At the end of his famous speech in 1854, Chief Seattle spoke about the changes coming from white settlers and the displacement of his people. His final remarks, according to a man who recorded them as best he remembered, were these:

“At night, when the streets of your cities and villages will be silent, and you think them deserted, they will throng with the returning hosts that once filled and still love this beautiful land. The dead are not without strength.”

At that time and in this place, the Chief was not the only one who believed in the power of spirits. Among the whites was a growing belief in the ability of the dead to communicate with the living. The afterlife was not a one-way trip.

Article: https://www.cascadepbs.org/mossbacks-northwest-2/2026/10/mossbacks-northwest-4/