The Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe, formerly known as the Port Gamble Indian Community of the Port Gamble Reservation or the Port Gamble Band of S'Klallam Indians is a

federally recognized tribe A federally recognized tribe is a Native American tribe recognized by the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs as holding a government-to-government relationship with the US federal government. In the United States, the Native American tribe ...

of S'Klallam people, located on the

Kitsap Peninsula The Kitsap Peninsula () lies west of Seattle across Puget Sound, in Washington state in the Pacific Northwest. Hood Canal separates the peninsula from the Olympic Peninsula on its west side. The peninsula, a.k.a. "Kitsap", encompasses all of Kits ...

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

. They are an

Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast The Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast are composed of many nations and tribal affiliations, each with distinctive cultural and political identities. They share certain beliefs, traditions and practices, such as the centrality of sal ...

Reservation

The Port Gamble S'Klallam Reservation, located in the northern part of

Kitsap County, Washington Kitsap County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 275,611. Its county seat is Port Orchard; its largest city is Bremerton. The county, formed out of King County and Jefferson County on Ja ...

. It was founded in 1938 and is collectively held by the tribe. The

reservation __NOTOC__ Reservation may refer to: Places Types of places: * Indian reservation, in the United States * Military base, often called reservations * Nature reserve Government and law * Reservation (law), a caveat to a treaty * Reservation in India, ...

covers .Pritzker 193 The land is counted by the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

as the Port Gamble Tribal Community

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

, with an on-site population of 916 as of the 2010 census.

Government

The tribe's headquarters is in

Kingston, Washington Kingston (formerly Appletree Cove) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 2,515 at the 2020 census. Kingston is along the shores of Appletree Cove and Pu ...

. The tribe is governed by a democratically elected, six-member tribal council. The current administration is as follows: * Chairwoman: Amber Caldera * Vice-Chairman: Chris Tom * Council Member: Donovan Ashworth * Council Member: Amber Caldera * Council Member: Renee Verregge * Council Member: Matt Ives."Tribal Government: Tribal Council."
''Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe.'' Retrieved August 4, 2013. The tribe ratified its constitution in 1939. To enroll in the tribe, members must have a 1/8 minimum

blood quantum Blood quantum laws or Indian blood laws are laws that define Native Americans in the United States status by fractions of Native American ancestry. These laws were enacted by the Federal government of the United States, federal government and S ...

. However, there is debate on lowering to allow further generations so long as an individual can prove direct descent to a "Treaty Signer."

Language

Traditionally, S'Klallam people speak the

S'Klallam language The Klallam (; also known as the S'Klallam or Clallam) are a Coast Salish people Indigenous to the northern Olympic Peninsula. The language of the Klallam is the Klallam language (), a language closely related to the North Straits Salish langua ...

, a

Central Salish language The Salishan languages ( ), also known as the Salish languages ( ), are a family of languages found in the Pacific Northwest in North America, namely the Canadian province of British Columbia and the American states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho ...

. It is very similar to the Saanich dialect of the

Straits Salish language Northern Straits Salish (also referred to as North Straits Salish) is a language composed of several mutually-intelligible dialects within the Coast Salish language family spoken in western Washington and British Columbia. The various dialects ...

. A grammar book has been published in the language, and it is taught in elementary and high school.

Economic development

The Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe owns and operates the Point Casino, Market Fresh Buffet, Little Boston Bistro, and Point Julia Deli, all located in Kingston."The Point Casino."
''500 Nations.'' Retrieved August 4, 2013.

Notes

References

* Pritzker, Barry M. ''A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Peoples''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. .

External links

Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe
official website {{DEFAULTSORT:Port Gamble Band Of S'Klallam Indians Klallam Native American tribes in Washington (state) Geography of Kitsap County, Washington Federally recognized tribes in the United States Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast