The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and the state of Washington will continue talks over a Klallam village where hundreds of ancestors and thousands of artifacts were uncovered.

The tribe and the state signed an agreement to guide their talks. An independent mediator has been appointed to resolve issues surrounding the Tse-whit-zen Village.

The village is considered one of the most important in the Pacific Northwest. Its discovery led to the abandonment of a work site for a $228 million bridge project.

The tribe subsequently filed suit to protect the remains at the village. The state has countersued.

Get the Story:
Port Angeles-area governments included in new agreement for graving yard talks (The Peninsula Daily News 1/27)
State, tribe reach agreement on graving yard negotiations (The Peninsula Daily News 1/26)
Outline agreed to in graving yard negotiations (KONP 1/26)

Relevant Links:
Tse-Whit-Zen Village News - http://tse-whit-zen.elwha.nsn.us
Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe - http://www.elwha.org
Washington State Department of Transportation - http://www.wsdot.wa.gov

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