Indigenous relics evoke questions of ownership amid Skagit dam relicensing

One hundred miles northeast of Seattle rests the city of Newhalem. Nearby sits the Gorge Inn, which supports the operation of hydroelectric dams on the Skagit River. As that dining hall underwent renovation in 2013, the discovery of roughly 270 artifacts — remnants of the Skagit River Tribes before the area was colonized — posed questions of ownership and history.

Three Tribes straddle that area of the Skagit River: the Swinomish, Sauk-Suiattle, and Upper Skagit. All three expressed interest in recovering the hundreds of ancient rock fragments and tools.

Archaeological sites are heavily protected in Washington state by law. The Skagit River Hydroelectric Project lies within the North Cascade National Park and Ross National Recreation Area, federally preserved land.

Among Seattle City Light’s 1,800 employees are several archeologists. In 2016, the public utility hired Andrea Weiser to help determine which tribes owned the archeological finds in question as all three, historically, hunted, fished, and lived in that area of the Cascades.

“We do this work under federal and state laws, along with obtaining the proper permits,” Wesier writes. “One of the risks of talking about archaeology is it can pique someone’s interest, but you cannot go out and dig up areas on your own. … There are also protections for keeping archeological sites, burials, and traditional cultural place locations confidential to protect them from looting and vandalism. It’s really serious stuff, especially with cultures where these areas are personally significant.”

The city light archeology team, using ethnographic research, including DNA tracing from blood remnants on some of the artifacts, determined that the finds were consistent with permanent dwellings. The Upper Skagit abided in a permanent winter village near Newhalem, whereas the Swinomish and Sauk-Suiattle held seasonal, migratory campsites. The archaeologists determined that the thousands-year-old pieces of ancient history belonged to the Upper Skagit Tribe.

“The first thing the Upper Skagit Tribe told me is that they want their artifacts back as one of the priorities for the current relicensing process,” said Chris Townsend, director with Seattle City Light.

Seattle City Light is currently in the process of relicensing the three dams it operates along the Skagit River — hydroelectric facilities that provide the city of Seattle with roughly 20% of its electricity. The utility’s permits are set to expire in 2025, and continued access to the river is predicated on negotiating the complex environmental and legal considerations of damming a river multiple times over on land that has federal, tribal, and municipal stakeholders.

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“[The Upper Skagit Tribe] has gone out of their way to demonstrate the cultural and spiritual significance of the entire area where the project is. … I think that that’s what’s led us to where we’re at today,” Townsend added.

As the artifacts were found on city property, they fell into the possession of Seattle City Light. On Wednesday, the Seattle City Council preliminarily approved their transfer back to the Upper Skagit Tribe.

The artifacts are currently on display at the National Parks Service curation facility in Marblemount, although the Upper Skagit Tribe has the option to move them after final council approval later in March.

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