(boat motors)
-Gate closed!
[BRIAN CALLANAN] A tour of the Upper Skagit River
provides an impressive up close
look at how Seattle City Light
generates hydroelectricity.
But if you look more closely,
it's a trip back in time.
[SCOTT SCHUYLER] We can date it back to the last Ice Age
when our people were moving
into this area.
[BRIAN CALLANAN] Scott Schuyler,
a cultural and natural resources
policy representative
for the Upper Skagit Tribe,
and Andrea Weiser,
a senior archeologist for Seattle
City Light,
are looking at clues
from a historical mystery
that surfaced in 2013
during a renovation of the Gorge
Inn, an old City Light mess
hall in Newhalem.
[ANDREA WEISER] Archeological consultants were hired
to go out
and examine
the ground where the building work
was going to be done
and see if any
artifacts were in the ground.
♪♪
[BRIAN CALLANAN] Mixed in with some
utensils from the 1920s era structure
were nearly 400 artifacts
and animal bones,
indicating a Native American village
was once here.
[SCOTT SCHUYLER]
at the site for literally 10,000 years.
[BRIAN CALLANAN] City Light
talked with the Upper Skagit,
Sauk-Suiattle, and Swinomish tribes
to try to confirm
where these animal bones
and tools came from.
[SCOTT SCHUYLER] The speculating
now, that may have been a point.
That particular piece there.
[BRIAN CALLANAN] Basketry or clothing
that would help
identify tribal affiliation
more easily
had long
since eroded away to nothing
in the soggy ground.
It was only when scientists examined
this sharpened stone point,
likely once attached to a dart or spear,
dating back
between four and 9000 years ago,
that a breakthrough happened.
[ANDREA WEISER] We had that particular artifact
analyzed for protein residue,
blood residue,
and they did find that it was goat blood.
And that was a great result
because we already knew
that the name Newhalam
is actually based off
of a native language name, Daʷáylib,
which was the village that was located
in that area.
[BRIAN CALLANAN] That villages name, meaning goat snare,
finally tied
the origin of the artifacts
to the upper Skagit Tribe,
who hunted goats
for meat and wool clothing.
But that's just the start of the story.
[SARA NELSON] This legislation transfers the ownership
and curation to the Upper Skagit tribe.
[BRIAN CALLANAN] In March, the City of Seattle authorized
returning the artifacts
to the Upper Skagit tribe.
The city is paying to have them stored
at this curation facility
at the North Cascades
National Park Ranger
Station in Marble Mount.
[ANDREA WEISER] It's the right thing to do.
I mean, that's really what it comes
down to.
[BRIAN CALLANAN] State law says the owner of the land
where artifacts are found
is the owner of the artifacts, too.
But after a decade of research,
the city wanted to set
the record straight.
[ANDREA WEISER] To me, that's what's important about it.
It's it's
a correcting inequity in the ownership
of the artifacts.
[BRIAN CALLANAN] That correction
means a chance
for connection
for the Upper Skagit Tribe,
which plans to bring younger members
of the tribe to Marble Mount
to see their family history.
[SCOTT SCHUYLER] It's important
that we lay a foundation
to preserve, protect
and enhance our culture,
where we can ensure
that they have the opportunities
for learning
and to partake
in this culture
that has extended
for the last 10,000 years
in the Skagit Valley.
♪♪
[SCOTT SCHUYLER] Disturbing of our ancestral
sites is always bad
and we prefer not
to have that occur, of course.
But in this particular case,
you know, one of the great positives
is the fact
that we do have access to this.
[BRIAN CALLANAN] Preserving the rich cultural history
of the Upper Skagit River
is something that local tribes
and Seattle
City Light
will be working on together
for many years to come.
But they say they need your help too.
[ANDREA WEISER] People get really fascinated by items
that represent history,
but just picking things up
and taking them
home is not the right thing to do.
[BRIAN CALLANAN] It's also a violation of state law.
But thankfully,
this message is already hitting home
as news of the Newhalem
discovery spreads.
This stone fish club
was returned to the tribe
a few months ago.
[SCOTT SCHUYLER] And so people have been
returning artifacts to us
since the first story came out.
So that's been a great positive thing.
[BRIAN CALLANAN] These are sacred lands for
the upper Skagit people,
central to their religious beliefs
and origin stories.
The tribe calls this an entry
to the Valley of the Spirits,
spirits that Scott
Schuyler says
have to be pleased
with a reunion that's long overdue.
[SCOTT SCHUYLER] It's a good day for the Upper
Skagit people and our ancestors.
(rain falling)
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