortal of Princess Angeline."

Due to the close relationship between Seattle's indigenous population and the region's orca population, one of the Southern resident orcas, J17, was nicknamed Princess Angeline after Kikisoblu. J17's fourth calf, J53 Kiki, was also named after Kikisoblu.

Two years ago, a rosary that belonged to Princess Angeline, was gifted to the Duwamish Tribe by the Archdiocese of Seattle.

“Because she is the daughter of our chief … to have that little rosary coming back to the tribe, that is so moving. To me, it’s really spiritual,” said Cecile Hansen, Chief Seattle’s great-great-grandniece who is a lifelong Catholic and the longtime chairwoman of the Duwamish Tribal Council.

She appears to have been eccentric, but how many saints were called so in their lifetime and even today, by us lesser mortals?

Photos: 

Top & Bottom.  Edward Curtis

 Middle:  Her "shack with her dog and walking in Seattle

    

No comments:

Post a Comment