Nickelsville will have to leave Discovery Park

Nickelsville's stay in Discovery Park will be short-lived.

Residents of the homeless tent city have until Sunday night to leave the field near the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center, where they moved Wednesday night, said Dewey Potter, spokeswoman for Seattle Parks and Recreation.

City crews are posting 72-hour notices this evening at the encampment's new location, which is on city land leased to the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, Potter said.

"I think there was a misunderstanding," said Marty Bluewater, the foundation's executive director. "The group thought the land we occupied for our center might be federal land or land we actually own. When there had been talk in the wind about moving out there, we weren't able to give any permission, as much as we'd like to help."

The foundation was not unfriendly to the encampment, which left a parking lot on state-owned land Wednesday in hopes of finding a more permanent home; security from the Daybreak Star turned on lights for Nickelsville during the relocation and met with representatives from the tent city this morning, Bluewater said.

"Our response at this point is to see how much we can support them and their needs," Bluewater said. "We let them know that we aren't in the position to give that permission. ... We're obviously kind of caught in the middle here. We want to help where we can, but we have partnerships with the city on a number of things."

About 75 homeless people and advocates moved to the Discovery Park location Wednesday night, estimated Aaron Colyer, a resident who helped coordinate the move. It was the group's second forced relocation since setting up camp Sept. 22 on city land adjacent to the state-owned parking lot.

The United Indians of All Tribes Foundation will abide by city rules and regulations, Bluewater said, and that means Nickelsville won't find a permanent home with the foundation.

"We're not the answer to that problem," he said.

Residents of the tent city are meeting this evening to discuss their next move, a Nickelsville spokesman said.

Noelene Clark: 206-464-2321 or nclark@seattletimes.com