TACOMA, Wash. — The Puyallup Tribe of Indians and City of Tacoma have worked together to add the Twulshootseed language to existing street signs in Tacoma.
Twulshootseed is the language spoken by tribes living around the Puget Sound area.
The plan was approved during a meeting on Wednesday.
The signs can be found on roads within the Puyallup Reservation.
“The honorary renaming of Tacoma’s streets to recognize Tribal language near the Puyallup Tribe’s administration building on the Eastside is a testament to the City of Tacoma’s dedication to inclusivity and respect for the Tribe’s history and traditions,” said Mayor Victoria Woodards.
27 honorary names are being used.
Six will run north and south along Portland Avenue, Grandview Avenue and Pioneer Way.
The others will run East to West starting at 28th Street and going up to 38th Street including Roosevelt Avenue, T Street and Browning Street.
“Tribal Council wholeheartedly supports normalizing Twulshootseed in public infrastructure projects and believes that the public will greatly benefit from learning and speaking our language,” Puyallup Tribal Council Chairman Bill Sterud said in a letter of support.
In the future, signs featuring a small story, illustrations, and audio buttons will be added to parks on the reservation.
You can learn more about the Twulshootseed language here.