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

With David Brownell, Executive Director, North Olympic History Center

The S’Klallam people have a deep and ancient connection with the plants and animals of the Olympic Peninsula. Originally dotted with at least 10 prairies and extensive wetlands, the landscape of the Sequim-Dungeness valley has been heavily modified for the past century. We will use ethnographic and research materials to “reconstruct” the landscape and understand how S’Klallam ancestors thrived for millennia on its bountiful resources.

Join Neil Harrington of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe’s Natural Resources Department as he talks about the history of Washington’s only native oyster and the Tribe’s present day efforts to restore and protect these iconic shellfish. Neil Harrington has been with the Tribe since 2012 as an Environmental Biologist in Natural Resources working on shellfish and phytoplankton.

ƛ̕əw'cən Mackenzie Grinnell, Traditional Foods & Culture Program Coordinator, takes us on a virtual walk through the woods, pointing out things that may go unnoticed and bringing your attention to some of the finer relationships that exist in our world.

Randy Johnson, Habitat Program Manager, will discuss how human impacts have severely reduced salmon productivity in northern Olympic Peninsula streams and estuaries, and the methods being used to restore productivity. Human impacts include migration barriers, diking and floodplain loss, logjam removals, residential developments, bank hardening, and water withdrawals. We will address how restoration practitioners are addressing these impacts and reducing downward trends in salmon productivity.

Bob Steelquist will discuss the history of oaks in the Pacific Northwest and restoration efforts underway in Sequim, Whidbey Island, the San Juans and Vancouver Island. His studies, as well as those of scientific literature, oral
histories, and archaeological evidence within the region shows that Native people actively managed oak landscapes and exchanged acorns. He will address the important role of Tribes in advocating for and restoring oaks and prairies as well as bringing to light the legacy of “First Stewards” in shaping the landscape we see now, and preparing us and the land for climate change.

David Brownell, Executive Director of the North Olympic History Center, will discuss the shifting "paleochannels" of the Dungeness River and establish an environmental and anthropological framework to reach a better understanding of the history of the Dungeness River valley since the end of the last ice age. We will look at archaeological, geological and other evidence to "recreate" the landscape of the North Olympic Peninsula as it adapted to changes in climate, biology and other factors. (link to follow soon)

The Ozette Prairies north and west of Lake Ozette are treeless areas, dominated by a unique association of grasses and herbs, in an otherwise heavily forested region. The prairies are historically (pre-European) persistent elements of the landscape in a region where the climate is extremely favorable for forest growth. The origin and continued existence of the Ozette Prairies is controversial for some non-tribal members.
Dave will describe these fascinating landscapes, discuss their importance to tribal communities, describe previous research at these landscapes, and finally talk about potential management actions that Olympic National Park might take to preserve and protect these areas.

We’ll join ƛ̕əw'cən Mackenzie Grinnell as he takes us back out on the trail for a virtual nature walk. He’ll point out what’s growing now and give a S’Klallam view of our natural bounty.