OAK HARBOR — Tony Cladusbid, a La Conner resident and co-owner of the Beaver Tales Coffee franchise on his tribal lands in Oak Harbor and Coupeville, recently changed his name from Cladoosby to a closer match of the original Lushootseed spelling, ʔĺɫĺdusbĺʔ.
Cladusbid said the former spelling is a poor anglicization with hateful roots.
“The history that you seek about my name deals with time, location, event,” he said. “It could happen to anybody, and my family was made an example.”
In the 19th century, Cladusbid’s great-grandfather, who went by several names throughout his life, married a white woman. While legal, it was frowned upon, and local law enforcement murdered him.
“He ended up being hung,” Cladusbid…
