S'Klallam (Jamestown)
Encyclopedia
The Jamestown S'Klallam is a tribe
of the S'Klallam or Klallam
Native American
group on the northern Olympic Peninsula
of Washington state in the northwestern United States
. It was formed by members of S'Klallam communities along the eastern end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca
in 1874 when, faced with the threat of forced relocation by white settlers, a group purchased a tract of 210 acre (0.8498406 km²) and established a community near Dungeness
named "Jamestown" in honor of village leader James Balch. This was a notable feat, since at the time native people were legally barred from buying property. Despite periodic pressures to relocate to reservations, and without the Federal financial assistance that such relocation would have enabled, the Jamestown band maintained its independent community, and developed a viable economic base.
A century later, after a six-year effort to receive official recognition as a tribe, the United States Department of the Interior
granted them such recognition on February 10, 1981. The Jamestown S'Klallam Indian Reservation, at 48°01′39"N 122°59′57"W, is very small in area, comprising 0.145 km (35.87 acre
s) of land area on and near Sequim Bay
in the community of Blyn
, in extreme eastern Clallam County at the southwest corner of the Miller Peninsula
. At the time, most tribal members, although strongly connected to their community, did not wish (or need) to relocate to the new Reservation. The resident population on this territory was thus only 16 persons as of the 2000 census
.
Tribal properties are located on 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) of tribal land on Sequim Bay along U.S. Route 101
at Blyn, east of the city of Sequim
. These include the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribal Center, the tribe's Seven Cedars Casino, and other existing and planned developments. The community is governed by a tribal council
, which is elected by democratic vote, and which is often held up as an example for its responsible planning and sound fiscal management. , the tribe had 526 enrolled members, and provided services to almost 640 Indians in the northeast Olympic Peninsula. The tribal center is more or less the functioning town square for the community of Blyn.
The S'Klallam language (called Clallam or Klallam
) belongs to the Salishan family of Native American languages. The word S'Klallam means "the strong people."
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
of the S'Klallam or 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...
Native American
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...
group on the northern 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...
of Washington state in the northwestern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was formed by members of S'Klallam communities along the eastern end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca
Strait of Juan de Fuca
The Strait of Juan de Fuca is a large body of water about long that is the Salish Sea outlet to the Pacific Ocean...
in 1874 when, faced with the threat of forced relocation by white settlers, a group purchased a tract of 210 acre (0.8498406 km²) and established a community near Dungeness
Dungeness, Washington
Dungeness is an unincorporated community in Clallam County, Washington, United States, located north of Sequim. Dungeness crab is named after the town of Dungeness, which is located on the Strait of Juan de Fuca...
named "Jamestown" in honor of village leader James Balch. This was a notable feat, since at the time native people were legally barred from buying property. Despite periodic pressures to relocate to reservations, and without the Federal financial assistance that such relocation would have enabled, the Jamestown band maintained its independent community, and developed a viable economic base.
A century later, after a six-year effort to receive official recognition as a tribe, the United States Department of the Interior
United States Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior is the United States federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native...
granted them such recognition on February 10, 1981. The Jamestown S'Klallam Indian Reservation, at 48°01′39"N 122°59′57"W, is very small in area, comprising 0.145 km (35.87 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s) of land area on and near Sequim Bay
Sequim Bay
Sequim Bay is a bay in northwestern Washington, on the Olympic Peninsula. The bay is on the Strait of Juan de Fuca of the Pacific Ocean and is located east of Sequim, Washington and north of Blyn...
in the community of Blyn
Blyn, Washington
Blyn is a census-designated place in Clallam County, Washington, United States. The population was 162 at the 2000 census. It is located near Sequim, Washington on the shores of Sequim Bay.-Geography:Blyn is located at ....
, in extreme eastern Clallam County at the southwest corner of the Miller Peninsula
Miller Peninsula
The Miller Peninsula is a small peninsula in Clallam County, Washington and Jefferson County, Washington surrounded by Discovery Bay on the east, the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the north, and Sequim Bay to the west...
. At the time, most tribal members, although strongly connected to their community, did not wish (or need) to relocate to the new Reservation. The resident population on this territory was thus only 16 persons as of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
.
Tribal properties are located on 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) of tribal land on Sequim Bay along U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101, is an important north–south U.S. highway that runs through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States...
at Blyn, east of the city of Sequim
Sequim, Washington
Sequim is a city in Clallam County, Washington, United States. The 2010 US Census counted a population of 6,606. Sequim is located along the Dungeness River near the base of the Olympic Mountains...
. These include the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribal Center, the tribe's Seven Cedars Casino, and other existing and planned developments. The community is governed by a tribal council
Tribal Council
A Tribal Council is either: an association of Native American bands in the United States or First Nations governments in Canada, or the governing body for certain tribes within the United States or elsewhere...
, which is elected by democratic vote, and which is often held up as an example for its responsible planning and sound fiscal management. , the tribe had 526 enrolled members, and provided services to almost 640 Indians in the northeast Olympic Peninsula. The tribal center is more or less the functioning town square for the community of Blyn.
The S'Klallam language (called Clallam or Klallam
Klallam language
Klallam or Clallam is a nearly extinct Straits Salishan language that was traditionally spoken by the Klallam peoples at Beecher Bay on Vancouver Island in British Columbia and across the Strait of Juan de Fuca on the north coast of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington...
) belongs to the Salishan family of Native American languages. The word S'Klallam means "the strong people."
Mission statement
The tribal mission statement reads:The Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe seeks to be self-sufficient and to provide quality governmental programs and services to address the unique social, cultural, natural resource and economic needs of our people. These programs and services must be managed while preserving, restoring and sustaining our Indian heritage and community continuity.
Tribal council
The Tribe is governed by the five-member Jamestown S'Klallam Tribal Council. Council members are elected on a staggered basis by the registered adult tribal members for two-year terms. The council acts in accordance with the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribal Constitution.Further reading
- Stauss, Joseph H. The Jamestown S'Klallam Story: Rebuilding a Northwest coast Indian tribe (Jamestown S'Klallam, 2002) ISBN 0-9723753-0-9
External links
- Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe homepage
- Jamestown S'Klallam history and culture page
- University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections – The Pacific Northwest Olympic Peninsula Community Museum A web-based museum showcasing aspects of the rich history and culture of Washington State's Olympic Peninsula communities.