A view of Tamanowas Rock in Washington. Photo from Geocaching.com
The Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe of Washington is seeking stronger protections for the sacred Tamanowas Rock. The 43-million-year-old rock was just added to the Washington State Heritage Register of Historic Places. The tribe hopes the site will join the National Register of Historic Places. "For the S’Klallam people, Tamanowas Rock in Chimacum is hallowed ground," the tribe said in its July 2015 newsletter. "Used by Native people since time immemorial for spiritual vision quests, the rock is a unique geological formation – an immense monolith with caves, crevices and cliffs, formed 43 million years ago." The tribe purchased 66 acres around Tamanowas in November 2004. The rock itself was acquired in December 2013 from the Jefferson Land Trust. Tamanowas means “spirit power" in the Klallam language. It's been used as a site for ceremonies and prayers for tens of thousands of years. Last July, the tribe discovered graffiti on the rock and has been working to remove it. Get the Story:
Tamanowas Rock in Chimacum, used by native people ‘since time immemorial,’ placed on Washington State Register of Historic Places (The Peninsula Daily News 7/1)
Tamanowas Rock rolls to state historic register (The Port Townsend Leader 7/1)
Tamanowas Rock placed on Washington state Heritage Register of Historic Places (The Sequim Gazette 6/29)
Related Stories
Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe reports vandalism at sacred rock (8/4)
Join the Conversation
