The Destruction of the Klallam Village at Pysht During the 1930’s

As told by Edward Sampson 1992
Translated by Beatrice Charles, Adeline Smith and Timothy Montler

When we were at the village of Pysht working on the logging, the logging jobs ended. And there was no more work there again. And so we left our homes and moved to Port Angeles.

Then the logging bosses tore down our houses. Our houses were torn down and burned to nothing left of the Indians homes. Everything, our belongings that were inside the houses, everything that was inside and didn’t get taken out, that wasn’t brought to Port Angeles. All our belongings, water buckets, beds, dishes, everything we owned. Our belongings and everything inside was torn down by the bulldozer. Everything we owned.

We weren’t told by the logging bosses about our houses being torn down. It was their own idea. We didn’t know what they were going to do. That’s the way it is. We Indians have been treated badly by the white men.

Pysht was a very nice Indian village. That was our home. It was where we were from. It was our land. And it was taken away by the white men, evil white men.