Honoring Paul Washington: The Man Behind Our Tribal Cemetery's Name
Honoring Paull Washington: The Man Behind Our Tribal Cemetery's Name February 9, 1894 – September 28, 1918 L-R: Eddie Charley, Jip Washington, Paul Washington , Eddie Frye, Skinner Williams - Siletz - circa 1910 Have you ever stopped and thought about why our Siletz cemetery bears the name Paul Washington, and who exactly he was? Nestled on the Siletz Reservation in Oregon, the Paul Washington Cemetery is a place of deep historical and emotional ground for our community. The cemetery is named in honor of Private 1st Class Paul Washingt on—a young Siletz man of the 91st Division who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War I, giving his life in service to his country at just 24 years of age. As noted in tribal histories like Charles Wilkinson's The People Are Dancing Again , Paul's legacy runs deep through the generations as the grandson of Shasta Tyee Push Wash. Though time nearly reclaimed the site, local families formed the Paul Washington Cemetery Association in the...
