Katherine Brown Joseph Katherine Brown Joseph, 91, passed away September 13, 2006, in Arlington, Washington. She was born on July 23, 1915, on the Suiattle River to Chief Leo Brown of the Sauk Tribe and Josephine Martin Brown. Katherine was the granddaughter of Chief Jim Brown, of the Sauk, great-granddaughter of Chief Skadewa of the Snoqualmie, Chief Kwulsh Kadim of the Duwamish, Chief Why Pal Kan and Chief Skoleab of the Wenatchee. Her deep and extensive knowledge of tribal histories, genealogies, and lifeways remained sharp until her last day. Katherine attended the Tulalip Boarding School where she learned the English language. Attempts by the government to remove the "Indian" failed and she returned to her people. She was the last fluent speaker of the Sauk language. Katherine married James Joseph (Lummi/Malahat) and the couple moved, by canoe, to East Saanich, Vancouver Island. They returned to the Indian Hill community in the Sauk Valley to start their family. Children James Lawrence Joseph, Eveline Matory, Josephine Strong, Kenneth, Norma and Leroy Joseph were born there. After moving in 1948 to the Lummi reservation, Katherine Misanes, Nancy DeCoteau, Christine Banks and David Joseph were born. Katherine was beloved and respected by the Lummi community. Katherine served a number of years on the Sauk Suiattle Tribal Council and was active in tribal government for over forty years. She helped steer the Tribe to achieve federal recognition and the creation of the Sauk Suiattle reservation in the Tribe's aboriginal homeland near Darrington. Grandma Kate instilled her core cultural teachings and leadership vision in her children and grandchildren. Her son James Lawrence Joseph served as tribal Chairman for many years, as did her daughter, Norma Joseph, and grandson, Jason Joseph. Children Nancy, Eveline, Kathy and David all served on the Council, as did grandchildren Ray and Karen Misanes. Katherine Joseph lived a full and exemplary life. She was deeply loved and revered by the many people she touched. She is survived by nine of her ten children, 22 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren. Arrangements are being made through Weller Funeral Home, 327 N. Mcleod, Arlington. Prayer services will be held at the Sauk Suiattle Longhouse, with dinner at 4:00 p.m., and services at 6 p.m., September 16 and 17. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Monday, September 18, at the Assembly of God Church in Darrington, Washington. Burial at the Suiattle Indian Cemetery, and dinner to follow at the Community Hall in Darrington.
Daily Herald, The (Everett, WA) - Saturday, September 16, 2006
Katherine Brown Joseph, 91, the Sauk-Suiattle tribe's last native speaker of Lushootseed — traditionally spoken by 11 Northwest tribes — died Wednesday in Arlington.
Seattle Times, The (WA) - Sunday, September 17, 2006
A bit of this mountain community's history died Wednesday.
The Sauk-Suiattle's oldest member, Katherine Brown Joseph, died at 91. She was the tribe's last native Lushootseed speaker.
"It's an incalculable loss," said Toby Langen, who works for the Tulalip Tribes' Lushootseed program. "Not only does she take the knowledge of the language with her, but also teachings in the language that are expressed by how things are said."
Life on the Sauk-Suiattle reservation, near Darrington, came to a standstill Wednesday as word spread of Joseph's death. Tribal offices shut down. Family members and friends gathered to grieve and share stories.
"She means a lot," said her grandson, former tribal chairman Jason Joseph. He was among the family members with her Wednesday morning when she died at Cascade Valley Hospital in Arlington.
"There's a lot of history she knew about the tribe and carried on through the tribe."
Katherine Brown Joseph was born near the Suiattle River and spent her life in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains.
"We were always told the way she and our father met was she was walking around the tepees saying she was looking for a man that didn't smoke or drink," said her son, David Joseph. "My dad hollered back, 'Here I am.' My mom went and got her stuff and moved in."
In her younger days, Joseph braved the choppy waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca to canoe to Vancouver Island with her husband, James Joseph.
She mothered nine children, teaching them to protect tribal members, work hard and see the big picture, Jason Joseph said.
She also served on the tribal council and helped write the tribe's constitution.
All the while, she spoke a language that came a little closer to extinction with her death.
More than words are at risk, Langen said.
"It's a way of looking at life," she said. "It's an ethical way you are. It's your values. Everything is in that language. So all that philosophy and teaching goes with someone when they take the language."
Though Lushootseed is traditionally spoken by 11 tribes, fewer than 20 native speakers remain, Langen said. That's largely because the federal government banned speaking or teaching tribal languages in school near the turn of the 20th century. Time has also thinned the ranks of native speakers.
Several tribes, including the Tulalip Tribes, have made moves to reclaim their native Lushootseed. But dialects vary from region to region. Some aspects of the language simply can't be taught in the classroom.
"It's common to think of a person as being from just one tribe, but this language is shared by virtually everyone on this side of the Sound" and south to Olympia, she said. "The loss of someone like Kate Joseph is a loss to everyone - not just her community, but the whole community of Puget Sound."
Reporter Kaitlin Manry: 425-339-3292 or [email protected].
Daily Herald (Everett, WA) - Thursday, September 14, 2006
Daily Herald, The (Everett, WA) - Saturday, September 16, 2006
Katherine Brown Joseph, 91, the Sauk-Suiattle tribe's last native speaker of Lushootseed — traditionally spoken by 11 Northwest tribes — died Wednesday in Arlington.
Seattle Times, The (WA) - Sunday, September 17, 2006
A bit of this mountain community's history died Wednesday.
The Sauk-Suiattle's oldest member, Katherine Brown Joseph, died at 91. She was the tribe's last native Lushootseed speaker.
"It's an incalculable loss," said Toby Langen, who works for the Tulalip Tribes' Lushootseed program. "Not only does she take the knowledge of the language with her, but also teachings in the language that are expressed by how things are said."
Life on the Sauk-Suiattle reservation, near Darrington, came to a standstill Wednesday as word spread of Joseph's death. Tribal offices shut down. Family members and friends gathered to grieve and share stories.
"She means a lot," said her grandson, former tribal chairman Jason Joseph. He was among the family members with her Wednesday morning when she died at Cascade Valley Hospital in Arlington.
"There's a lot of history she knew about the tribe and carried on through the tribe."
Katherine Brown Joseph was born near the Suiattle River and spent her life in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains.
"We were always told the way she and our father met was she was walking around the tepees saying she was looking for a man that didn't smoke or drink," said her son, David Joseph. "My dad hollered back, 'Here I am.' My mom went and got her stuff and moved in."
In her younger days, Joseph braved the choppy waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca to canoe to Vancouver Island with her husband, James Joseph.
She mothered nine children, teaching them to protect tribal members, work hard and see the big picture, Jason Joseph said.
She also served on the tribal council and helped write the tribe's constitution.
All the while, she spoke a language that came a little closer to extinction with her death.
More than words are at risk, Langen said.
"It's a way of looking at life," she said. "It's an ethical way you are. It's your values. Everything is in that language. So all that philosophy and teaching goes with someone when they take the language."
Though Lushootseed is traditionally spoken by 11 tribes, fewer than 20 native speakers remain, Langen said. That's largely because the federal government banned speaking or teaching tribal languages in school near the turn of the 20th century. Time has also thinned the ranks of native speakers.
Several tribes, including the Tulalip Tribes, have made moves to reclaim their native Lushootseed. But dialects vary from region to region. Some aspects of the language simply can't be taught in the classroom.
"It's common to think of a person as being from just one tribe, but this language is shared by virtually everyone on this side of the Sound" and south to Olympia, she said. "The loss of someone like Kate Joseph is a loss to everyone - not just her community, but the whole community of Puget Sound."
Reporter Kaitlin Manry: 425-339-3292 or [email protected].
Daily Herald (Everett, WA) - Thursday, September 14, 2006
Katherine Brown Joseph Katherine Brown Joseph, 91, passed away September 13, 2006, in Arlington, Washington. She was born on July 23, 1915, on the Suiattle River to Chief Leo Brown of the Sauk Tribe and Josephine Martin Brown. Katherine was the granddaughter of Chief Jim Brown, of the Sauk, great-granddaughter of Chief Skadewa of the Snoqualmie, Chief Kwulsh Kadim of the Duwamish, Chief Why Pal Kan and Chief Skoleab of the Wenatchee. Her deep and extensive knowledge of tribal histories, genealogies, and lifeways remained sharp until her last day. Katherine attended the Tulalip Boarding School where she learned the English language. Attempts by the government to remove the "Indian" failed and she returned to her people. She was the last fluent speaker of the Sauk language. Katherine married James Joseph (Lummi/Malahat) and the couple moved, by canoe, to East Saanich, Vancouver Island. They returned to the Indian Hill community in the Sauk Valley to start their family. Children James Lawrence Joseph, Eveline Matory, Josephine Strong, Kenneth, Norma and Leroy Joseph were born there. After moving in 1948 to the Lummi reservation, Katherine Misanes, Nancy DeCoteau, Christine Banks and David Joseph were born. Katherine was beloved and respected by the Lummi community. Katherine served a number of years on the Sauk Suiattle Tribal Council and was active in tribal government for over forty years. She helped steer the Tribe to achieve federal recognition and the creation of the Sauk Suiattle reservation in the Tribe's aboriginal homeland near Darrington. Grandma Kate instilled her core cultural teachings and leadership vision in her children and grandchildren. Her son James Lawrence Joseph served as tribal Chairman for many years, as did her daughter, Norma Joseph, and grandson, Jason Joseph. Children Nancy, Eveline, Kathy and David all served on the Council, as did grandchildren Ray and Karen Misanes. Katherine Joseph lived a full and exemplary life. She was deeply loved and revered by the many people she touched. She is survived by nine of her ten children, 22 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren. Arrangements are being made through Weller Funeral Home, 327 N. Mcleod, Arlington. Prayer services will be held at the Sauk Suiattle Longhouse, with dinner at 4:00 p.m., and services at 6 p.m., September 16 and 17. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Monday, September 18, at the Assembly of God Church in Darrington, Washington. Burial at the Suiattle Indian Cemetery, and dinner to follow at the Community Hall in Darrington.
Daily Herald, The (Everett, WA) - Saturday, September 16, 2006
Katherine Brown Joseph, 91, the Sauk-Suiattle tribe's last native speaker of Lushootseed — traditionally spoken by 11 Northwest tribes — died Wednesday in Arlington.
Seattle Times, The (WA) - Sunday, September 17, 2006
A bit of this mountain community's history died Wednesday.
The Sauk-Suiattle's oldest member, Katherine Brown Joseph, died at 91. She was the tribe's last native Lushootseed speaker.
"It's an incalculable loss," said Toby Langen, who works for the Tulalip Tribes' Lushootseed program. "Not only does she take the knowledge of the language with her, but also teachings in the language that are expressed by how things are said."
Life on the Sauk-Suiattle reservation, near Darrington, came to a standstill Wednesday as word spread of Joseph's death. Tribal offices shut down. Family members and friends gathered to grieve and share stories.
"She means a lot," said her grandson, former tribal chairman Jason Joseph. He was among the family members with her Wednesday morning when she died at Cascade Valley Hospital in Arlington.
"There's a lot of history she knew about the tribe and carried on through the tribe."
Katherine Brown Joseph was born near the Suiattle River and spent her life in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains.
"We were always told the way she and our father met was she was walking around the tepees saying she was looking for a man that didn't smoke or drink," said her son, David Joseph. "My dad hollered back, 'Here I am.' My mom went and got her stuff and moved in."
In her younger days, Joseph braved the choppy waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca to canoe to Vancouver Island with her husband, James Joseph.
She mothered nine children, teaching them to protect tribal members, work hard and see the big picture, Jason Joseph said.
She also served on the tribal council and helped write the tribe's constitution.
All the while, she spoke a language that came a little closer to extinction with her death.
More than words are at risk, Langen said.
"It's a way of looking at life," she said. "It's an ethical way you are. It's your values. Everything is in that language. So all that philosophy and teaching goes with someone when they take the language."
Though Lushootseed is traditionally spoken by 11 tribes, fewer than 20 native speakers remain, Langen said. That's largely because the federal government banned speaking or teaching tribal languages in school near the turn of the 20th century. Time has also thinned the ranks of native speakers.
Several tribes, including the Tulalip Tribes, have made moves to reclaim their native Lushootseed. But dialects vary from region to region. Some aspects of the language simply can't be taught in the classroom.
"It's common to think of a person as being from just one tribe, but this language is shared by virtually everyone on this side of the Sound" and south to Olympia, she said. "The loss of someone like Kate Joseph is a loss to everyone - not just her community, but the whole community of Puget Sound."
Reporter Kaitlin Manry: 425-339-3292 or [email protected].
Daily Herald (Everett, WA) - Thursday, September 14, 2006
Daily Herald, The (Everett, WA) - Saturday, September 16, 2006
Katherine Brown Joseph, 91, the Sauk-Suiattle tribe's last native speaker of Lushootseed — traditionally spoken by 11 Northwest tribes — died Wednesday in Arlington.
Seattle Times, The (WA) - Sunday, September 17, 2006
A bit of this mountain community's history died Wednesday.
The Sauk-Suiattle's oldest member, Katherine Brown Joseph, died at 91. She was the tribe's last native Lushootseed speaker.
"It's an incalculable loss," said Toby Langen, who works for the Tulalip Tribes' Lushootseed program. "Not only does she take the knowledge of the language with her, but also teachings in the language that are expressed by how things are said."
Life on the Sauk-Suiattle reservation, near Darrington, came to a standstill Wednesday as word spread of Joseph's death. Tribal offices shut down. Family members and friends gathered to grieve and share stories.
"She means a lot," said her grandson, former tribal chairman Jason Joseph. He was among the family members with her Wednesday morning when she died at Cascade Valley Hospital in Arlington.
"There's a lot of history she knew about the tribe and carried on through the tribe."
Katherine Brown Joseph was born near the Suiattle River and spent her life in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains.
"We were always told the way she and our father met was she was walking around the tepees saying she was looking for a man that didn't smoke or drink," said her son, David Joseph. "My dad hollered back, 'Here I am.' My mom went and got her stuff and moved in."
In her younger days, Joseph braved the choppy waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca to canoe to Vancouver Island with her husband, James Joseph.
She mothered nine children, teaching them to protect tribal members, work hard and see the big picture, Jason Joseph said.
She also served on the tribal council and helped write the tribe's constitution.
All the while, she spoke a language that came a little closer to extinction with her death.
More than words are at risk, Langen said.
"It's a way of looking at life," she said. "It's an ethical way you are. It's your values. Everything is in that language. So all that philosophy and teaching goes with someone when they take the language."
Though Lushootseed is traditionally spoken by 11 tribes, fewer than 20 native speakers remain, Langen said. That's largely because the federal government banned speaking or teaching tribal languages in school near the turn of the 20th century. Time has also thinned the ranks of native speakers.
Several tribes, including the Tulalip Tribes, have made moves to reclaim their native Lushootseed. But dialects vary from region to region. Some aspects of the language simply can't be taught in the classroom.
"It's common to think of a person as being from just one tribe, but this language is shared by virtually everyone on this side of the Sound" and south to Olympia, she said. "The loss of someone like Kate Joseph is a loss to everyone - not just her community, but the whole community of Puget Sound."
Reporter Kaitlin Manry: 425-339-3292 or [email protected].
Daily Herald (Everett, WA) - Thursday, September 14, 2006
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