Move to Higher Ground is a comprehensive program to relocate the critical community facilities and future housing to the safety of lands above the reach of tsunami waves and flood waters.

The first priority of the Tribe was the relocation of the Quileute Tribal School which was completed in August of 2022. With the Tribal School relocation complete, the Tribe looks to develop the next phase of the Move To Higher Ground Project. 

Background, Legislation Brings Opportunity

In 2012, after nearly 50 years of Tribal leadership fighting for what was rightfully theirs, President Obama signed legislation returning hundreds of acres of Olympic National Park land to the Tribe.
This legislation helps to preserve the tribe’s rich heritage by allowing the people to move to higher ground away from impending tsunamis and continue to preserve their culture, their heritage, and their livelihood.

Following the passage of this historic legislation, the Quileute Tribe was able to embark upon the Move to Higher Ground.

 

Modern Tribal History

The Quileute Tribe in La Push, Washington, have been indigenous to the Northwest Coast as long as history retraces the land and the stories of its people. For thousands of years, the Quileute people have used the soft inner bark of the cedar tree to line clothing, protecting them from the 115 inches of rain per year that falls in the Pacific Northwest. These indigenous people are masters at using the land’s raw materials to weave baskets, hand-carve tools, build canoes, and honor the sea.

The Quileute People originally followed fish and game for hundreds of miles across the Olympic Peninsula and moved with the seasons.

After the treaty with the U.S. government, the Quileute no longer had access to their aboriginal camps and villages and were left with just one square mile of beach front and floodplain.

With so little developable land available, many critical facilities were forced to be located in tsunami and flood hazard zones. In 2012, after nearly 50 years of Tribal leadership fighting for what was rightfully theirs, President Obama signed legislation returning hundreds of acres of Olympic National Park land to the Tribe.

This legislation helps to preserve the tribe’s rich heritage by allowing the people to move to higher ground away from impending tsunamis and continue to preserve their culture, their heritage, and their livelihood.

With your help, the Quileute can move to this new, higher land to continue their rich traditions in safety.

To fully experience seven generations of a people rich in culture requires a deep dive into their history. We invite you to learn more of this story and the history and culture of the Quileute people who were thrust into the international spotlight after being featured in the Twilight saga (based on the books by Stephenie Meyer, American author). There is much more to the Quileute people than their cinematic fame. To learn more about the Quileute Tribe please visit https://QuileuteNation.org/history/