The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and Olympic National Park issued a press release this week discussing the rediscovery of the tribe’s sacred creation site. The site had been under water in one of the two man-man reservoirs that were created by the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams when they were constructed nearly a century ago. Tribal chairwoman Frances Charles describes a recent moment when tribal members gathered at the site.
“Our Ancestors didn’t write down our stories in books as we do today. We had witnessed the old ways as we had seen them from the etched rocks exposed at TsiWhitZen village site,” said Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Chairwoman Frances Charles. “Standing on our spiritual sacred site, the emotions of our Ancestors were so overwhelming we sang songs of joy to actually see this place and feel the power of our Ancestors. Our sacred site is not a myth as some had been led to believe.”