The Suquamish tribe linguistically belongs to the Salishan family of languages among Northwest Coast indigenous peoples. Like many Northwest Coast natives, the Suquamish relied on fishing from local rivers and Puget Sound for food and built plank houses (longhouses) to protect themselves from the harsh, wet winters west of the Cascade Mountains.
The best known member of the Suquamish tribe (who was also by blood part of the Duwamish tribe) was the legendary Chief Seattle for which the city of Seattle is named. Ironically, the "chief" part of his name is attributed to European settlers as the Lushootseed language of the Suquamish people has no word for "chief".