PORT ANGELES — To mark the first anniversary of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams’ deconstruction, the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe is hosting free public activities Monday.
It will have been exactly a year since tribal elders, members of Congress, Gov. Chris Gregoire and U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar gathered at the Elwha Dam site to hail the river restoration project.
So Monday morning, Lower Elwha Klallam elder and River Restoration Director Robert Elofson will lead a guided Elwha River tour.
The public is invited to meet him at 9 a.m. at the Tribal Headquarters, 2851 Lower Elwha Road.
Participants must have their own vehicles to travel to various stops on the tour.
Next, Elofson will give a free presentation at 5:30 p.m. Monday on returning the Elwha River to its free-flowing state at the Elwha Heritage and Training Center, 401 E. First St.
That will be followed at 6 p.m. by a reading by members of Indian Voices, a group of Native American poets and other writers.
Finally, the Elwha Dance Group will give a performance at the heritage center.
This anniversary is a momentous one, noted Frances Charles, chairwoman of the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe.
“Our communities have witnessed wonderful and exciting history,” she said.
“Our ancestors are smiling upon our community with pride.
“We thank them for the teachings they have provided. We are still learning from them.”
The Klallam people, who have lived beside the Elwha River for thousands of years, watched the dams being built in 1912 and 1927.
They watched as the legendary salmon runs were blocked.
They devoted years to advocating for removal of the dams, until Congress passed the Elwha River Restoration Act in 1992.
And Sept. 17, 2011, before an assembly of dignitaries from across the United States, elder Ben Charles Sr. spoke of the ancestors.
“We are compassed about with a great cloud of witnesses,” he said, quoting Hebrews 12:1, as the dams come down at last.
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Features Editor Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5062, or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
