The United States Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that only Congress – not a President - can reduce the size of a reservation.
Grant issued an Executive Order which attempted to unilaterally change the western boundary of the Swinomish Reservation. The eastern boundary follows what is now known as the Swinomish Channel. Treaty time maps show that the western boundary of the Swinomish Reservation is a north-south line between Fidalgo and Similk bays. The Treaty reserved the part of Fidalgo Island which was known at the time as Shais-quihl. The Swinomish Reservation was established in 1855 by the Treaty of Point Elliott. The Swinomish Tribe is descended from and is a successor to tribes, including Swinomish, Kikiallus, Samish and Lower Skagit, that inhabited the Skagit Valley and Puget Sound islands for thousands of years before non-Indian settlement. It is the home of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, a federally recognized tribe. The Swinomish Reservation is located on Fidalgo Island in Western Washington State.
