DARRINGTON — The hereditary chief of the Sauk-Suiattle Tribe has died.
James Lawrence Joseph, 70, will be remembered in funeral services set for 11 a.m. today at Glad Tidings Assembly of God church in Darrington.
Also known by his Sauk name, Qual ish kanim, Joseph retired in 2002 as fisheries manager for the tribe. He suffered from kidney problems, family members said.
As a young man, Joseph was active in the fight for tribal rights that led to the famous ruling by federal Judge George Boldt. In 1974 Boldt reaffirmed the right of the state’s treaty tribes to half the annual fish catch in Washington.
Joseph served as chairman of the Sauk-Suiattle Tribe, a federally recognized tribe whose reservation lies in Snohomish and Skagit counties.
In that position, he worked to refine tribal law and government. He helped found the Skagit (River) System Cooperative and the Northwest Intertribal Court System. He also negotiated with Seattle City Light regarding river dams in the Cascade Range foothills.
Joseph was a member of the state’s first Local Indian Child Welfare Advisory Committee, working to keep children from being placed in the state foster system away from extended family, tribal culture and traditions.
He was a great leader, said his nephew Jason Joseph, 39, of Darrington.
“My uncle did not think he was better than anybody else, but he led by example,” Jason Joseph said. “He was a good speaker. He had a level head and a good heart.”
James Lawrence Joseph was born April 22, 1940, on Indian Hill near Darrington to James and Katherine (Brown) Joseph.
He received his American Indian name, Qual ish kanim, at birth from his grandmother Josephine Martin Brown during a traditional baptism in the Sauk River.
Joseph was identified by his grandfather Chief Leo Brown and other elders of the Sauk-Suiattle Tribe during the 1950s as the next hereditary chief of the Sauk band.
Joseph graduated from Ferndale High School in 1961. He enjoyed motorcycle riding, hunting, fishing, bow hunting, traveling, photography and reading.
He was dedicated, perseverant, honest, strong, caring and knowledgeable, said Norma Ann Joseph and Nancy Ann DeCoteau, two of his sisters.
Joseph had no children of his own, but his many nieces and nephews were his adopted kids, Jason Joseph said.
“What I learned most from my uncle was that when we leave this earth, we must have worked hard for the future generations,” Jason Joseph said. “He was a preacher back in the day. He taught me that we must have a vision for the future.”
Lawrence Joseph wanted his tribe to be knowledgeable, skilled and able to help with positive economic and social growth, he said.
“He wanted people to look to the future, but be reminded of the tasks set forth by the ancestors,” Jason Joseph said. “He did that.”
Along with his parents, Lawrence Joseph was preceded in death by his sister Eveline Ellen Matory.
He is survived by his siblings, Kenneth Lee Joseph and Leroy Charles Joseph, both of Lummi; David Leo Isaac Joseph of Tumtum; Josephine Harriet Strong of Siletz, Ore.; Norma Ann Joseph, Katherine Floranee Misanes and Nancy Ann DeCoteau, all of Darrington; and Christine Alice Banks of Modesto, Calif.
Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com.
Funeral
Funeral services for James Lawrence Joseph are set for 11 a.m. today at Glad Tidings Assembly of God Church, 1272 Highway 530 NE, Darrington. A procession to the Sauk-Suiattle Cemetery for grave-side services follows.
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