PORT TOWNSEND — The 2019 First Friday Lecture Series continues with Wendy Sampson, a Lower Elwha Klallam language teacher, speaking about the Klallam language, at 7 tonight.
Sampson will speak at the Northwest Maritime Center, 431 Water St., in the program hosted by the Jefferson County Historical Society. All lectures in the program will focus on Native arts, history and culture.
General admission will be a $5 to $10 suggested donation. Entry will be on a first-come, first-served basis until capacity has been reached.
A First Friday Season Pass also is available for $50 for historical society members and $65 for non-members. The pass ensures the holder a seat at the lecture as well as a reception with the speaker prior to their presentation.
Passes can be purchased at www.jchsmuseum.org, at the Jefferson Museum of Art & History at 540 Water St., or by calling 360-385-1003.
Sampson, 39, is a tribally-certified Klallam language teacher and current language program grant manager. She has worked for the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe for 17 years. She was recruited as a teen to be a teacher apprentice.
She learned from her late elder teachers, Bea Charles and Adeline Smith, under the guidance of the former grant manager, Jamie Valadez and linguist Tim Montler.
She earned her tribal teacher certification in 2003.
She has taught Klallam in various settings over the years, including community language classes, after school programs and in the public schools.
In 2011 she was promoted to Klallam language program grant manager and has since worked to secure funding to continue expanding programs within her community to teach Klallam language.
