THE INDIAN SHAKER CHURCH

my road trip to the church

The Shaker religion seems a lot like the Amish. However, the Shaker religion the members remain celibate. And that is why their numbers have dwindled down to next to nothing.

The Indian Shaker Church is different than the original Shaker religion. It was founded in 1881 by John Slocum who was a member of the Squaxin tribe. The story goes John died and his wife Mary began shaking over his body and John came back to life.

The Indian Shaker church was then formed as a healing church. Sick and dying were brought to the church and members would shake over their body until they were healed.

I first heard of the Shakers while researching the Marysville Pilchuck High School shooting. Supposedly the Frybergs were Shakers. On Saturday I got up early and set out to find the Shaker Church.

The Shaker church in Tulalip Washington is said to have been built in 1924 and is one of the best-preserved examples of Indian Shaker architecture and it was added to the national Register of Historic places in 1976. I have my doubts. The Indians aren’t much into preserving buildings.

In 2007 / 2008 the structure had deteriorated beyond repair. The Tulalip tribe government granted $200,000 and used volunteers to bring the church back to life. Would $200,000 even be enough?

The same year that the money was issued the church caught on fire and burnt to the ground.

In an article by the Everett Herald Jan 3, 2008 it says the $200K was to burn down the building. So it was intentionally torched. Was the $200K also for the complete rebuild of the church? For me burning down the building kind of takes the entire history of the building with it.

I was confused by the sign hanging on the building obviously not the original because the original can be seen on the building on fire. THE SHAKER CHURCH INCORPORATED 1910.