Lower Elwha Klallam to host intertribal canoe journey 20 years after ancestral site desecration

July 23, 2025

The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe will host an intertribal canoe journey from July 31 to Aug. 5, marking the 30th annual gathering and the first time the tribe has hosted since 2005, according to ICT. The event comes 20 years after the Washington State Department of Transportation desecrated Tse-whit-zen, an ancestral village and burial site, during a construction project that led to the recovery of 335 human remains and more than 100,000 artifacts.

Tribal cultural coordinator Mark Charles said more than 100 canoes are expected to land on Elwha shores, followed by a five-day potlatch featuring traditional foods, songs, dancing and gifting. “The dams have been removed and the river is being restored, but everything with the dams coming out is still a healing process,” he said.

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