Christian Esau “Jiggs” Penn Jr., an elder of the Quileute tribe and the group’s only witness at the historic Boldt decision trial, has died after an eight-year battle with cancer. He was 81.
Penn was an advocate for treaty rights and represented the tribe as its witness during the 1974 lawsuit United States v. Washington, decided by U.S. District Judge George H. Boldt, which allocates 50 percent of the annual fishing catch to treaty tribes in Washington.
While in the Army, Penn received the Bronze Star, Korean Service Medal and United Nations Service Medal.
A dinner will be held at 5 p.m. Friday at the LaPush Shaker Church with a candlelight service following at 7 p.m. at the A-Ka-Lat Center in LaPush.
Services will be held at the A-Ka-Lat Center at 9 a.m. Saturday with graveside services following at 11 a.m. at the Quileute cemetery.
