Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe
Encyclopedia
The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe (Nəxʷsƛ̕ áy̕əm "strong people") is a federally recognized and sovereign Native American
nation. The tribe is part of the larger Klallam
culture, part of the Coast Salish
peoples of the Pacific Northwest
. The traditional territory of the Klallam is the north and northeast portion of the Olympic Peninsula
, in the U.S. state
of Washington.
managed by the Lower Elwha and located at the mouth of the Elwha River
, 48°8′19"N 123°33′11"W, about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Port Angeles
.
. The tribe's current reservation was first acquired in trust from the United States in 1935-36. In 1968 the land was proclaimed as the Lower Elwha Reservation. Today tribal lands include about a thousand acres of land on and near the Elwha River.
The Lower Elwha occupied several villages on the bay sheltered by Ediz Hook
, now Port Angeles. One of these villages, Tse-whit-zen
was rediscovered in 2004 during construction for a graving dock being undertaken by the Washington State Department of Transportation
(WSDOT). On December 21, 2004, after archaeological
efforts unearthed over 10,000 artifacts and more than 335 intact skeletons WSDOT halted all construction efforts relating to the graving dock.
The village of Tse-whit-zen dates back over 2,700 years, according to radiocarbon dating
, and it continued to exist until as recently as the 1930s. A number of mills were built on top of the village site during the 20th century. Because the ground was covered with 15 to 30 ft (4.6 to 9.1 m) of fill the village site was preserved. Archaeology has revealed possibly eight longhouse structures.
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
nation. The tribe is part of the larger Klallam
Klallam
Klallam refers to four related indigenous Native American/First Nations communities from the Pacific Northwest of North America. The Klallam culture is classified ethnographically and linguistically in the Coast Salish subgroup...
culture, part of the Coast Salish
Coast Salish
Coast Salish languages are a subgroup of the Salishan language family. These languages are spoken by First Nations or Native American peoples inhabiting the territory that is now the southwest coast of British Columbia around the Strait of Georgia and Washington state around Puget Sound...
peoples of the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
. The traditional territory of the Klallam is the north and northeast portion of the Olympic Peninsula
Olympic Peninsula
The Olympic Peninsula is the large arm of land in western Washington state of the USA, that lies across Puget Sound from Seattle. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the east by Puget Sound. Cape Alava, the westernmost point in the contiguous...
, in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Washington.
Demographics
As of 2007 there are 776 enrolled members of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe. Of these, 112 live on the Lower Elwah Reservation, an Indian reservationIndian reservation
An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs...
managed by the Lower Elwha and located at the mouth of the Elwha River
Elwha River
The Elwha River is a -long river located on the Olympic Peninsula in the U.S. state of Washington. From its source at Elwha snowfinger in the Olympic Range of Olympic National Park it flows generally north to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Most of the river is contained within Olympic National Park...
, 48°8′19"N 123°33′11"W, about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Port Angeles
Port Angeles, Washington
Port Angeles is a city in and the county seat of Clallam County, Washington, United States. The population was 19,038 at the 2010 census. The area's harbor was dubbed Puerto de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles by Spanish explorer Francisco de Eliza in 1791, but by the mid-19th century the name had...
.
History
The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe was recognized by the United States in 1855 Point No Point TreatyPoint No Point Treaty
The Point No Point Treaty was signed on January 26, 1855 at Point No Point, on the northern tip of the Kitsap Peninsula. Governor of Washington Territory, Isaac Stevens, convened the treaty council on January 25, with the S'Klallam, the Chimakum, and the Skokomish tribes...
. The tribe's current reservation was first acquired in trust from the United States in 1935-36. In 1968 the land was proclaimed as the Lower Elwha Reservation. Today tribal lands include about a thousand acres of land on and near the Elwha River.
The Lower Elwha occupied several villages on the bay sheltered by Ediz Hook
Ediz Hook
Ediz Hook is a sand spit that extends from northern shore of the Olympic Peninsula at Port Angeles in northcentral Clallam County, Washington, northeasterly into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, located about West of the larger Dungeness Spit...
, now Port Angeles. One of these villages, Tse-whit-zen
Tse-whit-zen
Tse-whit-zen is a 1,700 to 2,700 year old Lower Elwha Klallam village on the Port Angeles, Washington waterfront, located at the base of Ediz Hook. A project for a graving dock discovered in 2004 that it had been sited to include the village's cemetery...
was rediscovered in 2004 during construction for a graving dock being undertaken by the Washington State Department of Transportation
Washington State Department of Transportation
The Washington State Department of Transportation , was established in 1905. The agency, led by a Secretary and overseen by the Governor, is a Washington governmental agency that constructs, maintains, and regulates the use of the state's transportation infrastructure...
(WSDOT). On December 21, 2004, after archaeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
efforts unearthed over 10,000 artifacts and more than 335 intact skeletons WSDOT halted all construction efforts relating to the graving dock.
The village of Tse-whit-zen dates back over 2,700 years, according to radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating is a radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring radioisotope carbon-14 to estimate the age of carbon-bearing materials up to about 58,000 to 62,000 years. Raw, i.e. uncalibrated, radiocarbon ages are usually reported in radiocarbon years "Before Present" ,...
, and it continued to exist until as recently as the 1930s. A number of mills were built on top of the village site during the 20th century. Because the ground was covered with 15 to 30 ft (4.6 to 9.1 m) of fill the village site was preserved. Archaeology has revealed possibly eight longhouse structures.