Tulalip, from My Heart: An Autobiographical Account of a Reservation Community - Paperback

Tulalip, From My Heart: An Autobiographical Account of a Reservation Community

In Tulalip, From My Heart, Harriette Shelton Dover describes her life on the Tulalip Reservation and recounts the myriad problems tribes faced after resettlement. Born in 1904, Dover grew up hearing the elders of her tribe tell of the hardships involved in moving from their villages to the reservation on Tulalip Bay: inadequate supplies of food and water, harsh economic conditions, and religious persecution outlawing potlatch houses and other ceremonial practices.

First-Hand Account of Boarding School Experience

Dover herself spent ten traumatic months every year in an Indian boarding school, an experience that developed her political consciousness and keen sense of justice. Her narrative provides direct testimony of the federal boarding school system's impact on Native American children and communities during the early 20th century.

Pioneering Indigenous Leadership

The first Indian woman to serve on the Tulalip board of directors, Dover describes her experiences in her own personal, often fierce style, revealing her tribe's powerful ties and enduring loyalty to land now occupied by others. This autobiography documents her groundbreaking role in tribal governance and Indigenous political activism in the Pacific Northwest.

Historical Documentation of Reservation Life

This account preserves oral histories passed down from tribal elders, documenting the transition from traditional village life to reservation settlement. Dover's narrative captures the cultural, economic, and spiritual challenges faced by the Tulalip people during a critical period of forced assimilation and cultural suppression.