Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe

The Jamestown S’Klallam tribe is one of several communities originating from the S’Klallam tribe (“strong people”), a cultural and linguistic group in the Salish Sea. The S’Klallam signed the treaty of Point No Point in 1855, which entitled them to a payment of $60,000 over 20 years and fishing rights at the “usual and accustomed places.” In 1874, a band of S’Klallams paid $500 for a 210-acre piece of land near Dungeness, which became the Jamestown community.

The Jamestown S’Klallams resisted moving to another reservation, at a price – the federal government ceased to recognize the tribe in 1953. After a long struggle, the tribe succeeded in gaining recognition again in 1981. Since 1988, the tribe has been part of a national Self-Governance Demonstration Project.

Jamestown S'Klallam Area of Concern:

The tribe focuses restoration efforts in WRIA 17 and 18. The federal government owns and manages part of these two watersheds, and development is concentrated in the lower elevations. Forestry and development of floodplain habitat has impacted salmon populations. The population is predicted to continue increasing, raising concerns about the extent of impervious surface area and forested land cover. Within the focus area, about 51% of spawning habitat for surf smelt, sand lance, and herring has been armored, which impedes normal movement of beaches.

Natural Resources Management:

  • The tribe is currently monitoring shellfish for Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP), found in Sequim Bay in 2011. By collecting and testing different species, biologists hope to discover which shellfish are most sensitive to the toxin, and how quickly they are able to flush it from their system.
  • In July 2007, the tribe published a comprehensive document detailing restoration plans for the Dungeness watershed. The watershed plan quotes the mission of the natural resources department from the 1994 Tribal Comprehensive Plan as follows: “ to protect treaty rights to the natural resources of the Point No Point treaty area for the benefit of Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal members and future descendants. In this capacity, the Department is charged with ensuring the orderly harvest of fish, shellfish and wildlife resources, providing opportunities for tribal members to derive subsistence and/or livelihood from the harvest of these resources, increasing opportunity through restoration, enhancement, and scientific study and reversing the decline of these resources resulting from environmental degradation.” The tribe has been monitoring the Dungeness River since the 1990s. Plans and reports, including studies on salmon, geomorphology, and human impacts, can be found here.
  • In 1996, the tribe took on a 10-year, $7 million project to restore Jimmycomelately Creek, in part to mitigate issues with ongoing flooding. The report, detailing every step of the process and lessons learned from the completed restoration, is available here.

Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe
1033 Old Blyn Hwy
Sequim,WA 98382

Phone: (360) 683-1109
Fax: (360) 681-3405

Chairperson: Ron Allen
Fisheries Contact: Scott Chitwood

Website: www.jamestowntribe.org

 

source: NWIFC