A tree that stood witness to the signing of the 1854 Treaty of Medicine Creek was lost to a winter storm in December.
The Treaty Tree was located along Interstate 5 in Western Washington. It was revered by Nisqually, Squaxin Island and Puyallup tribal members whose ancestors signed away their lands to secure fishing rights, hunting rights and other benefits.
"You can feel the spirit of the tree, the spark of life in this tree. It was a symbol of a place, and of that treaty," Nisqually elder Frank Billy Jr. told The Seattle Times.
Seeds gathered from the tree have sprouted a grove of descendants.
Get the Story:After 153 years, Treaty Tree lost to winter storm (The Seattle Times 2/12)
