Chronology
1787—Charles Barkley names Strait of Juan de Fuca and Destruction Island
1790 — Manuel Quimper lands at Freshwater Bay (near Elwha River) and Dungeness
1791—Port Angeles named Nuestra Senora de Los Angeles by Juan Francisco de Eliza
1791—Captain George Vancouver explores coastline of Olympic Peninsula
1847—Paul Kane crosses Strait of Juan de Fuca
1855—Point no Point Treaty
1880—Establishment of Chemawa boarding school in Oregon
1890's—Settlers move into Port Angeles area
1910—Fishing became illegal for Native Americans (fishing rights not reinstated until 1974)
1910—Construction of Elwha River Dam begins
1924—Native Americans become U.S. Citizens
1924—Erna Gunther does research and documentation of Klallam Indians
1934—Indian Reorganization Act
- 14 Klallam families given land in the Elwha Valley
1944—Harrington does research on Klallam Indians and comes out with the Harrington Report
1946—Indian Claims Commission Established
1960's—Terry & Larry Thompson (linguists) research Klallam Indians and interview various Klallam Elders
1968—Lower Elwha Tribe becomes Federally Recognized and is allowed federal funding through BIA
1969—Lower Elwha Reservation running water
1971—Lower Elwha Reservation gets electricity
1974— U.S. v. Washington (Judge Boldt uphold tribal right to anadromous fish)
1975—Lower Elwha Fish Hatchery built
1976—Lower Elwha Tribal Center built
1977—3 Klallam Tribes get compensation from Indian Claims Commission (for roughly 400,000 acres of land sold in a treaty from 1855)
1990—Native American Graves & Repatriation Act
1990—Jacilee Wray (from Olympic National Park) work with Elwha Elders on research about Klallams
1990-95—Historic Preservation Grants awarded to Elwha Tribe to employ tribal members to record elders & build tribal archives.
1992—Olympic Peninsula Intertribal Cultural Advisory Committee established
1993—Governor Lowry signs gaming compact
1994— U.S. v. Washington (Judge Rafeedie upholds tribal right to shellfish)
1994—Gray whale removed from endangered species list
1994—Self Governance becomes permanent law
1998—Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe signs agreement with School District 121 to teach the Klallam Language in public schools
1999—First successful Makah whale hunt since 1921
Village Site