A post recently shared by the Western Métis Association has brought renewed attention to the Métis presence in South Pierce County, Washington—an area with deep roots in fur trade history and blended Indigenous-European kinship.
Originally published in the Pierce Prairie Post (2013), the article notes that "from the Tacoma Mall to Silver Lake, between the Nisqually and Puyallup Rivers, the Hudson Bay Company occupied and farmed in Pierce County. With few white women in the area, many of the farmers married Indian women or their daughters from mixed-race relationships. These families and their descendants still live in and around South Pierce County."
A historical record from 1889 notes that these settlements were predominantly composed of French Canadians and "half-breeds," many of whom were former employees of the Hudson's Bay Company, living with or married to Indigenous or mixed-heritage women.
This is one of many stories of Métis life and community in the Pacific Northwest that remains largely untold. As interest grows in the wider Métis presence beyond Red River, histories like those in South Pierce County are critical reminders of the deep and enduring roots Métis families have across the region.