Chetzemoka was also known as Cheech-Ma-Ham and he was born in 1808, he lived 80 years and died in 1888.  He was the chief of tribe known as the S'Klallam Tribe. Cheztemoka lived in what was then known as KaTai and later became Port Townsend, Washington. He was 40 years old when the first white settlers arrived in the 1850's. Those Settlers found it difficult to pronounce Cheech-Ma-Ham so they renamed him Chezemoka, and he was given the "royal" nickname Duke of York. He was said to have often calmed the tensions between the white settlers and the Tribe. The settlers saw Chetzemoka as the "white man's friend". Here in Port Townsend is where I found this old boat sitting in the sand, with Chetzamoka's name emblazoned on the side. It's a big part of Port Townsend history and I was fascinated by it. I really felt compelled to paint the old boat as well as look into the history!