Jamestown S'Klallam Tribal Library: Programs & Events ~ ʔaʔstúʔŋət

January 2023--Archaeological Enigmas and Intrigues

In this talk Gary Wesson, Archaeologist, shares his conclusions and lingering questions about a historical site on Kitchen Dick Road in Sequim and a prehistorical intertidal site near West Twin Creek.

February 2023--A Look at the Lyre

David Brownell, ED of the North Olympic History Center, talks about the changes and colorful characters over the past 150 years of the Lyre River, home to legendary runs of chum salmon and stands of virgin timber. He reviews historic maps, photographs and archival materials documenting the unique history of the Lyre, and the Olympic Peninsula's very own Gettysburg.

March 2023--North Olympic History Center Projects and Programs Updates

Executive Director David Brownell will provide updates on the work going on at the North Olympic History Center, including collections digitization, exhibits and more.

April 2023--Landscape and Occupational History at č̕ixʷícən

Sarah will discuss archaeological, geological and Native American oral historical evidence of tsunami along the coast of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, focusing on what was learned from excavating č̕ixʷícən where she was the project geoarchaeologist during the 2004 excavations in Port Angeles.

May 2023--Our Changing Landscapes

Since the formation of planet earth (earth, land: sčtə́ŋxʷən) the surface of the planet has changed more times and ways than we can know. Geologic processes and life itself can change the makeup of the atmosphere and the landscapes. Changes in the atmosphere, whether species driven or not, can change the climate of the planet. Are humans a keystone species, which is sometimes defined as having a disproportionately large effect on its natural environment? We have certainly modified the landscape from traditional burning practices that maintain prairies or support traditional foods and fibers, to urbanization, to consumption of fossil energy, to ecosystem restoration. Robert will discuss why the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe has recently launched a climate and energy initiative, why the Tribe has a shellfish nursery in Kona, HI, and loosely tie together observations, musings, and questions about our changing climate and landscape including recent restoration work completed on nəxʷŋiyaʔa̕wəɬč, the Dungeness River.

June 2023--Land Trust 101: Conservation Easements

Land trusts help landowners protect their lands through conservation easements—voluntary agreements to place permanent restrictions on how privately-owned properties are used to ensure that important and unique natural features are protected. For over three decades, Jefferson Land Trust and North Olympic Land Trust have made a profound impact by working with communities across the Olympic Peninsula to protect places that define our local ways of life. Learn why land trusts offer a unique land protection model, how conservation easements work, and how communities can impact land conservation.

July 2023--History of the Dungeness River Railroad Bridge and the North Olympic Peninsula Railroads

Ken Wiersema discusses the completion of the Dungeness River Railroad Bridge in 1915 and the subsequent rail connection to Port Townsend which brought modern land based transportation to the North Olympic Peninsula. Built to enable transporting the Peninsula’s timber to the markets of the world, our railroad made lasting marks on our landscape and economy. Learn how the bridge was designed and built, and how it has been repaired and transformed to a walking and biking pathway for our residents and visitors.

September 2023--Sluicing the Hogback

David Brownell, Executive Director of the North Olympic History Center will talk about the 1914 "sluicing of the hogback," when the street levels of Port Angeles were raised over 10 feet in some areas by sluicing the "hogback," a hill on the east side of the city. The NOHC recently digitized an album of over 100 photos documenting the project from start to finish, which are now available online."

October 2023--"Clovis First" is Wrong 

Archaeologist Gary Wessen talks about recent discoveries which show that the ca.12,000 year old "Clovis First" idea, which has dominated archaeological thinking for much of the 20th Century, is wrong. People have clearly been in North America for at least 22,000 years.  He focuses predominantly on western North America and provides some details about 14,000 to 18,000 year old sites in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, as well as the 20,000 to 22,000 year old human footprints at White Sands, New Mexico, which is an extraordinary location with amazing stories to tell.

November 2023--The Spruce Division

During the First World War, the need for aircraft grade spruce was great, and the highest concentrations of Sitka Spruce were located in the coastal forests of Oregon and Washington. The U.S. Army formed the Spruce Production Division of the Signal Corps to provide a steady supply of spruce lumber to the waiting aircraft factories. Learn about the role of Washington’s Sitka Spruce in World War I and of the Spruce Division’s effect on the timber industry.