Marcus Whitman played an important role in Washington State history; however, he is also a symbol of colonization, and we believe that his statue in the National Statuary Hall should be replaced with that of a Native person. Each year, 3-5 million people tour the U.S. Capitol Building from around the world, and we want everyone who visits the Capitol to see that we are a state that celebrates our Native heritage and embraces diversity. Washington State has a rich Native history. We believe that our statues should accurately reflect our history and the important role that Native peoples have played in the development of our state as we know it. We respectfully ask that the Washington State Legislature replace the statue of Marcus Whitman. We propose three possible candidates for replacement: Billy Frank, Jr., Chief Seattle, and Chief Leschi (you can read about them below in the "Moving Forward" section).

The National Statuary Hall is a collection of 100 statues donated by the fifty states for display in the U.S. Capitol Building. Each state can donate two statues, and the current statues representing Washington State are of Marcus Whitman and Mother Joseph. Millions of people view these statues each year. The donation of statues is organized by the Washington State Legislature. Currently, SB 5237-2019-20 is a piece of legislation proposing the creation of a Senate work group that would work to replace the statue of Marcus Whitman. Now is the time to voice our support.

The statue replacement guidelines can be found here.

History of Washington State's Statues

Since 1492, North America has a history of oppressing and systematically erasing Native peoples, culture, and history. The Washington State Legislature has continued to perpetuate this reality in their decision to keep the statue of Marcus Whitman as one of two statues representing the State of Washington in the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.  

Marcus Whitman was a man born in New York State who worked with the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. In 1835, Whitman began his first journey west as a missionary. On that journey, he established himself as a competent doctor, stopping a cholera outbreak and performing several successful surgeries. When he returned east, he took two Nez Perce boys with him, who he renamed with Western names (Richard and John). In 1836, Whitman married Narcissa Prentiss. The Whitmans traveled west for a second time with another missionary couple and two men. The wives were the first European-descended women to cross the continental divide. When they reached Oregon Territory, Whitman established a mission among the Cayuse people. Prior to colonization, the Cayuse people were semi-nomadic, following seasonal cycles of a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Whitman introduced Western agricultural practices in an effort to keep the Cayuse people at the mission. The mission became an economic center as traffic increased along the Oregon Trail, eventually bringing measles and leading to the death of half of the Cayuse people. Whitman was killed by the Cayuse people following his failure to use his medical background to effectively treat the Cayuse people.

Each state is allowed to donate two statues to the National Statuary Hall. In addition to Whitman's statue, Washington also donated a statue of Mother Joseph, a Catholic missionary who founded what eventually became the Providence Hospital group. Mother Joseph established many hospitals, schools, and orphanages; however, these were boarding schools which removed Native children from their families and cultural communities.

Call to Action

While both of these historical figures were instrumental in the establishment and history of the state of Washington, we believe that Whitman's statue should be replaced. Washington state has a strong history of establishing positive relationships with Native people groups and the move to replace Whitman's statue would further these relationships. It would also be a major move in celebrating and preserving Native history and culture. It is a disservice to the Native people's groups in the state of Washington to continue to perpetuate history that fails to reflect the wonderful contributions of Native people in creating the diverse and culturally rich Washington state that we know and love today.

Moving Forward

In 2019, legislation was proposed to create a working group to replace the statue, but nothing came of it. The legislation was reintroduced in January of 2020. Given the timing of this legislation, now it is the time to act in support of replacing Whitman's statue in the National Statuary Hall.

We have three Native people from the state of Washington to propose to be enshrined as Washington's contributions to the National Statuary Hall.

Billy Frank Jr., a Nisqually tribal member known for his activism in protecting Native people's access to resources needed to maintain traditional subsistence lifestyles.

Chief Seattle (Si'ahl), a Suquamish and Duwamish chief who sought out white settlers with whom he could trade and build relationships with, earning a reputation as an ambassador between Native peoples and the new settlers. 

Chief Leschi, the last chief of the Nisqually tribe, who fought to protect his people's right to occupy their traditional land. A neighborhood in Seattle is named after him.

Next Steps

1. Sign and share this petition.
2. Email your Washington State Legislators using this template or write your own email expressing your concerns.