Klallam
Encyclopedia
Klallam refers to four related indigenous
Native American
/First Nations
communities from the Pacific Northwest
of North America
. The Klallam culture is classified ethnographically and linguistically in the Coast Salish
subgroup. Three Klallam bands live on the Olympic Peninsula
in the far northwest corner (bordering the Strait of Juan de Fuca
) of Washington state, and one is based at Becher Bay on southern Vancouver Island
in British Columbia
.
name for the Klallam people, xʷsˈtɬæləm, This has had a wide variety of English spellings including "Chalam", "Clalam", "Clallem", "Clallum", "Khalam", "Klalam", "Noodsdalum", "Nooselalum", "Noostlalum", "Tlalum", "Tlalam", "Wooselalim", "S'Klallam", "Ns'Klallam", "Klallam" and "Clallam". "Clallam" was used by the Washington Territory
legislature in 1854 when it created Clallam County. The following year "S'klallam" was used in the Point No Point Treaty
. In the following decades the simpler "Klallam" or "Clallam" predominated in the media and research literature. In 1981 "S'Klallam" was used when the United States Department of the Interior
officially recognized the Lower Elwha
, Jamestown, and Port Gamble (or Little Boston) tribes.
In local media today "Clallam" is used to refer to the people of Clallam County, Washington—both native and non-native. It is also used in the names of a number of non-native commercial enterprises. The spellings with 'K' are used to refer to the native peoples. The Lower Elwha tribe has adopted "Klallam" as its official spelling. The Port Gamble and Jamestown
tribes have adopted "S'Klallam" as their official spelling.
the territory inhabited by the Klallam stretched across the north coast of the Olympic Peninsula
from the Pacific Ocean
to Puget Sound
and also included the souther tip of Vancouver Island
across the Strait of Juan de Fuca
. Klallam villages were mostly located along the coast, while some villages were inland along rivers, inlets or large lakes.
Based on early interviews of tribal elders by early ethnologists and anthropologists, the estimated number of Klallam villages has ranged from ten to over thirty, with some ambiguity in distinguishing permanent from seasonal settlements, and some villages with mixed or disputed tribal identity.
While language and tradition united the Klallam people, there were extensive trade, inter-marriage, and other forms of cooperation between the Klallam and surrounding tribes. The Klallam shared villages with the Makah on the Pacific Coast as far south at the Hoh River
, and fishing villages with the Twana as far south as the Hamma Hamma River
on the Hood Canal
. The Quimper Peninsula
was shared with the Chimakum
tribe.
the preferred mode of transportation. The canoes were carved from western red cedar (Thuja plicata) through an intricate and arduous process requiring great skill, beginning with the selection of the proper tree. Stone adzes, fire, and heated water were used to hollow and shape the canoe. This knowledge was passed to a select few of each generation, and some of the canoes were purchased from other tribes, especially the larger ones.
There were two main types of canoes used by the Klallam: The smaller Coast Salish
type used on protected waters, and the larger Chinook
style for use in rougher waters. The smaller type of canoe had a rounded bottom and was 12 – long, 20–48 in (50.8–121.9 cm) wide, and 9–20 in (22.9–50.8 cm) deep. This type was used on calm waters for fishing or to haul small loads. The larger canoes had flat bottoms and could be over 30 feet (9.1 m) long, 6 feet (182.9 cm) wide, and 3 feet (91.4 cm) deep. These were used on the rougher waters of Puget Sound
, the Strait of Juan de Fuca
, and in particular off the Pacific coast, for whaling, transporting larger loads, and carrying up to thirty passengers.
Early white settlers in the area noted the great skill the Klallam used in canoe handling and navigation, and that the Klallam canoes tended to be larger than those used by other Puget Sound tribes.
The Klallam fished year round using a variety of tools and techniques particular to the species, location, and season. They were known to use traps
, trolling, gillnet
s, spears
, rakes, dip nets
, and holes dug in the beach. Specific locations were known to produce certain fishes at the right time of year, and special implements and skills were employed for a successful catch.
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
/First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
communities from the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. The Klallam culture is classified ethnographically and linguistically in the Coast Salish
Coast Salish
Coast Salish languages are a subgroup of the Salishan language family. These languages are spoken by First Nations or Native American peoples inhabiting the territory that is now the southwest coast of British Columbia around the Strait of Georgia and Washington state around Puget Sound...
subgroup. Three Klallam bands live on the Olympic Peninsula
Olympic Peninsula
The Olympic Peninsula is the large arm of land in western Washington state of the USA, that lies across Puget Sound from Seattle. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the east by Puget Sound. Cape Alava, the westernmost point in the contiguous...
in the far northwest corner (bordering the Strait of Juan de Fuca
Strait of Juan de Fuca
The Strait of Juan de Fuca is a large body of water about long that is the Salish Sea outlet to the Pacific Ocean...
) of Washington state, and one is based at Becher Bay on southern Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.
Name variants and usage
The indigenous name for the tribe is nəxʷsƛ̕ay̕əm (meaning "strong people"). The word "Klallam" comes from the North Straits Salish languageNorth Straits Salish language
North Straits Salish is a Salish language which includes the dialects of Lummi, Samish, Saanich, Semiahmoo, Songish, and Sooke. Although they are mutually intelligible, each dialect is traditionally referred to as if they were separate languages, and there is no native term to encompass them...
name for the Klallam people, xʷsˈtɬæləm, This has had a wide variety of English spellings including "Chalam", "Clalam", "Clallem", "Clallum", "Khalam", "Klalam", "Noodsdalum", "Nooselalum", "Noostlalum", "Tlalum", "Tlalam", "Wooselalim", "S'Klallam", "Ns'Klallam", "Klallam" and "Clallam". "Clallam" was used by the Washington Territory
Washington Territory
The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 8, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington....
legislature in 1854 when it created Clallam County. The following year "S'klallam" was used in the Point No Point Treaty
Point No Point Treaty
The Point No Point Treaty was signed on January 26, 1855 at Point No Point, on the northern tip of the Kitsap Peninsula. Governor of Washington Territory, Isaac Stevens, convened the treaty council on January 25, with the S'Klallam, the Chimakum, and the Skokomish tribes...
. In the following decades the simpler "Klallam" or "Clallam" predominated in the media and research literature. In 1981 "S'Klallam" was used when the United States Department of the Interior
United States Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior is the United States federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native...
officially recognized the Lower Elwha
Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe
The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe is a federally recognized and sovereign Native American nation. The tribe is part of the larger Klallam culture, part of the Coast Salish peoples of the Pacific Northwest. The traditional territory of the Klallam is the north and northeast portion of the Olympic...
, Jamestown, and Port Gamble (or Little Boston) tribes.
In local media today "Clallam" is used to refer to the people of Clallam County, Washington—both native and non-native. It is also used in the names of a number of non-native commercial enterprises. The spellings with 'K' are used to refer to the native peoples. The Lower Elwha tribe has adopted "Klallam" as its official spelling. The Port Gamble and Jamestown
S'Klallam (Jamestown)
The Jamestown S'Klallam is a tribe of the S'Klallam or Klallam Native American group on the northern Olympic Peninsula of Washington state in the northwestern United States...
tribes have adopted "S'Klallam" as their official spelling.
Pre-Contact
Before the arrival of Europeans to the Pacific NorthwestPacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
the territory inhabited by the Klallam stretched across the north coast of the Olympic Peninsula
Olympic Peninsula
The Olympic Peninsula is the large arm of land in western Washington state of the USA, that lies across Puget Sound from Seattle. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the east by Puget Sound. Cape Alava, the westernmost point in the contiguous...
from the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
to Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
and also included the souther tip of Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
across the Strait of Juan de Fuca
Strait of Juan de Fuca
The Strait of Juan de Fuca is a large body of water about long that is the Salish Sea outlet to the Pacific Ocean...
. Klallam villages were mostly located along the coast, while some villages were inland along rivers, inlets or large lakes.
Based on early interviews of tribal elders by early ethnologists and anthropologists, the estimated number of Klallam villages has ranged from ten to over thirty, with some ambiguity in distinguishing permanent from seasonal settlements, and some villages with mixed or disputed tribal identity.
While language and tradition united the Klallam people, there were extensive trade, inter-marriage, and other forms of cooperation between the Klallam and surrounding tribes. The Klallam shared villages with the Makah on the Pacific Coast as far south at the Hoh River
Hoh River
The Hoh River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington, located on the Olympic Peninsula. About long, the Hoh River originates at the Hoh Glacier on Mount Olympus and flows west through the Olympic Mountains of Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest, then through the foothills in a...
, and fishing villages with the Twana as far south as the Hamma Hamma River
Hamma Hamma River
The Hamma Hamma River is a river on the Olympic Peninsula in the U.S. state of Washington. It rises near Mount Washington in the Olympic Mountains within the Olympic National Park and drains to Hood Canal and thence to the Pacific Ocean....
on the Hood Canal
Hood Canal
Hood Canal is a fjord forming the western lobe, and one of the four main basins, of Puget Sound in the state of Washington. Hood Canal is not a canal in the sense of being a man-made waterway—it is a natural waterway.-Geography:...
. The Quimper Peninsula
Quimper Peninsula
The Quimper Peninsula is a narrow peninsula forming the most northeastern extent of the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state in the northwestern United States of America....
was shared with the Chimakum
Chimakum
The Chimakum, also spelled Chemakum and Chimacum , were a Native American people who lived in the northeastern portion of the Olympic Peninsula, between Hood Canal and Discovery Bay through the mid-19th century...
tribe.
Transportation
The rugged terrain and dense vegetation of the Olympic Peninsula made the canoeCanoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
the preferred mode of transportation. The canoes were carved from western red cedar (Thuja plicata) through an intricate and arduous process requiring great skill, beginning with the selection of the proper tree. Stone adzes, fire, and heated water were used to hollow and shape the canoe. This knowledge was passed to a select few of each generation, and some of the canoes were purchased from other tribes, especially the larger ones.
There were two main types of canoes used by the Klallam: The smaller Coast Salish
Coast Salish
Coast Salish languages are a subgroup of the Salishan language family. These languages are spoken by First Nations or Native American peoples inhabiting the territory that is now the southwest coast of British Columbia around the Strait of Georgia and Washington state around Puget Sound...
type used on protected waters, and the larger Chinook
Chinookan
Chinook refers to several native amercain groups of in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, speaking the Chinookan languages. In the early 19th century, the Chinookan-speaking peoples lived along the lower and middle Columbia River in present-day Oregon and Washington...
style for use in rougher waters. The smaller type of canoe had a rounded bottom and was 12 – long, 20–48 in (50.8–121.9 cm) wide, and 9–20 in (22.9–50.8 cm) deep. This type was used on calm waters for fishing or to haul small loads. The larger canoes had flat bottoms and could be over 30 feet (9.1 m) long, 6 feet (182.9 cm) wide, and 3 feet (91.4 cm) deep. These were used on the rougher waters of Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
, the Strait of Juan de Fuca
Strait of Juan de Fuca
The Strait of Juan de Fuca is a large body of water about long that is the Salish Sea outlet to the Pacific Ocean...
, and in particular off the Pacific coast, for whaling, transporting larger loads, and carrying up to thirty passengers.
Early white settlers in the area noted the great skill the Klallam used in canoe handling and navigation, and that the Klallam canoes tended to be larger than those used by other Puget Sound tribes.
Diet
The lands, rivers, marine waters, and beaches in Klallam territory provided an abundant, year-round supply of food. Strategic intertribal marriages and agreements also allowed them permission to hunt or forage outside their homeland. Though their diet included large and small land game, sea fowl, and shellfish, the most important source of food was fish. Salmon still plays a significant nutritional and spiritual role in the Klallam culture.The Klallam fished year round using a variety of tools and techniques particular to the species, location, and season. They were known to use traps
Fish trap
A fish trap is a trap used for fishing. Fish traps may have the form of a fishing weir or a lobster trap. A typical trap might consist of a frame of thick steel wire in the shape of a heart, with chicken wire stretched around it. The mesh wraps around the frame and then tapers into the inside of...
, trolling, gillnet
Gillnet
Gillnetting is a common fishing method used by commercial and artisanal fishermen of all the oceans and in some freshwater and estuary areas. The gillnet also is used by fisheries scientists to monitor fish populations. Because gillnets can be so effective their use is closely monitored and...
s, spears
Spearfishing
Spearfishing is an ancient method of fishing that has been used throughout the world for millennia. Early civilizations were familiar with the custom of spearing fish from rivers and streams using sharpened sticks....
, rakes, dip nets
Hand net
A hand net, also called a scoop net, is a net or mesh basket held open by a hoop. It may or may not be on the end of a handle. Hand nets have been used since antiquity and can be used for scooping fish near the surface of the water, such as muskellunge or northern pike.A hand net with a long handle...
, and holes dug in the beach. Specific locations were known to produce certain fishes at the right time of year, and special implements and skills were employed for a successful catch.
Tribal groups
- Lower Elwha Tribal Community of the Lower Elwha Reservation, Washington
- Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe of Washington
- Port Gamble Indian Community of the Port Gamble Reservation, Washington
- Scia'new First NationScia'new First NationThe Scia'new First Nation or Becher Bay Indian Band is a First Nations band government located on southern Vancouver Island in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. There are 237 members who have eight reserves totaling 308 hectares. Most reside at Becher Bay Reserve #1, 30 km southwest of...
(Becher Bay Indian Band), Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Schools
Some of the Klallam or Elwha kids, may go to school at Dry Creek Elementary, Stevens, and Port Angeles High School.See also
- Tse-whit-zenTse-whit-zenTse-whit-zen is a 1,700 to 2,700 year old Lower Elwha Klallam village on the Port Angeles, Washington waterfront, located at the base of Ediz Hook. A project for a graving dock discovered in 2004 that it had been sited to include the village's cemetery...
, an ancient Klallam village unearthed in 2004 in Port Angeles, Washington - Coast SalishCoast SalishCoast Salish languages are a subgroup of the Salishan language family. These languages are spoken by First Nations or Native American peoples inhabiting the territory that is now the southwest coast of British Columbia around the Strait of Georgia and Washington state around Puget Sound...
- Klallam languageKlallam languageKlallam or Clallam is a nearly extinct Straits Salishan language that was traditionally spoken by the Klallam peoples at Beecher Bay on Vancouver Island in British Columbia and across the Strait of Juan de Fuca on the north coast of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington...
- Little Boston, WA
- Clallam (steamboat)Clallam (steamboat)The steamboat Clallam operated for about six months from July 1903 to January 1904 in Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. She was sunk in a storm on what should have been an ordinary voyage to Victoria, British Columbia.-Construction:...
Further reading
- Boyd, Colleen E. 2009 “You see your culture coming out of the ground like a power”: Uncanny Encounters in Time and Space on the Northwest Coast. Ethnohistory 56(4): 699-732.
- Boyd, Colleen E. 2009 “The Indians themselves are greatly enthused”: The Wheeler-Howard Act and the Reorganization of Klallam Space. The Journal of Northwest Anthropology 43(1):3-26.
- Boyd, Colleen E. 2006 “That government man tried to poison all the Klallam Indians”: Metanarratives of History and Colonialism on the Central Northwest Coast. Ethnohistory 53(2):331-354
- Boyd, Colleen E. 2006 “Oral Traditions of the Pacific Northwest.” In American Indian Religious Traditions: an Encyclopedia, Suzanne Crawford and Dennis Kelley, eds. pp. 663–672. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO Available here through the Washington State Library's Classics in Washington History collection.
External links
- Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe
- Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe
- Elaine Grinnell, Klallam storyteller and basket & drum maker
- Washington Post: "Northwest Tribe Struggles to Revive Its Language"
- Klallam language
- Thomas Charles Sr.
- S'Klallam or Klallam (Olympic National Park)
- S'Klallam Tribe
- Tribes of the Olympics
- University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections – The Pacific Northwest Olympic Peninsula Community Museum A web-based museum showcasing aspects of the rich history and culture of Washington State's Olympic Peninsula communities. Features cultural exhibits, curriculum packets and a searchable archive of over 12,000 items that includes historical photographs, audio recordings, videos, maps, diaries, reports and other documents.