Makah Tribal Museum & Research Center

At Neah Bay on the Makah Reservation there is a fascinating museum. They don't allow photos inside and I didn't think to take some of the bay or town. But here's a link to the web site;
https://makahmuseum.com/

The back story: About 500 years ago, there was a very large village on the coast by the name of Ozette. About 1970, erosion exposed much of it and a huge archeological project was undertaken. It is likened to discovering Pompeii. The site has been a vast treasure trove of artifacts and history and the museum does an excellent job of telling the stories. Some of the knowledge uncovered has been used in legal battles for indian rights. For example: they uncovered remnants of fishing nets. And when Washington state tried to claimed that the tribe could not use nets for fishing (as they passed a law saying the tribe could only use their cultural methods of catching fish), the tribe was able to prove that using nets was part of their historical way of fishing.

Many young members residents of the reservation spent their summers volunteering at the excavation site and it revived their sense of culture and connection.

It is possible to camp near the Ozette bay and there are some long hikes in the area. I will have to return when I can explore more. Czytaj więcej