"The Strong People"
As told to Beatrice Charles by Sam Ulmer

One day there was a big gathering at Elwha. They ate salmon, clams, wild-berries, and lots of good things from nature. They decided to see who was the strongest. They decided to se who could lift a big log to the top of a big house that they were building. All of the other Tribe tried to lift the log. Each Tribe chose their strongest men. None of them could lift the big log. It was time for the mighty Klallams. They remembered that logs float in water. So they rolled the big log into the water. Then their strongest young men walked out into the water until it was up to their shoulders and walked out of the water carrying the log on their shoulders. When they reached the longhouse, everyone shouted, “Shasume,  Shashume!” On the third time they all lifted it up to the top. All the other Tribes thought that they mighty Klallams must be very strong to put the log up so high, and smart to use the water to first get the log onto their shoulders. They all shouted, “Klallam Klallam!” which means, “Strong People!” That is how our Tribe received its name.

Language Department