Standing Their Ground: The Cowlitz Tribe’s Resilience

In 1855, when federal agents gathered tribes across southwest Washington to sign the Chehalis River Treaty, the Cowlitz refused. The proposed treaty would have forced them from their homelands along the Cowlitz and Lewis Rivers to a distant coastal reservation. The Cowlitz people said no.

That decision cost them dearly. For more than a century, they were denied the recognition, land, and federal services extended to other tribes. They were written out of treaties, maps, and laws—but they were never gone. The Cowlitz continued as a people: governing themselves, preserving their kinship networks, and maintaining deep ties to their rivers and forests.

After 145 years of persistence, the United States finally acknowledged what had always been true. On February 14, 2000, the federal government recognized the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. In 2015, their land near Ridgefield was placed into trust, restoring a small part of what was taken.

Today, the Cowlitz govern from Longview, where their programs in health, education, and natural resource protection serve both tribal members and the broader community. They are stewards of the land, advocates for salmon recovery, and partners in building a more sustainable future for everyone who calls this region home.

The Cowlitz story isn’t one of defeat—it’s one of quiet defiance and survival. They stood their ground when the federal government demanded surrender. They endured when history tried to erase them. And today, they remind us that sovereignty, dignity, and belonging aren’t granted by any government—they’re lived, protected, and passed on.

On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we honor the Cowlitz people—the Forever People—for their courage, endurance, and continuing presence on this land.